I want to just give you some feedback from Alan who is a landlord who left these comments in the blog clinic about adjudications:
Your blog recently featured an article about some tenants who made a successful deposit scheme through the arbitration service.
I would like to give a landlord’s perspective. I have lost two arbitration cases where I felt retention of the deposit was just. On one occasion my tenants left a whole load of junk in the attic when they left but my inventory didn’t include the attic so I had to pay for it to be removed!
The other time the house was infested with fleas after the tenants vacated but I had no clause in the tenancy agreement to state they were responsible for fumigation if they kept pets, again I had to pay for this but also for new carpets as well!
My advice to landlords is to make sure you have everything recorded, and I mean EVERYTHING. Contemplate every possible outcome, however unlikely it may seem.
I now keep a photographic record of all my properties and make sure all correspondence with tenants and agents is done by email wherever possible. Since I have done this, I have ‘won’ two cases and had a ‘majority’ verdict on another. I have not lost a case.
Also, make sure you carry out routine visits at least every three months.
I think this is excellent advice which should be followed by all landlords. Thank you Alan for your feedback.