A woman in Australia was recently forced to deal with a nightmare scenario when her rental property was completely trashed by tenants who then fled, leaving behind a horrific mess infested with maggots. The damage was so severe that assessors were not allowed to enter the property until it was cleaned up, as reported by Real Estate.
The property owner, whose name was not disclosed, described the scene as „traumatic and too extreme.“ Maggots, feces, and urine from animals were found in kitchen cabinets and air conditioners, and the oven had to be thrown out due to excessive contamination.
„Magots, excrement, used feminine hygiene products were strewn everywhere. I had to call in a professional cleaning team in protective gear to deal with the mess inside,“ the woman, who was renting out her property for $485 a week, shared.
It took nine months to repair the apartment. The Australian woman expected to spend around $30,000 on repairs, but the cost skyrocketed once she started the work. Just removing 80 containers of trash from the house to the dump cost her $7,000.
The insurance company paid the property owner $70,000 in compensation to clean up the mess, but she had to pay an additional $1,000 out of her own pocket.
In a conversation with local journalists, the woman revealed that she would have to rent out the house again to a single family.
„People can be careless, but not to this extent. This is too much! Such destructive behavior leads to landlords not wanting to continue advertising properties on the rental market, as the emotional and physical costs of cleaning and repairs are too high,“ she concluded.
Previously, Focus reported on Amber Smith, a 35-year-old woman living with her two young children (10 and 12 years old) in a tiny tin-roofed house, growing her own food to save money. She also started her own business making reusable hygiene towels on a sewing machine powered by solar panels.
On the other hand, American Gina Min from California, USA, pays no rent after moving into a „foldable house“ measuring 2 x 2.5 meters. She bought the greenhouse for just $200 (about 8,000 UAH) from a furniture store and assembled it in less than 10 hours.
In conclusion, the story of the Australian woman’s rental property nightmare serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of responsible tenancy and the potential consequences of neglect and destructive behavior. It highlights the challenges faced by landlords in dealing with such situations and underscores the need for proper insurance coverage and legal protections in the rental market.