As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

 

[Luckyus]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

When left a rental we made a point of leaving it cleaner than we found it. I always offered to give it a coat of paint, provided of course the landlord supplied the paint

 

[Jest]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

i would never own a rental. how many of these are around. heaps. scum.

 

[Rob44]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

Yes. Some years ago I had a rental place rented out to a solo mum. The tenant did a runner. The fitted carpet had been removed, internal doors were missing and a couple of rooms had had tea or coffee thrown on the walls and on the ceiling and needed repainting . Then there was the time the bogan tenant bloke had punched holes in the walls and into the door. And those tenants had been put in there by a real estate rental manager. Fortunately I had landlords insurance at that time.

T hen there was the tenant who left owing $9000 in unpaid rent because he had always met me with a sob story that he would pay next week when his ex wife etcetera and I duly felt sorry for the miserable bastard as he had been recommended by a friend..........Never again!

Which is why a great many landlords now hire their places out to a management company to run it as an AirBnB for short-term guests who generally look after the place.

We need a Landlords Union! The Tenants Union considers all landlords to be profiteering scum of the Earth. It can cost a year's rent just to put a place right for the next tenant, as the damage caused by a long-term tenant is commonly regarded by the insurance company as "normal fair wear and tear" . Tradies do not come cheap.

 

[Skeeta22]

Yes. Some years ago I had a rental place rented out to a solo mum. The tenant did a runner. The fitted carpet had been removed, internal doors were missing and a couple of rooms had had tea or coffee thrown on the walls and on the ceiling and needed repainting . Then there was the time the bogan tenant bloke had punched holes in the walls and into the door. And those tenants had been put in there by a real estate rental manager. Fortunately I had landlords insurance at that time.

T hen there was the tenant who left owing $9000 in unpaid rent because he had always met me with a sob story that he would pay next week when his ex wife etcetera and I duly felt sorry for the miserable bastard as he had been recommended by a friend..........Never again!

Which is why a great many landlords now hire their places out to a management company to run it as an AirBnB for short-term guests who generally look after the place.

We need a Landlords Union! The Tenants Union considers all landlords to be profiteering scum of the Earth. It can cost a year's rent just to put a place right for the next tenant, as the damage caused by a long-term tenant is commonly regarded by the insurance company as "normal fair wear and tear" . Tradies do not come cheap.

That's very, very sad. Many years ago as a single working Mum of two small children fleeing domestic violence, a Real Estate Agent allowed me to rent a two bedroom unit in a block of three. I treated my little unit as my own and left it much better and cleaner than when we moved in, even putting in a garden. I was so grateful the Agent gave me a go. It's such a shame that there are such vile individuals out there that you've encountered, it's no wonder investors are selling up.

 

[Rob44]

That's very, very sad. Many years ago as a single working Mum of two small children fleeing domestic violence, a Real Estate Agent allowed me to rent a two bedroom unit in a block of three. I treated my little unit as my own and left it much better and cleaner than when we moved in, even putting in a garden. I was so grateful the Agent gave me a go. It's such a shame that there are such vile individuals out there that you've encountered, it's no wonder investors are selling up.

Thanks. Yes, there are the good, the bad and the ugly; that is human nature and sometimes it can lead to considerable disillusionment.

 

[AlanQ]

some of these stories appear to also indicate they chose not to use a property manager and possibly declare less income from the rental property. If they did use a property agent then they would also be held liable for lack of due diligence in their role. Anything on A Current Affair I take with a grain of salt. More often more to it than they sensationalise.

 

[Trudi]

Yes. Some years ago I had a rental place rented out to a solo mum. The tenant did a runner. The fitted carpet had been removed, internal doors were missing and a couple of rooms had had tea or coffee thrown on the walls and on the ceiling and needed repainting . Then there was the time the bogan tenant bloke had punched holes in the walls and into the door. And those tenants had been put in there by a real estate rental manager. Fortunately I had landlords insurance at that time.

