Close to a third of tenants in the private rented sector think that it’s acceptable to take items belonging to the landlord with them when they move out of their accommodation.

Research by Direct Line for Business has shown that 30 per cent of tenants who have rented in the last five years think that they can take items not belonging to them.

Why tenants take landlords’ possessions

The reasons for taking the items include: believing that the landlord would not notice, taking them by accident and, the most common excuse, was simply that they wanted to take them.

The cost of this behaviour to the landlord adds up. Tenants estimate that the overall value of items they had taken from a property stands at over £500.

Now, of course, mistakes can be made, especially if someone has lived in the property for a number of years – they can forget what is and isn’t theirs. The research additionally revealed that 21 per cent of respondents said they did not complete an inventory when they moved into the property.

It would be obvious to a landlord if an item such as the bed was taken, however, there are items that it might take longer to realise their disappearance. For this reason a thorough inventory is needed, especially for furnished properties. Unless landlords and agents have a thorough inventory, they are at risk of disputes and expensive repair bills.

Skribes is Birmingham’s leading independent inventory and property services specialist. We provide landlords with inventory reports, check-in reports, interim reports, check-out reports and legionella reports, all of which aim to minimise issues that arise when a tenant’s contract has ended.

To find out how we can make it easier for you to manage your property, call us today on 07891 551 905 or email info@skribes.co.uk.