Furnishings and fixtures in rental properties are wearing out 30% faster than before the pandemic, according to an assessment from industry sources.
A study of data and reports from the Independent Landlord, the National Residential Landlords Association, the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and Total Landlord Insurance suggests that before the pandemic just 26.7% of people said they had worked from home at any time over the previous 12 months.
Now it’s claimed that this number has surged to 41%, accelerating wear and tear on carpets, sofas, walls, and other fittings, and its accelerating depreciation.
Inventory Base has calculated that due to the fact that this increase means people are now spending a lot more time in the home than they ever have before, the additional use of fixtures and furnishings in the home means that their expected average lifespan has reduced by an estimated average of -30%.
For example, a medium quality carpet in a rental home was once expected to last an average of eight years, but the 30% reduction resulting from the rise of working from home means the same carpet can now only be reasonably expected to last 5.6 years.
The average standard sofa could also once be expected to have a lifespan of eight years, and this has again been reduced to 5.6 years, while the average three-year lifespan of painting and decorating (hallways, landings, stairs, etc) has been cut to 2.1 years.
This increased usage isn’t abuse: it’s reality. But under current rules, tenants are being penalised for “damage” that’s actually normal use. Meanwhile, landlords are absorbing more frequent replacement costs.
Inventory Base is now suggesting that this reduction in expected lifespan means that existing Fair, Wear and Tear rules for rented accommodation are no longer fit for purpose, and that tenants face being unfairly charged for ‘damaging’ furnishings when actually they’ve simply used them as they are intended to be used.
It suggests updating the Housing Act 1998 to redefine “normal use” in a way that recognises remote work. It says tenancy deposit schemes should also adjust depreciation schedules to reflect increased usage in properties where tenants work remotely.
This would provide clearer guidelines on what constitutes fair wear and tear in today’s context.
And it wants courts to broaden their interpretation of “reasonable use” in tenancy disputes to account for increased use of homes due to remote working.
It’s also claimed that prices for renewing fixtures and fittings have also soared. For example, it estimates that the cost to a landlord for a medium quality carpet with an expected lifespan of eight years came to an average of £138 per year. But with a reduced lifespan of just 5.6 years, this cost is now £196 per year, marking an increase of £59 per year.
And while a standard sofa once cost the landlord £63 a year, it now costs £89 a year; an increase of £27. And the annual cost of painting and decorating has increased by £229 a year, rising from £533 to £762.
An Inventory Base spokesperson says: “Over the past few years, I’ve had countless conversations with landlords, inventory clerks, and property managers, all grappling with the same challenge: what exactly constitutes fair, wear and tear in today’s rental market?
“With so many of us working from home, the pressure on rental properties has changed.Yet, the guidelines and expectations around wear and tear haven’t kept up.
“That disconnect is causing confusion, disputes, and unnecessary friction between landlords, tenants and ultimately the property manager and inventory clerks who manage the dispute process.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today