Money can be taken from deposits if damage occurs to student homes, but sometimes there is disagreement between tenants and landlords on these kinds of issues.
Property owners want to ensure that their premises are treated respectfully and are in good enough condition for the next group of people who move in.
Regularly replacing furnishings and electrical goods can prove costly, so they look after their finances by taking money to replace these goods by those who damaged them. Breakages are common in all households across the UK and when a genuine damaging accident has occurred most tenants are willing to take financial responsibility for events.
Undergraduates often enjoy an active social life and may host parties in their student property that could result in broken items, which is likely to be taken from their deposit when it is time to move out. At times tenants disagree with the findings of the landlord and state their refusal to pay for damage that they believe has not been caused by themselves or their landlords. There is a tug of war between the two parties as each refuses to back down on their claims.
The most common way to ensure that situations do not escalate to this point is to put together a detailed inventory which shows the exact state of fixtures, furnishings and walls. These can take the form of written notes and images of a wide selection of areas throughout student homes.
Once this has been done it is imperative that the findings are looked over and given the written consent of the landlord, so if they are questioned at a later date there is evidence to back up the claims of the tenant. As a further measure, some renters like to take a witness with them while they carry out their inventory so they have an additional voice acting on their behalf.