Interesting case study shown here in Property Eye where Sandy Bastin; Head of Adjudication Services at TDS describes how a landlord allowed the tenant to return to the property after the checkout to carry out cleaning and remedial tasks.
My advice is always to ensure that the tenant is fully aware of the checkout process. They need to have the property ready to hand over on the day of the checkout appointment (all cleaning done; remedial works completed) and should never to be allowed to retain any keys more so for their own safety.
As an inventory professional myself; we have experienced a situation where the tenant had retained a key (couldn’t locate it after moving but was subsequently found and returned) but in the interim an issue occurred where the taps of the property where left running causing damage to the flat below and the tenant was pursued for damages because they still had access and couldn’t prove that it was not down to them.
As this case study clearly shows
- Protect the landlord and the tenant by conducting detailed check-in and check-out reports
- Do not to allow a tenant to either retain a key or to return to the property once the tenancy has ended for their own safety and peace of mind
- If the tenant is allowed to return to carry out cleaning etc; a further inspection of the property should be undertaken and report compiled to establish the cleanliness and condition of the property against the checkout out report
- Ensure that all communications with the tenant / landlord / agent especially where keys are concerned are noted
See original story here: https://www.propertyindustryeye.com/the-deposit-di…