A family on benefits which trashed a rented home after throwing a party to celebrate being moved into a new council house, has highlighted the growing problem of damage that housing benefit tenants can cause landlords, according to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC).

Landlord Sean Feeney found rubbish and rotting food strewn across his property in Blackpool after the tenants, a woman and her three children, are thought to have celebrated their move by hosting a giant 'leaving party', which wrecked the three-bedroom property where they had been living for two years and caused £2,000 worth of damage.

The landlord had previously spent £5,000 renovating the property before the benefits family moved in.

Pat Barber, Chair of the AIIC commented: “You can’t tar all housing benefit tenants with the same brush and there are plenty of examples of benefit tenants that look after their property. 

“It is essential that landlords and agents check that tenants are treating the property as they should and no serious neglect or damage is taking place. If a problem is caught quickly, it will not exacerbate and cause a bigger issue with a higher cost to the landlord or tenant. Tenants are notoriously bad at reporting any problems during their tenancy. Since the property is rented, they always seem to think that it’s someone else's problem.”

Research for the House of Commons Library indicates that there has been a significant rise (60%) in the number of working people claiming housing benefit over the last four years.  This, combined with an influx of immigrants over the last 12 months, has put greater demand on landlords to allow benefit tenants into their properties. 

Barber said: “We are seeing a trend amongst immigrants on benefits that have a total disrespect for a property and their neighbours. The problem lies in a difference in cultural attitudes to homes and community. For example, we have seen properties with all the curtain poles pulled away from the walls, as they have been used as drying rails for wet washing.  We have also seen wet washing hung over fences to dry on a daily basis causing damage to the fence and annoyance to neighbours. There can also be overcrowding and excessive noise as tenants invite friends to stay on a long term basis. Overcrowding brings other issues too such as serious condensation and mould problems in the property together with accelerated wear and tear.”