HomeLatest NewsLandlords confused by the “Betterment” Principle
Landlords confused by the “Betterment” Principle
Posted on 02/09/2015 by Sulgrave Estates
The Betterment principle continues to cause confusion amongst landlords and tenants as highlighted by online queries at a District Council recently. Essentially, a tenant has a duty of care to look after a property and must return it in the same condition at the end of the tenancy as it was at the beginning - allowing for wear and tear. Landlords cannot expect their properties to be in a better condition and cannot claim “new for old” from a tenant deposit. The law does allow compensation which takes into account expected lifespan of an item etc. This is a complex subject and Sulgrave Estates will be publishing a Factsheet shortly which will cover it in more detail.