According to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, a large
number of landlords are being forced to deal with tenants who make
changes to their property without asking permission. Unfortunately,
it can cost time and money to return a property to its former
condition—and not all tenants are happy about paying the bill.
What kind of changes do tenants make?
If a tenant has lived in a property for a long time, it is not
unreasonable for them to want to make a few changes here and there.
Often these changes affect the garden. For example, a tenant might
dig out a pond or install some timber decking around the back of the
property. It could be argued that this kind of change is an
improvement, but if you are the landlord of the property, you might
not necessarily agree, particularly if the work is of a sub-standard
quality or it devalues the property.
What should tenants be asked to do?
It is normal to expect a tenant to keep a garden in reasonable
condition. If the property is let in an unfurnished state, the
landlord does not even have to provide the tools, although you may
wish to in order to increase the chances of your tenant doing the
gardening on a regular basis. Sadly not all tenants have green
fingers and many can’t be bothered to even cut the lawn. So if you
suspect your property is being neglected or the tenant has made
changes without permission, talk to your tenants and remind them that
they are in breach of their tenancy agreement if they don’t return
the property in the same condition as they found it.
