A landlord owed almost £30,000 in rent has released stomach-churning pictures showing the shocking state his evicted tenants left his house.
David Wright says he faces a bill of £2,000 to clean the four-bedroom house in Warrington which is filled with rubbish, grime and mould.
He discovered the kitchen was littered with containers of half-eaten food, pet food and medication, while the bathroom was encrusted with filth, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Many of the fixtures and fittings have been damaged beyond repair, including the carpets throughout the property.
In addition the family owes Mr Wright £29,000 in unpaid rent which he is unlikely to recoup.
Mr Wright said: “The house has been left in a terrible state - I allowed her to rent the property because I felt a bit sorry for her.
"I knew that her rent was in arrears, but I didn’t realise how much money was outstanding.
"In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t waited too long to do something about it - I won't be renting again after this, once the repairs are completed, I’ll be selling it.”
LegalforLandlords, which helped Mr Wright gain possession of his property, took images of the mess to highlight the damage caused by problem tenants.
Sim Sekhon, the company's managing director, said: “These images are shocking, but it’s unfortunately not unusual.
"This case really illustrates the importance of having a robust legal mechanism to protect landlords’ rights, and to reach a resolution in a timely manner.
"We regularly see cases where landlords have failed to act quickly enough when rent arrears start to mount, but it’s a huge red flag and may not be the only thing to be concerned about
“It’s very sad that this has been the outcome, but I’m pleased that we have been able to help David to regain control of the property and begin to remedy the damage.”
