A signed tenancy agreement is not worth the paper it is written as tenants are blatantly ignoring its terms and conditions and fail to seek permission for changes to the property and lease.

That is the conclusion from a survey of 500 landlords conducted this month by online letting agent PropertyLetByUs.

It says more than one in 10 tenants admits sub-letting to a friend, over 70 per cent admit keeping a pet against landlord wishes, and 79 per cent say they have decorated without landlord consent. 

The research shows that despite landlords making it clear that no alterations must be done to the property without their permission, nearly half of tenants have put up shelves and other wall fixings – over 95 per cent have put nails and screws in the walls.  

Some 11 per cent of tenants have made alterations to the garden and 60 per cent have had internet or Sky cables installed in the property.

“It is vital that landlords make mid-term inspections so that they can monitor and assess the condition of the property. Any issues and problems can be discussed with tenants and resulting increases in rent or deposit can be agreed to cover additional wear and tear, or any damage to the property” says Jane Morris, managing director of PropertyLetByUs.