This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Interesting new research has revealed that one in seven tenants have broken one or more rules outlined in their tenancy agreement.
Data from the report conducted by Direct Line Landlord Insurance shows that around 15% of renters admitted to breaking conditions of their contract. Somewhat alarmingly, 9% said they don’t have a contract at all!
11% said that they were unsure if they had broken any rules or not.
Breaking the rules
Of those renters who admitted to breaching terms of their agreement, the most common was failing to pay rent on time. Next came smoking inside a property and having a pet without permission.
The full list of most common rules flaunted by tenants were found to be:
| Activity | Percentage of tenants |
| Failing to pay rent on time (or at all) | 25% |
| Smoking in the property | 21% |
| Keeping a pet in the property | 18% |
| Damaging or making alterations to the premises | 17% |
| Changing the locks | 16% |
| Caused disturbances or a nuisance to neighbouring properties | 14% |
| Sublet a room without notifying the landlord | 14% |
| Failed to clean accessible windows | 13% |
| Redecorated without permission | 12% |
| Failed to check smoke or carbon monoxide alarm | 10% |
15% of tenants admit to breaking rules
Sanctions
The most common sanctions for tenants found to be in breach of their agreement include:
- losing some or the entirety of their deposit (52%)
- having to pay for damages (22%)
- being evicted (4%)
However, 21% of tenants say that their landlord hasn’t found out about their actions…yet!
Nick Breton, Head of Direct Line for Business, noted, ‘the relationship a tenant has with their landlord can be crucial in the smooth running of a rented property. It is therefore of utmost importance for tenants to keep in touch with their landlords should anything arise that may be in breach of their rental agreement.’[1]
‘Many landlords may be accommodating of requests to have a pet or to make changes to the property, but it is always safest to ask before doing anything to ensure that you are not breaking your contract in the process. Tenants who break the rules of their contract can face anything from the loss of their deposit to eviction, so for peace of mind, landlords should ensure they have a watertight legal contract in place to fall back on should anything happen to their property,’ he added.[3]
[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/1-in-7-bend-tenancy-rules.html
