Adult toys, a casket and pets – the bizarre items left behind by tenants

• 72 per cent of landlords have had issues with tenants leaving belongings, with rubbish being the main culprit for 63 per cent of offenders
• Tenants have left behind bizarre items after moving out including adult toys, pets (both dead and alive) and in one case, a casket!
• Renters in the North East are the worst at leaving behind belongings, with 86 per cent of landlords reporting issues, closely followed by London (83 per cent)

Research¹ from Direct Line business insurance, reveals that almost three quarters (72 per cent) of landlords have had to deal with belongings left by tenants after their tenancy has ended. For those who have been left clearing up after their renters, rubbish was the main headache (63 per cent), followed by general junk (56 per cent), clothes (42 per cent) and kitchenware (38 per cent).

Landlords were also asked to share the most unusual items that had been left behind by tenants. Some of the most bizarre things included: Adult toys, the ashes of a relative, bottles of urine, a casket, underwear, a BMW and pets, only some of which were alive.

The top ten belongings’ tenants are most likely to leave behind 

Source: Direct Line Landlord Insurance

Landlords say they have been forced into action to clear up items left behind by their tenants. Two thirds (66 per cent) say they’ve needed to dispose of an old tenant’s belongings, 25 per cent have had to store belongings and a third (32 per cent) have had to chase down ex-tenants to collect their items.

Tidying up after tenants have moved out is not cheap. On average, it cost landlords £209 to clear up their tenants’ mess and 12 per cent of respondents reported that they’d spent over £500 on resolving the issue. But that’s not all, more than a third (34 per cent) of landlords say they’ve had to delay getting in new tenants as a result of ex-tenants leaving property behind. And almost a quarter (23 per cent) have had to seek legal advice or take legal action to deal with the problem.

There are strict rules relating to what a landlord can and can’t do with property that is left behind by tenants. Yet 32 per cent of landlords surveyed didn’t have a clause in their tenancy agreement relating to the disposal of tenant belongings that have been left behind and only half (52 per cent) were clear on the correct procedure to follow should this happen.

Sarah Casey, Landlord product manager at Direct Line business insurance commented:

“Landlords often face the grim task of clearing up and trying to reunite ex-tenants with their belongings after they’ve moved out, a task which can be both time consuming and costly.

“Ensuring that your tenancy agreement has a clause relating to the disposal of items left behind by tenants is a great first step to ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Trying to track down ex tenants after they have moved out can be tricky, so make sure that you have their contact details should you need to contact them after the tenancy has ended.

“As with most things in life, prevention is better than cure. Make sure that you use a good tenant referencing system to help prevent problems and ensure that you or a representative attend the check-out inspection on the day tenants move out.”

Regional findings

The data also revealed wide regional variations: tenants in the North-East are the worst at leaving behind belongings, with 86 per cent of landlords reporting issues, closely followed by London (83 per cent). Conversely, the East of England are the best behaved, with just over half (55 per cent) of landlords reporting issues.

Source: Direct Line Landlord Insurance

To help landlords deal with the challenges that come with being a landlord, Direct Line landlord policies come with a Legal Advice Helpline, provided by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Limited, which provides unlimited access to a team of legal advisors, who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round in England and Wales. For niche legal advice and some jurisdictions, the 24/7 helpline will refer you to specialist advisers, available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, excluding bank holidays. Landlords also receive access to online legal templates, guides and interactive tools with DAS Businesslaw. Allowing landlords to quickly draft, duplicate, download and electronically sign a comprehensive range of documents, including letter templates requesting the removal of belongings, tenancy agreements, section notices, late payment notices and much more.

For more information about Direct Line's landlord insurance, please visit:

https://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk/landlord-insurance

-ENDS-

Direct Line Group

Unni Henry  

PR Manager 

Email: unni.henry@directlinegroup.co.uk

Notes to editors: 

1. Survey conducted for Direct Line for Business by Opinium of 500 UK Landlords between 31^st October 2023 – 7^th November 2023 

About Direct Line business insurance

Launched in 2007 Direct Line business insurance now has over half a million customer policies, providing a flexible range of insurance products for the landlord, van and small business sectors. 

Direct Line business insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. 

Direct Line business insurance and U K Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc. 

Customers can find out more about Direct Line business insurance products or get a quote by calling 0345 301 4827 or visiting https://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk