No landlord wants to have arguments with his tenants and it is a lot easier for everyone concerned when relations between a landlord and tenant are cordial and polite, but sometimes disagreements do happen and things turn sour.
In a prime example of just how nasty a bad situation can become, the Daily Mail ran a story yesterday about a £12,000 bill left by one disgruntled tenant following a row with his landlord. The tenant, whose rent was paid by the Local Authority, initially appeared to be a pleasant gentleman, but before long, events took a sinister turn.
A complaint was made to the landlord that the tenant was illegally bypassing the electricity meter in order to save money. The landlord investigated and found this to be true, so he asked the tenant to put the situation right. When the tenant failed to do so, the electricity board were called in and eventually the meter was switched off.
The tenant took exception to his landlord’s intervention and over the next few months, systematically trashed the house. By the time the landlord gained entry to his property, it had been completely destroyed. There was animal excrement and an overpowering stench of urine everywhere, doors had been kicked in and carpets ripped up. There was also racist graffiti scrawled across a door and wall.
Unfortunately for the landlord, although he did have insurance cover, he has since been informed his policy contains a clause excluding animal related damage, so he will have to fund a lot of the repairs himself.
