Renter rights: Tenants pay out nearly £450 on work that could be meant for landlords

Tenants could be mistakenly paying out £443, on average, in repair costs, for work that should be covered by landlords.

According to research carried out by Confused.com, almost one in five (19%) of renters are confused about who is responsible for rental property repairs – meaning tenants could be out of pocket.

And unfortunately, the most common problems experienced by tenants are often expensive to repair. According to the research, more than two-fifths of renters (42%) said that they’ve suffered with damp in their property, while almost a third (30%) admitted they’ve had to sit in the cold due to the heating breaking. But perhaps most inconveniently, more than a quarter of tenants (28%) said they were unable to use their toilet or shower because of plumbing issues.

These issues could leave tenants out of pocket, with more than one in five (22%) having paid out to cover the cost of repairs in their rental property. In fact, a third of those (33%) have forked out to fix plumbing issues, while almost a quarter (23%) paid to patch up electrical issues and a further one in six (17%) spent out on boiler issues.

While these responsibilities generally fall under the landlord’s remit, tenants are responsible for any damages they cause themselves – but a good home insurance policy should cover that!

Confusion over renter and landlord rights could mean that some tenants are putting themselves in hot water. In fact, almost a third of renters (32%) admitted that they re-decorated their rental property before asking for permission from their landlord – which could land them with hefty fines!

Nearly one in five tenants (18%) confessed that they were confused about their rights as a tenant. To help clear things up, Confused.com’s guide outlines where the responsibilities lie for renters and landlords, including who needs to look after the interior and exterior of the property, general upkeep, access rights and what to do when something goes wrong.

On the whole, it seems that most landlords and tenants have a positive relationship, as almost three quarters of tenants (71%) admit that they’re happy with their landlord. But that’s not to say there aren’t some areas of uncertainty.

Deposits can be a tricky subject, as almost two-thirds (68%) of those who have lost money from their bond believe that it was unfairly deducted. And while fortunately, less than a third of renters (30%) have ever had money deducted from their bond, but for those that have, the average loss rings in at £277 – ouch.

Confused.com research also found that almost two-fifths (38%) of renters believe that landlords and estate agents try to take advantage of tenants, while more than one in five (22%) say that their landlord take a long time to respond when there’s an issue in the house and tried to make excuses not to repair issues that are the landlord’s responsibility.

And it seems some renters aren’t holding up their end of the deal either. More than one in eight tenants (13%) have wrongly withheld rent due to problems with their landlord, while one in seven tenants (14%) have got rid of furniture provided by the landlord without agreeing it with them first.

But renter and landlord relationships aren’t all bad, as more than half of renters (56%) said that their landlord was quick to sort out issues that they experienced in their rental property.

To keep the harmony, renters and landlords should make sure they’re clued up on their responsibilities, so that nobody ends up wrongly out of pocket. A third of renters (33%) think that it would help for estate agents to make tenants aware of their rights at the start of the tenancy – then everyone knows where they stand.

Some tenants are also missing a trick when it comes to protecting themselves, as almost three quarters of them (68%) haven’t taken out tenant’s insurance, which could put them at risk of losing thousands of pounds if their belongings are damaged or stolen. This is particularly concerning when renters are estimating that their home contents are worth more than £4,500, on average.

A little bit of communication and research can go a long way and it certainly pays off all round when landlords and renters alike are aware of their rights and responsibilities.