Oct

Landlord’s claim against popstar – success due to inventory work…

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Inventories:

Is there something
about celebrities that makes them a petty bad tenancy risk? One
landlord recently fond that out the hard way when he rented a
property to popstar and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos.

The landlord claimed
that the three-bedroom property, located in Enfield and costing
£3,466 per month to rent, was let in ‘tip-top condition’ but
returned to him in an ‘appalling’ and ‘unlettable’ state.

The reported damage,
created between September 2014 and July 2016, included a smashed
sink, cigarette burns, stains and doors ripped from hinges.

Something very
similar happened a few years ago with international model, Kate Moss:
“Party-loving Kate is not a model tenant”, said the headline in
the Daily Mail, “For a girl who epitomises the urban chic of
metropolitan life, moving to the country was always likely to be a
difficult transition for the supermodel Kate Moss, said the report.

Moss’s stay at
honeysuckle-bedecked Walnut Tree Cottage eventually cost here
thousands of pounds in compensation after the 300-year-old property
was wrecked by flood water and trashed after wild partying, while she
was renting it, and after a long battle for the landlord.

Tulisa Contostavlos,
the former N-Dubz star was recently ordered to pay over £70,000 to
the landlord of her property, Andrew Charalambous, after it was heard
the luxury home had been ‘trashed’ during her tenancy.

What saved the day
for the landlord was the independent inventory check-in and check-out
report carried out by nation-wide inventory franchise firm, No
Letting Go. This was the key in providing evidence of serious
damage caused to a North London flat said the landlord.

When the case went
to court, Contostavlos’ lawyer argued that the damage was not caused
by her and that it was not above ‘normal wear and tear’. However,
judge David Saunders ruled against her and she was ordered to pay
compensation, interest and legal costs in excess of £70,000 to Mr
Charalambous.

The inventory work
on the property was carried out by Mitchell Walters, the owner of No
Letting Go’s Barnet and Enfield franchise, who deals with many
high-end properties in the capital.

The landlord has
described the inventory work carried out at the property as
‘excellent’.

“We were
pleased to be able to contribute towards helping the landlord win
compensation in his case against the former tenant as the property
was treated very poorly and would have cost him thousands to renovate
and repair. Our inventory reporting helped to demonstrate its
pristine condition at the start of the tenancy,” says Mitchell
Walters.

“Hopefully the
high-profile nature of this case will help to remind landlords and
letting agents about the potential financial implications of property
damage if they don’t have professional and comprehensive measures in
place.”

Nick Lyons, CEO and
Founder of No Letting Go, the UK’s largest provider of
inventory services, said:

“We can see
from this case the importance of an independently and professionally
compiled inventory.”

“It’s clear
that the type of damage being reported was certainly not wear and
tear, but when serious disputes between landlords and tenants like
this occur, being able to prove it through evidence becomes crucial
if landlords want to recover costs for repairs and replacements.”

“This case also
shows that it doesn’t matter whether a rental property is at the very
top or bottom end of the market, landlords and letting agents need to
follow the same procedures when it comes to documenting its condition
before, during and after a tenancy if they want ensure they are
protected against damage,” he says.

No Letting Go
is the UK’s largest provider of inventory services with over 65
offices across the country. It was crowned Lettings Supplier of the
Year in 2016 and is a member of the Association of Independent
Inventory Clerks, ARLA Propertymark, safe contractor and the British
Franchise Association.

www.nolettinggo.co.uk

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