Landlords and letting agents are coming across increasingly dirty rental properties at the end of tenancies, as a study reveals that cleaning continues to dominate deposit disputes.

Some 70% of landlords say their property has been returned to them in a ‘dirty condition’ at the end of a tenancy, a study has revealed.

On more than one occasion, a rental property has had to be completely refurbished as it was returned to the landlord in such poor condition. 

Online letting agent PropertyLetByUs’ research found that ovens are most frequently the grubbiest feature of a rental property once tenants move out. 

This was followed by carpets and flooring, showers, sinks, fridge freezers and baths, according to the study of 500 landlords carried out this month. 

Tenancy deposit protection scheme TDS has claimed that cleaning now accounts for over half of the disputes it deals with and that cleaning disputes are now at their highest level since the scheme was established. 

PropertyLetByUs.com says that tenants seem to have little or no respect for their rented home. 

“Unfortunately tenants fail to treat a rented property like they would if it was their own home,” says the firm’s managing director, Jane Morris.

“We have seen many properties left in a filthy state,” she says. “At a recent check out, the property was left in a very poor condition. No cleaning had taken place during the tenancy and the ovens, carpets and the bathrooms were filthy. Unwanted furniture was the left in the house and strewn across the garden.” 

Morris says her agency is urging landlords to carry out mid-term inspections so they can flag up cleaning issues before it’s too late. 

“At the check-out, the tenants should be made aware of the areas requiring cleaning and the potential cost involved,” she adds.