Tenants in the north-east are the most reliable in Scotland when it comes to paying the rent – but shouldn’t be trusted not to wreck the joint.
In the north, by contrast, getting the monthly payments can prove a significant challenge but the cleaning is done almost perfectly.
These are among the intriguing findings of a major study of deductions from private sector deposits over the last year.
SafeDeposits Scotland, which holds £75million of cash on behalf of landlords and tenants, examined almost 84,000 repayments.
It found significant differences between seven major postcode areas in the reasons why people did not get all their money back when they left.
In and around the Granite City, fewer than 6% lost out because they owed rent – the lowest in the country by some distance.
The rate was almost three times higher in the IV postcode area based on the Highland Capital at 16.87% and nearly eight times more in Dumfries.
Inverness had the second best record when it came to cleaning – although nearly one in three was judged inadequate.
Aberdeen was in third place with 40% suffering deductions for not being thorough enough with brush, mop and duster.
But while they left things relatively clean, and the least in need of redecoration, the picture was less encouraging when it came to more extensive damage.
Almost a third of tenants in the north-east were docked cash for repairs to fixtures and fittings.
The biggest single hit was a £570 deduction to clean up after pet dogs had ruined carpets.
Further north, one in five were guilty of damage – the second highest nationally, with Edinburgh residents by far the most careful.
Despite being surrounded by the country’s finest landscapes, it seems tenants in the Press and Journal area are not so fussy about gardens.
Landlords in the north were handed back cash to pay for work tidying up outdoor areas in 8% of cases, the most anywhere.
In the north-east it was 2.3%, the third highest.
Glasgow-based SafeDeposits Scotland reviewed 83,812 repayments made over the last year – including 12,375 in the AB postcode area and 2,144 in IV.
Operations manager Victoria Nixon said: “Looking at how landlords have made deductions gives a fascinating insight into the rental market and, perhaps, the differences between us as Scots.”
