A new survey has revealed that two in five landlords claim to have had a bad experience with difficult tenants.

Two-thirds also admitted that their tenants had defaulted on their rent or not paid the monthly fee on time.

David Lawrenson, private rented sector expert at LettingFocus.com, recently urged property owners to discuss the issue with tenants as a first step, as a lack of communication is often the start of problems.

The study indicated that many buy-to-let owners feel exploited by irresponsible tenants, however a third admitted that they are unaware of the legal requirements associated with renting out a property.

Research indicated that landlords are not the only ones with complaints, as a quarter of tenants said their landlord takes more than five days to react to any reported problems.

Spokesman for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Malcolm Harrison recently urged landlords to carry out inventories and register deposits with a protection service to ensure they meet legal requirements.

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