Tenant 'trashes three-bedroom house causing £7,000 worth of rancid damage'

A tenant caused over £7,000 worth of damage to a property and then unexpectedly left the premises still owing 11 months of rent, the landlord has claimed.

Michael Walker, 56, found his three-bedroom property in devastating condition when he gained access to the place on April 19.

Shocking pictures show dirty dishes piled up along the kitchen counter, grease-stained walls and trash crowding the hallways.

Every room had been left vandalised and mould was found all over the ceiling, Birmingham Live reports.

The tenant had also allegedly dragged the washing machine into another room and the living area had large holes in the flooring, while plaster had been chipped off the walls.

The tenant caused £7,000 worth of damage, the landlord claimed (Birmingham Mail)

The tenant had left piles of rubbish in every room, Mr Walker said (Birmingham Mail)

 

The landlord also claims his tenant had unexpectedly left the property - still owing him 11 months' rent .

Mr Walker claims the house is now infested with flies and is plagued by a rancid smell.

He said: "The tenant hop-scotched overnight and left the property in complete disrepair.

"It has been left unlivable. It's shocking.

"It is an absolute mess at the moment. It looks like he has been doing house clearances and it has all piled up."

Mr Walker said he had issued the tenant with a repossession order which was ignored.

He suffered a stroke three years ago and is no longer able to work.

Michael Walker is furious with the state of his property (Birmingham Mail)

The tenant unexpectedly left the property last week (Birmingham Mail)

He said: "That house wasn't a buy-to-let property, it used to be my family home. I have had the property over 30 years.

"The only reason I rented it out was because I went and stayed with my 87-year-old dad at his house because he was ill.

"It has been destroyed completely - every single room."

Mr Walker is now seeking the advice of an independent evaluator to assess the extent of damages.

He estimates that there are over £7,000 worth of repairs to be done.

Mr Walker ended up taking the matter to court (Birmingham Mail)

He said: "I have got possession of the property back now but I can't do much with it because it needs so much work doing to it.

"I've got to try and pay for the work to be done. Then you've got the rent that is owing. Plus court fees that are on top of that."

The case has been taken to court three times to date and proceedings are still ongoing.