Over two thirds of landlords find themselves out of pocket as a result of property damage caused by vacating tenants. 

A survey of landlords have revealed that the biggest problem is stained carpets – 76 per cent of landlords say they need to remedy this in voice periods. Filthy ovens were a problem for 67 per cent of landlords while 58 per cent had to redecorate to cover marked walls. 

Around 47 per cent of landlords with outside space had to pay for gardens to be cleared when a tenant departs, while 22 per cent had to replace damaged worktops. 

More than one in three landlords claim that the damage inflicted on their rental property appeared to have been caused by pets – scratched floors, torn carpets and marked woodwork – with 24 per cent saying that this had happened despite the tenancy agreement stating that pets were not permitted.

As well as tackling obvious cosmetic property problems, 54 per cent of landlords surveyed said that they had unexpectedly had to repair broken facilities and utilities, such as cookers, gas boilers and showers, which the existing tenants had failed to inform them of. This could often lead to costs up to the value of one month’s rent. 

The survey was conducted by services company Fantastic Services.