AN Esperance landlord is sending a warning to other property owners, after his Pink Lake Road home was the victim of careless tenants.
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Wanting to spare other private landlords from the grief he has faced with his trashed two-storey property, Wayne Brennand said he urged others to maintain regular inspections.
Mr Brennand said he was hoodwinked into renting out his property to a couple who verbally agreed to look after and maintain it.
"All the right promises were made, ensuring they'd look after the place, and so I agreed to rent it knowing they had promised to look after the place," he said.
"But that was far from the case."
Damage to the house included holes punched into the walls, broken windows, smashed up doors ripped off their hinges and carpets stained and ruined with filth.
The house was also filled with drug paraphernalia.
"Not to mention overgrown gardens, clothes, food and dog mess strewn all over the floors, fridges and freezers with stinking and rotting food," he said.
After evicting the tenants, Mr Brennand said he was now out of pocket with thousands of dollars in unpaid rent and bills, including a damage bill.
He said he had been preparing to sell his property before the couple moved in and was embarrassed, to have listened to the tenants offer of purchasing the house when they proved to be unreliable.
"I was prepared to give him the time he needed to save for the deposit," he said.
"I said he could have three months free rent, provided he would still look after the place properly and that he put all the rent money into his savings account, which he assured me he'd do.
"Over the next few months, he had constant periods of unemployment, rent didn't get paid and the three months of free rent stretched out to nine.
"Sadly I was too trusting, I didn't even ask for a bond and came to realise that I was being swindled.
"I want to tell my story so that other private landlords don't get caught up in the same mess I have."
Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) chairperson property management network committee Kathryn Massey said it was important to conduct routine inspections and have the tenants rectify any issues immediately.
She said tenancies managed well did not usually end with poor results.
"Tenants who have poor rental records tend to target private landlords, rather than agencies, as they are well aware that REIWA's reference checking and networking capabilities often reveal their previous history," she said.
"It is very easy to be fooled by a well presented person who presents a totally false application form.
"Breach notices and termination notices should be issued promptly if issues are not rectified as the eviction process can be lengthy."
