Stockport landlords should be aware of calls to impose tenancy agreements.

If you are a landlord, it is vital that you stay in touch with regulations. The Stockport property and rental market is changing rapidly, providing more opportunities for local landlords, but providing a great service to tenants is just one part of the workload. Of all the services that landlords offer, the tenancy agreement is likely to be the most important and a consumer watchdog is calling for a review of tenancy agreements.

As of the summer of 2018, there is nothing to say that the Government will make changes to tenancy agreements, but they could. It is always best to be proactive, so it makes sense for Stockport landlords to understand the issues highlighted by the consumer watchdog and then see if there is anything that they can do better in this regard.

Unclear clauses cause concern for tenants

The consumer watchdog surveyed 2,500 tenants and it claims to have found several issues of tenancy agreements that cause concern. This includes unclear language and clauses. It has been suggested that some tenants have ended up being responsible for work or costs that landlords should be responsible for. The study also suggests that some tenants have been effectively banned from switching their gas or electrical supplier. Considering the ability to make savings by switching utility supplier, it is no surprise that some tenants would feel aggrieved at this situation.

Another issue that has been highlighted for review is tenants not receiving a written tenancy agreement. It has been claimed that 20% of respondents didn’t receive an appropriate tenancy agreement, and that creates a major problem from the very start of the tenancy.

Some tenants fear landlords

One issue that many landlords will be interested in hearing is the fact that some tenants claim to fear reporting issues or problems. Half of the respondents questioned stated they have undertaken repair work or paid a professional to carry out repairs at rental property. 23% of respondents said they took this action to avoid causing conflict with the landlord.

In the long run, this action is likely to cause conflict with the landlord. A landlord wants to ensure that all repair work is carried out to a high standard and many landlords or agents will have a trusted team of professionals they rely on. When a tenant carries out repair work themselves, it is likely that the work will be finished to a lower standard, and this is something that will cause concern for landlords.

If you are a Stockport landlord and you need help in managing your rental property or dealing with tenants, come and speak to Peter Anthony. We are pleased to say that we are local property market specialists and we are on hand to provide you with dependable and reliable support. No matter what issues you have or if you are looking to be proactive when it comes to caring for property and tenants, Peter Anthony is the firm to trust.