The 2 'vital' tenancy rights that every student and young renter needs to know

CEO of flatsharing website says deposit disputes are becoming an inevitable part of the rental experience

(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Property maintenance and damage are among the most common causes for disputes between landlords and students, new research has revealed.

Flatshare site Weroom.com spoke with almost 330 18 to 24-year-olds to find only 40 per cent of young people were aware of their rights as tenants, something, the company said, is ‘vital’ for students to know about in order to avoid expensive disputes arising.

With the most common cause of student housing disputes associated with property damage, Weroom’s CEO, Thomas Villeneuve, said 53 per cent of such cases were not the fault of anyone living in the house. He added: “Simple steps – such as taking photos of the property before moving in to highlight existing damage – can prevent the majority of these student-landlord conflicts from ever taking place.”

Other key statistics surrounding student deposits highlighted how 57 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds have felt intimidated by a landlord, 60 per cent would like to see letting agent fees banned, 40 per cent experienced cleaning related property disputes, and 33 per cent admitted to ‘giving in’ to landlords and agencies to avoid confrontation.

One student, 23-year-old Paris Kominos, told Weroom of a dispute he became involved in over his flat not being professionally cleaned – when his estate agent should have arranged for it to have been – leading to charges in excess of £350.

Having decided to take his dispute to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme free adjudication service, he said: “The estate agent suggested that I not follow through because I was not likely to win. Two months later, the adjudicator ruled in my favour and I received the majority of my disputed money back.”

Mr Villeneuve acknowledged how money is one of the most common concerns for students, with rent and losses to damage deposits hitting their pockets hard, and said: “The vast majority of renting students live in flat or house shares, and it’s not uncommon to hear stories of problems between students and landlords or letting agencies which end up costing students a lot. “

As deposit disputes become an inevitable part of the rental experience, the CEO added: “This has got to stop. Leaving a property with a broken lightbulb or a dirty oven are increasingly common – and easily avoidable – causes of deposit disputes and reasons for landlords to withhold money from renters.

“Landlords and renters alike should feel confident that their interests are being protected, and an awareness of their rights and responsibilities as tenants is an easy way to minimise the opportunity for a dispute to arise.”

Weroom.com has now launched a free Deposit Protection Guide on their website with key information and advice for renters on common deposit disputes and how to avoid them.

Providing hints and tips in the guide, property expert and TV presenter, Laura Hamilton – who has, herself, been a landlord, said: “Both sides can take simple steps, such as employing an independent Inventory Clerk to oversee inventories at check in and out to avoid unnecessary issues along the line.”