A landlord is left with a large cleanup bill after a tenant left his flat in a terrible state after 12 years.
The kitchen was a mess with trash on the floor, table, and counters. A cabinet door was broken, and the stove had baked-on grime. Leaks also came from the toilets and taps. Mould grew around the windows.
Basra evicted the tenant after she lived there for twelve years. He needed help cleaning the place up, and he had to clear, clean, and redecorate.
He paid to deep clean everything and asked why he must pay to remove her stuff. She paid £600 a month until he served an eviction notice in July. He said this isn’t about blame, getting the flat fixed is what matters.
Landlords get a bad reputation, but he has been a landlord for 25 years. The Folkestone, Kent, flat’s condition was the worst he’d seen. He said it was demoralizing but he will move on, stating that most tenants are very good people.
Online, people sympathized with Basra, with one person calling the mess disgusting. People suggested billing the tenant for the cost, and someone else suggested a year’s rent in advance. Others realized why landlords are picky, voiced sympathy, and commented on stereotypes, with some also mentioning references and guarantors.