Question 1

What counts as fair wear and tear on a tenancy?

Accepted Answer

Deterioration resulting from **ordinary use over the period of the tenancy**, which a landlord cannot charge for — and the concept is defined by reference to reasonable use rather than to a list, which is why disputes are so common.

**The definition used in practice.** Deterioration occurring through **normal, everyday use** by the number of people in the property, over the length of the tenancy. The key elements are use, occupancy and time — a property let to a family for four years will be in a different condition from one let to one person for six months, and the same wear is fair in one and not the other.

**What is fair wear and tear:** carpet worn in traffic areas; paintwork marked and faded; small scuffs on walls; worn door handles and fittings; and appliances failing through age.

**What is damage:** burns, stains and tears; broken items; holes in walls; pet damage; mould caused by failure to ventilate where the property is not defective; and anything resulting from misuse.

**The principle that resolves most disputes: betterment.** A landlord is **not entitled to be put in a better position** than they would have been. If a carpet was five years old at the start of a five-year tenancy and is now worn out, the landlord cannot charge for a new one — the carpet had reached the end of its life anyway. **Deductions must account for the age and expected lifespan** of the item, on a proportionate basis.

This is what adjudicators apply, and it is why full replacement costs are routinely reduced or refused.

**What determines the outcome of a dispute:**

**The inventory and check-in report.** A detailed, dated report with photographs, signed by the tenant, is decisive. **Without one, a landlord will struggle to prove anything**, because they cannot establish the condition at the start.

**The check-out report**, compared against it.

**Evidence of age and cost** of items claimed for.

**Photographs**, which both parties should take.

**How disputes are resolved.** Deposit schemes provide **free adjudication**, in which an independent adjudicator decides on the evidence submitted. **The disputed amount is held by the scheme** until resolved, and the undisputed portion is returned promptly.

**The burden is on the landlord** to justify deductions.

**Cleaning** must be to the standard at check-in, not better.

General information, not legal advice.

Question 2

What repairs is a landlord actually responsible for?

Accepted Answer

A defined set of obligations implied into every tenancy by statute, which cannot be excluded by the agreement — plus whatever the agreement adds. The statutory core is narrower than tenants expect

Question 3

What protection do tenants have against retaliatory eviction?

Accepted Answer

Protection preventing a landlord using the no-fault route to possession in response to a tenant complaining about disrepair — and it is narrower and more procedural than most tenants expect. What it

Question 4

What is an inventory and check-out report, and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Documents recording the condition and contents of a property at the start and end of a tenancy — and they are the evidence on which every deposit dispute is decided. The inventory and check-in

Question 5

What are the best practices for rental property maintenance?

Accepted Answer

Implementing best practices for rental property maintenance ensures property longevity, tenant satisfaction, and protects your investment through regular inspections and timely repairs.

Question 6

What is joint and several liability in a tenancy?

Accepted Answer

Where tenants sign one tenancy agreement together, each is liable for the whole of the obligations — not for their share — which means one person's default becomes everyone's problem. What it means

Question 7

What is the cladding and building safety problem, and where does it stand?

Accepted Answer

A crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of flats, in which combustible external wall systems and other fire safety defects left buildings unsafe, unsellable and unmortgageable — and in which the

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