A landlord had to ‘dig his way out’ of his own property after a tenant piled it high with rubbish and human waste – and then suggested their £500 deposit would cover cleaning.
Danny Hernon (54), was puzzled when his 18-year-old tenant refused to give back his keys to the three-bedroom and one bath terraced house, despite having moved out over a month earlier.
When Mr Hernon finally arrived at the Oldham property in Greater Manchester on December 9, he was stunned to find the reason.
His stomach turned to nausea from all the trash in his room.
Amazing photos and videos show piles of garbage and faeces, sometimes up to the waist in places.
Each room has a heap of junk, trash, and food rotting in it. Thick cobwebs hang high from the ceiling.
According to the landlord, he was forced to dig out his home after one tenant dumped so much rubbish there.
Do not be discouraged: the kitchen didn’t quite meet standard for food preparation.
Outside the Oldham house, a skip was full of rubbish and refuse
The cheeky former tenant suggested their £500 deposit could cover the ‘carnage’, which turned the surfaces, floors and lower walls black with mould and filth – but the clean-up is estimated to be 30 times that.
Danny and his business partner now have to front the estimated £15,000 cost to clear all of the rubbish and replace the soiled interior of the home.
The landlords reported the tenant to the council and police in an effort to make her pay for some damages.
Danny explained that she had given her notice, but wasn’t ready to give her keys.
“Eventually, we got the keys and I was able to walk into it. It was horrifying.
“It was absolute chaos in every room. Although the footage shows the front room empty, the outside skip is filled with everything that happened.
“When you walk in the kitchen, I can feel the things creaking under my feet. That’s the plastic bottles and other rubbish.
“I had to dig for the back door to access the contents of the floor.
‘It was all stuck together–cat litter, dog foods, everything. It was terrible and it smelled unbelievable.
“In the restroom she clearly did what she had to and left all her stuff outside so I think it’s blocked.
BREAK
Danny Hernon (54) was confused that his tenant would not return the keys.
In parts of this building, suspicious stains could be seen which indicated poor hygiene.
Parts of the floor could be seen after cleaning up, however it was still very tippy.
“I’m just not sure how human beings can survive like this.” For it to happen, it must have been ongoing for many years.
“If she has been living this way for more than a month, there is clearly something wrong. However whatever reason it may be it shouldn’t have got in such a state. It’s disgusting.
With the help of Universal Credit, the female tenant from hell rented out the house for 18 years. It is thought that she often invited her son and partner to stay with her.
Danny believes that the couple must have lived in poverty for some time before the house reached the condition he saw it in.
Commenters online were outraged when the man posted the footage, branding the tenant an “animal” and saying that she should have to clean up the mess.
One person said, “How could people live there!” You’re the worst. I wish you [could]Get them back with no rubber gloves or masks and clean them up. Pigs!!!!!!!!’
Another one said, “Noooo!” This is just plain vile
Danny and his business partner had begun the process to sell the property. After agreeing a price, they discovered that the property was in a terrible condition when it was vacant.
It was hard to imagine the bedroom as a place of tranquility for someone who wanted to sleep peacefully.
There were empty food boxes, bags and Christmas wrapping papers visible.
They have now had to put the sale on hold and fork out a whopping £15,000 to clear the trash and replace the soiled flooring, bathroom, kitchen and internal doors.
Danny explained that they are selling some houses right now and had already agreed on a price for this house. However, I had to stop them from moving forward. There was no way in hell I would sell the property in such a state.
You have to throw the toilet, bath, and kitchen out.
‘It’s going to cost us about £15,000 to get right. You have to pay it out of your business. I don’t receive that much rent so that everyone would get the same, we wouldn’t be able to run a business.
‘She said whatever it costs to do up, keep my bond and use that but the bond was only £500 and it’s going to cost me £1,400 just in skips.
“Whatever it takes, we’ll be taking her to trial for. She doesn’t have much money, but you cannot leave landlords in this position.
Five days of hard labor by the friend of the landlord to clear out rubbish in the house have resulted in five long hours and five skips being filled.
They plan to clean out the property prior to Christmas and to renovate it for sale in the New Year.
Danny hopes to have his tenant held responsible for any damages to his property. He will also be pursuing the court system to get the matter resolved.
Danny said, “The majority of my tenants were very good tenants who have been with us for years.” It is rare.
‘What gets me upset is that it’s always geared towards the landlord as though all landlords were bad. I’ve been doing these 20 odd years, and have never had one complaint about any of my tenants.
“You cannot let someone leave such houses without having to deal with the consequences.” It’s unfair for her to abandon the next landlord.
Greater Manchester Police confirms that criminal damage occurred on December 15, and are currently investigating.
Oldham Council spokesperson said that it was important for landlords to check on tenants before letting them a house. They also need to make regular inspections to see if tenants comply with the tenancy agreements and that the house in good repair.