T hen there was the tenant who left owing $9000 in unpaid rent because he had always met me with a sob story that he would pay next week when his ex wife etcetera and I duly felt sorry for the miserable bastard as he had been recommended by a friend..........Never again!

Which is why a great many landlords now hire their places out to a management company to run it as an AirBnB for short-term guests who generally look after the place.

We need a Landlords Union! The Tenants Union considers all landlords to be profiteering scum of the Earth. It can cost a year's rent just to put a place right for the next tenant, as the damage caused by a long-term tenant is commonly regarded by the insurance company as "normal fair wear and tear" . Tradies do not come cheap.

I have had several experiences with tenants similar to yours. One family moved into my newly renovated house - 2 x new bathrooms, new paint, new timber floors in living rooms, new carpets in the bedrooms - husband and wife, adult daughter and two young children. The guy had good references and he was the only one working, his wife supposedly ill. They quickly fell behind with the rent, but every time I intended to evict them, I was told a sob story and I relented. When they finally moved, rent was thousands of dollars in arrears, the walls in the master bedroom were black and the entire room stank of cigarettes, the other three bedrooms were filthy, the timberr flooring had deep grooves, the carpets in the bedrooms were ruined. The final bill was $16,000 AFTER the bond money was deducted!

Another time I had a young couple move into a 3 bedroom townhouse that I used to own, refused to pay rent and when I evicted them following a longwinded process, the house was in a disgusting mess. They piled mountains of rubbish on the verge, plus all three bins were overflowing with rubbish, the house was filthy. I found it hard to understand how someone could accumulate so much junk in less than six months, I had to hire a LARGE skip to take all of the rubbish. They had good references when they moved in, however, after I was rid of them I did some research in an attempt to find out where they had moved to and I discovered that one of their references was the guy's mother. They owed around $6,0000 after the bond was deducted.

Another couple that rented a 2 bedroom unit, same story, didn't pay rent and I got complaints about noise. Before I could evict them, they shot through, leaving furniture, cooking utensils, and heaps of junk including client documentation for a welfare organisation that the woman was working for. Needless to say, I returned the documents but I could not glean any information about where those people went to. As I took posession of the unit, I found a note stuck under the door from a hire firm asking the tenants to contact them. I contacted the hire firm and was told that they provided furniture and a tv set. I arranged to meet them at the unit and they took possession of the furniture - needless to say that the tv set was missing. We exchanged contact details and agreed if either of us found out where those bastards had moved to, we would inform the other. Never found out anything.

Before selling the unit last year, I had a guy living there, again, he used to fall behind with his rent payments and catch up under pressure and threats of eviction from me. In the end I was fed up and, with ever increasing idiotic body corporate laws in NSW, I decided to get rid of that place. He moved out on 1 January last year and my partner and I started to give the unit a complete renovation - new paint, new IKEA kitchen with dishwasher as well as built in oven and hotplates, updated bathroom, new timber flooring, new carpets, new air conditioner, etc prior to selling.

 

[Trudi]

some of these stories appear to also indicate they chose not to use a property manager and possibly declare less income from the rental property. If they did use a property agent then they would also be held liable for lack of due diligence in their role. Anything on A Current Affair I take with a grain of salt. More often more to it than they sensationalise.

I use a property manager for the two interstate properties, however, I managed the two properties close to where I live myself.

As an accountant, I keep accurate records of all rental income and expenses, all of which are declared in my tax returns.

As to my credentials in real estate, I did a real estate course in 1991 and have owned rental properties since I left WA and started leasing out my home in 1994. I keep up to date with the tenancy legislations in WA and SA, where my remaining properties are located, as I have had some rather bad property managers and real estate agents over the years. Let's not forget that landlords are little more than the income they generate for the agency! Also, after a bad experience of being represented at a tribunal hearing (without my knowledge) I do not permit any agent to represent me! I know every detail of my properties and regularly spend time in them between tenants to take care of maintenance chores, painting, upgrading, etc.

