If you caused accidental damage to a property, would you tell your landlord? 27% of those asked in a recent survey said they would not.
One in four tenants said they would not inform their landlord if they caused significant damage to their rental property. Over 10% of those asked also said they would attempt to fix the issue themselves.
Property Damage
58% of those asked said they would report any damages to their landlord, but 27% said that they would not.
Of the 27%
• 11% would attempt to fix damages themselves.
• 15% would consult a professional
• Fortunately only 1% would hide the problem and hope for the best!
Of the honest 58% of respondents:
• 24% would offer to the pay for the cost of the repair.
• 7% would contribute to the cost of the repairs.
• 27% would wait and see if they were required to pay.
When the results are filtered by gender, 13% of men believed they were capable of repairing the damage themselves, compared to 9% of women. On the other hand, women were more honest, with 26% saying they would tell their landlord as opposed to 21% of men.
Accidents Will Happen
Lettings Manager at Fife Properties, Richard Cook said “One of the best ways to avoid any nasty shocks is through regular inspections of your properties. Whilst the average letting agent will perform an inspection every 6-12 months, Fife Properties offers 3 monthly property inspections, so you know that your investment is in safe hands.
Nick Marr, co-founder of The House Shop, the company who performed the survey, said: ‘While the vast majority of tenants will not actively try to do damage to a property, accidents do happen, and even well-meaning and reliable tenants can end up inflicting significant damage during their tenancy.’
It’s better to report the issue to your landlord or letting agent. Ignoring a small problem can lead to it developing into a full-blown disaster.
For more information on Letting Services available at Fife Properties contact any branch today. Details on our website at www.fifeproperties.co.uk
