One of your responsibilities as a tenant is to ensure your home is kept clean and tidy. Also, ensure that all minor damage is repaired, and all major maintenance is reported. Usually, there are tenancy checks at 6-monthly intervals, so it’s essential to take good care of the property.
Recently, dirty and untidy properties have been cited by letting agents as the most common reason for tenants losing their deposit.
To help you avoid this, we’ve put together our advice on how to take care of your rental property.
Keep the property clean
As part of your tenancy responsibilities, it’s important to keep the property clean.
Try to clean up a mess immediately. If a spill is left, it may turn into a stain that is impossible to clear up.
Therefore, stay on top of basic cleaning. Getting into the habit of tidying up after yourself will save you time and money in the long-term.
Do a deep clean once in a while! This may include:
Cleaning behind the fridge and freezer
Making the oven sparkle
Cleaning under and behind the sofa (or other less-visited areas)
De-limescale the bathroom
Wiping down the walls and skirting boards
Removing cobwebs
Cleaning on top of cupboards
If you don’t have the time to do a one-off deep clean, you could hire in a cleaner to do it for you.
Ensure you maintain the garden. Your responsibility as the tenant is to return the garden in the same state as when you took the property on.
The minimum you would be expected to do is to keep the garden free from litter and not let it get overgrown.
Your tenancy agreement will stipulate exactly what is required of you, if you aren’t sure.
Learn some basic DIY
If you don’t have a firm grasp of DIY, you might want to watch a few online videos. Understanding the fundamentals can stand you in good stead in the future.
Here are some basic DIY tasks that are important to learn:
Change a light bulb
Clear drains
Clean stained grouting
Bleed radiators
Report all major repairs
Major repairs are the landlord’s responsibility to fix and pay for.
However, if any damage is caused by you, you may be liable for the cost of the repair. It’s important you report any damage immediately and allow the landlord timely access to attend to the issue.
Be aware of health hazards
You can be held liable if you allow the property to fall into disrepair. Make sure you:
Keep kitchens and bathroom well ventilated. Use extractor fans and open doors and windows. This will reduce condensation and minimise mould
Clean away crumbs and food waste so as not to attract pests
Remove rubbish to prevent bad odours and possible infestations