Report reveals fascinating difference between renters across Scotland

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report has put paid to the old myth that Aberdonians are mean when it comes to money as Aberdeen tenants have come out top when it comes to paying their rent and looking after the decor in rented properties.

Granite city tenants were named the best in Scotland at looking after properties with only 1.92% of deductions made for redecoration, but they let themselves down on how well they looked after their property, with 32.56% of deductions made from deposits being down to damage, the worst in Scotland.

Dundee tenants are the most green-fingered while Inverness tenants were the worst at keeping the garden tidy; Edinburgh tenants can be trusted not to trash a property’s soft furnishings and Dumfries tenants are the most pernickety when it comes to getting the place clean.

These are the findings from SafeDeposits Scotland’s first annual survey of the money deducted by landlords from tenants’ depositswhenleases end. The organisation is Scotland’s largest tenancy deposit scheme, holding almost 60% of all private rental deposits, worth more than £75million.

It reviewed a total of 83,812 deposit repayments made over the last year, with a value of £35.6million, and discovered significant differences around Scotland regarding the reasons for deductions being made from deposits.

Victoria Nixon, operations manager of SafeDeposits Scotland said: “Looking at how landlords around the country have made deductions gives a fascinating insight in to the rental market and, perhaps, the differences between us as Scots.”

Data was analysed for tenancies in Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow and Dumfries. Tenants in Aberdeen were the best in Scotland at looking after properties with only 1.92% of deductions made there for redecoration.

A similar p a tt er n emerged for issues with rent. 45.33% of tenancies in Dumfries ended with deductions beingsoughtfrom deposits for rent arrears – the highest in the country. At the otherendof the scale is Aberdeen with a figure of only 5.98%.

The gardens of Dundee are green and pleasant places with the City of Discovery coming top for gardening. Inverness, meanwhile, cameout worst with 7.92% of deposits there being reduced for matters relating to garden upkeep.

Data was drawn from tenancies ending between October 2015 and September 2016.

For more information on SafeDeposits Scotland visit www.safedeposits scotland.com or call 03333 213166.