Disputes between landlords and tenants are on the rise – and they’re expected to surge further thanks to the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Analysis of TDS data from Inventory Base found that disputes hit their highest level in the last decade in 2023, at 42,180.
The planned ban on Section 21 evictions in the Renters’ Reform Bill comes at a time when the courts are already struggling with the sheer volume of cases.
Siân Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, said: “The number of disputes we’re seeing, and the rate at which they’re increasing, goes to show just how important it is for landlords and letting agents to implement flawless practices in deposit protection and inventories.
“A proper inventory – one that accurately and fastidiously records all existing damage at the start of a tenancy – provides landlords with ultimate protection when it comes to tenants who use the disputes process to try and avoid paying for any damage they have caused.
“Far too often, lacklustre inventories mean that landlords end up paying for damage caused by the tenant, simply because they cannot prove what the condition was before the tenant moved in.”
“It’s forecast that disputes are set to rise and the likelihood is that the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill will only lead to a higher number of disputes as both tenant and landlord adjust to the new laws put into place.”
By the end of 2025 the TDS expects tenant disputes to reach a total of 42,542, which will mark an annual increase of +0.9%.