 

[IAN3005]

Yes. Some years ago I had a rental place rented out to a solo mum. The tenant did a runner. The fitted carpet had been removed, internal doors were missing and a couple of rooms had had tea or coffee thrown on the walls and on the ceiling and needed repainting . Then there was the time the bogan tenant bloke had punched holes in the walls and into the door. And those tenants had been put in there by a real estate rental manager. Fortunately I had landlords insurance at that time.

T hen there was the tenant who left owing $9000 in unpaid rent because he had always met me with a sob story that he would pay next week when his ex wife etcetera and I duly felt sorry for the miserable bastard as he had been recommended by a friend..........Never again!

Which is why a great many landlords now hire their places out to a management company to run it as an AirBnB for short-term guests who generally look after the place.

We need a Landlords Union! The Tenants Union considers all landlords to be profiteering scum of the Earth. It can cost a year's rent just to put a place right for the next tenant, as the damage caused by a long-term tenant is commonly regarded by the insurance company as "normal fair wear and tear" . Tradies do not come cheap.

They already have a union..... toothless tigers.... wouldn't give them the time of day

 

[astralweeks]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

Landlords and agents judge people wrongly wouldn't know a good tenant from bad resumes are a joke .if you can pay rent and are open to inspection at any time.financial past difficultly is no business of any except you.ive seen wrecked by houses .and been turned down through paltry reasons .then seen tenants who are approved for said property trash it .got no sympathy for land Lords .now being homeless over seventy with a Dog 2 cars valuable electronic equipment.bogged down to god knows what future .can afford rentals am articulate in all aspects of living . refused to be ripped off by real estate's draconian actions . so all I can say is keep using poor people judgement on your high horse refusing good people a right to a roof over Their heads . should be god given right real-estate snobs got it all wrong they are not god .when people front up with a false front sucked in got no sympathy .not happy Jan .in a homeless situation.only way to survive is to resort to violence ..lovely world isn't it ... elites SATANIC Cabal run it all right .but the resistance is growing .mark my words .

 

[Tipsy]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

Hopefully these types of tenants have been listed right thru out the country, they should be the ones living in tents or out in the bush as they dont deserve a decent home

 

[Shirley Sargent]

We put our property in the hands of an estate agent thinking that would be the safest thing to do. Unfortunately, the estate agent did nothing. When the time came for tenants to vacate we were devastated. The house was a filthy mess every room was abused in some way so much so that we had to gut the whole house and start again. No apologies from anyone and we did not get our bond back due to the fact that the tenants were not able to pay it. (Too much alcohol etc.) We were so disappointed we just left the hold episode at that and started again with the house now a little palace for us to live in and be proud of.
Moral of this story inspect your house and tenants regularly yourself.

 

[Trudi]

Hopefully these types of tenants have been listed right thru out the country, they should be the ones living in tents or out in the bush as they dont deserve a decent home

In order to blacklist a tenant, they have to owe money after they vacate a rental property and a listing must be removed after 3 years!

By that time they have already moved into another rental property using fake references and if you have two or more people applying for tenancy, they will alternate in which of them is the primary tenant.

 

[Rob44]

some of these stories appear to also indicate they chose not to use a property manager and possibly declare less income from the rental property. If they did use a property agent then they would also be held liable for lack of due diligence in their role. Anything on A Current Affair I take with a grain of salt. More often more to it than they sensationalise.

Assuming the tenant pays the rent into the landlord's bank, then it is transparent to the ATO irrespective of whether a landlord employs an agent or not, unlike tradies who are happy to accept cash into their back pockets and can negatively gear the family ute.

Try holding a real estate agency liable for a tenant trashing a property; a friend of mine had the experience of renting out two properties in QLD via an agency. After 6 months he was forced to evict both tenants and had to spend $140 000 repairing both places; that was around 10 years ago. The agent simply walked away from any responsibility. How much do lawyers charge for court appearances? When one has a repair bill of $140 000 to spend upfront to repair rental property and a couple of mortgages to pay, how much is that in terms of lawyers' fees, no guarantee of a win with adequate compensation and also stress?

