Tenant vacated last week after using 6 month break clause. The tenants (professional people!) left the place filthy, chips in walls, rat traps in the house, and loads of rubbish, old rugs, 2 beds, bags of clothes, dvds, etc, etc. Have dated photographic and video evidence so hoping to deduct from the DPS deposit (which they are currently ignoring). But my question is, in the Openrent standard AST it does not specifically state all rubbish and personal belongings to be removed at the end of the tenancy. There are a couple of clauses that may cover this but nothing precisely.
Do you think this should be specifically added into future AST or is standard AST sufficient?
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you could do but its pretty much covered anyway in common law. one thing you could say the tenants are still occupying the property as they havent removed their stuff. this could save you some council tax potentially!
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if they have not removed their stuff and not given back the keys they they have not left for council tax purposes
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Nor have they left for rent paying purposes: they owe you if they still have the keys!
If they have handed in the keys, then I suggest that you place their stuff in a safe place if you are cleaning up, and give them one months notice to collect it otherwise it is going to charity, the dump, or to be sold to compensate you for its removal! First check if the agreement covers this situation indirectly, and contact the DPS for their advice before you get rid of the stuff.
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See the landlord Advice section of (3rd party referral / service removed) … Abandonded Goods,
VERY informative.
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Gill,
I hope you told the tenant you were experiencing Rats in the property, Prior to any contract signing?
We have never had rats in the property in the 25 years we owned the property and we lived in it for 16 years. It is in open countryside and occasional field mice in the loft but never rats in the sitting room and hall! It is a fairly large C19th property rented for £1850 per month, immaculate throughout before they moved in. They kept 2 large rabbits outside which I assume attracted the rats, as well as them not keeping it clean. No sign of rats now (or vermin for that matter!) 
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