Tenants must protect themselves

Posted: 19 Nov 2007 11:04:40 GMT

Half of all tenants in the UK fail to protect themselves when moving into rented accommodation.

Half of all tenants in the UK fail to protect themselves when moving into rented accommodation.

That is according to research by AA Legal Services, which says that 50 per cent do not obtain a tenancy agreement prior to moving.

Instead, more tenants are concerned about the size of bedrooms and other relatively trivial issues.

A further 70 per cent fail to check the inventory or make any corrections before moving in, while 56 per cent do not ensure that their rental payments are clearly documented.

More than half (55 per cent) do not take gas, electric or water meter readings when they move in, while 59 per cent are unaware of the notice period on their rental property.

"These findings demonstrate how poorly people protect themselves when moving into a rented home," said James Molloy, head of AA Legal Services.

"It is vital that you agree your tenancy agreement and check everything, including inventory and utility meter readings, before you accept the keys to your rented home.

"Yet thousands of people are just not doing so and are putting themselves and their home at risk," he added.

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