A LANDLORD has been allegedly forced to fork out £8,000 in repair costs after claiming a horror tenant left her property in a vile, unusable state.
Liz Leigh was left fuming after her unnamed tenant refused to let her do a spot check on the property in Blackpool, Lancashire that she bought in 2021.
The 63-year-old claims she received word that her tenant had been intimidating neighbours and sitting drinking and smoking in the street during all hours.
Liz from Southport, Merseyside also claimed that the tenant had been shirking the monthly rent, resulting in a bailiff finally evicting her in April this year.
Having not seen her property in two years, Liz was met with damages and destruction that have left her to foot the four-figure bill and further court fees.
Shocking footage filmed by Liz shows her walking into the house, where a destroyed staircase can be seen in tatters, with carpet ripped off each step.
As Liz reaches the top of the upstairs landing, the footage shows bedding scattered across the floor, alongside a broken lamp, bits of broken items and a putrid toilet bowl.
There also appears to be clothes which once belonged to the tenant, who Liz claims packed nothing before scarpering.
The bath is laden with gunge and festering mould, while the panelling of the bathroom wall has yellowed.
Cleaning products have also been left in the bathroom, appearing untouched for some time.
Wallpaper has been scraped off the walls, whilst toys in an adjacent room can be seen scattered all over the floor.
A broken single bed can be seen with its struts fallen into the shell of the bed whilst a dressing gown and black bin bags can be seen littering the rest of the room.
Further footage shows a damaged kitchen with a sink that appears deeply scratched, while the oven is covered in grime and food remnants.
One part of the kitchen wall has been cracked and forms the shape a smiley face, while the counter tops look purposely scratched and chipped.
Part of the ceiling looks caved in as a result of damp and black mould which spirals down the walls of the room.
An outdoor fridge freezer can be seen outside the property, with disgusting hairy mould all throughout the door and drawers of the white goods.
A stomach-churning black liquid can also be seen covering leftover food.
Liz took to social media on Thursday, writing: “Bailiff eviction. Wish I could post a smell. Four children and a dog were living in that.”
The post received dozens of likes and comment from users quick to share their disgust at the footage.
Gabriela Szymaniak wrote: “Unbelievable.”
Lesley Gash said: “And now you have to store their ‘possessions’ to allow them to come back and collect them. System is a joke.”
Tony Chan commented: “Is it worth being a landlord nowadays?”
Derek Wells added: “We just finished revamping one very similar – £10k spend – keep strong, you will overcome the mess.”
Speaking to Liz today, she said: “I bought the house with the tenant already in and kept her on.
“The sale dragged on into last year and from then on I couldn’t get to meet the tenant as she always had an excuse.
“I was alerted by another landlord in the area who said my tenant was making the lives of neighbours a complete misery.
“She refused to allow me inspections. I discovered she had been officially warned by the council about the way she treated the property and her neighbours so I evicted her.
“She left owing court costs, arrears and significant damages.
“I got the property handed to me by the bailiff on 5 April. The tenant left everything. She literally walked out and left it full of junk.
“I worked like a dog for a month and was able to get the property clean and tidy, but there are still things which I will have to continue to pay for, even though I’ve now re-let it.
“For example, the door had previously been kicked in and the whole thing including the frame needs replacing.
“The worktops were repaired but will have to be replaced. I’ll be paying for the damage for a long time: About £4,000 to fix, plus arrears, plus eviction and court costs. All in all, about £8,000.”