 

[Suet]

As a landlord, renting can be an unpredictable business. Sometimes, when they least expect it, they may be met with some really unfortunate surprises.

Such is the story of one landlord from Melbourne, who recalled having the shock of his life with his experience with his tenants.

Hoping to sell up and retire as a landlord, 55-year-old handyman Kevin Martin had been planning to sell his investment property in Melbourne, giving his tenants 90 days to vacate and find a new rental.

However, when they finally moved out, Kevin said he felt like he was having a horrible nightmare.

View attachment 29453

A landlord made a concerning discovery after his rental house was trashed by his tenant, and his plans to sell the property and retire were ruined. Credit: A Current Affair.

The former landlord described the state of his house as 'covered in water', with the dishwasher still jam-packed with dirty plates and a filthy smell that was 'driving me nuts'.

The oven door hung off, the cooktop was nowhere to be seen, walls were splattered in blood, and piles of dirty clothes lingered in the laundry.

Perhaps most shockingly, the floorboards were buckling beneath mould and rot, and Kevin claims that the entire house 'needs to be pulled down and thrown in the bin'.

In the footage captured by A Current Affair, the shed was also seemingly filled with junk.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident; this mess reflects a larger trend in Australia's rental market.

'We are seeing a large amount of rental providers either looking to get out or exiting the market, and I'm talking about very sizable numbers,' says Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV).

Part of this departure from the market is due to the ways in which landlords' rights have been 'eroded' the past couple of years, says Kilian.

He added that the government needs to stop seeing rent providers as 'some sort of enemy or cash cow'.

This development follows a March report, which highlighted the sharp decline in rental vacancy rates across the country over the past two years, reaching record lows. In Melbourne, the challenge of finding a rental property has increased fivefold compared to the early 2000s.

This drop in vacancy rates has also led to a surge in rent prices for many properties, rendering them increasingly unaffordable for the nation's lowest-income earners.

Evan Thornley, the Executive Director of financial and property service company LongView, expressed concern that the current rental market is negatively impacting both tenants and landlords.

'There is a misplaced idea that a battle between landlords and tenants exists—in actual fact, the Australian rental framework has been broken for decades and is not working for either party,' he said.

Glenn King, the CEO of PEXA, which is also in the finance and property sectors, described the Australian rental market as one of the worst in the world.

'Australia is already one of the hardest places in the developed world to be a renter,' he said.

'The biggest problem is insecurity—long-term leases are rare, and renters live with constant uncertainty about whether they will have to move. Maintenance is often a headache, and there are few incentives for the landlord to improve properties, for example, through energy retrofitting.'

Key Takeaways

• An Australian landlord, Kevin Martin, was shocked by the state his Melbourne rental property was left in by tenants.
• Martin found the property filled with dirty dishes, broken appliances, rotting furniture and piles of filthy clothes. He believes the tenants caused further damage by hosing down the inside of the home.
• Martin is among the increasing number of landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, contributing to the current rental crisis.
• Quentin Kilian, CEO of Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV), noted that many rental providers are leaving the market due to eroding rights for landlords, which he attributes to recent changes in legislation.

Members, do you or anyone you know have any stories about house rentals gone wrong? Share your stories and opinions with us in the comments below.

This makes me so mad, as a tenant. Why do tenants do this when a landlord has trusted you & given you a roof over your head.
Tenants like this make it bad for other tenants that treat a property with respect & treat it as your own. I just don't understand why!

 

[antoniacassti]

Oh man, that's rough. I can totally relate. Had a similar nightmare last year with tenants who left our place in shambles. It's a real headache, no doubt. That's why I've started looking into residential real estate management services. They help screen tenants and keep an eye on properties, saving me from future disasters. Might be worth considering to save yourself the stress in the long run.

 

[Rob44]

And that is why Air BNB is by far the better alternative for landlords.

 

[Tipsy]

These people need to be named and shamed with photos of them spread across the internet

 

[IAN3005]

These people need to be named and shamed with photos of them spread across the internet

Yes.. and denied future tenancies....