A landlord has recovered her property to find it infested with rats and flies – in another example of an investor hit hard by the tenant eviction ban, the Bournemouth Echo reports.
Jenny Darroch rented the property to social tenants via Bournemouth Council’s incentive scheme in the summer of 2019.
However the tenants let the place fall into drastic disrepair, causing water damage and leaving rubbish on the floor, which attracted rats and flies.
After not being able to enter the property to conduct repairs or complete safety reports, she was threatened by the council’s housing enforcement team to fix the damage.
She served notice on the tenants in late 2020, but thanks for the tenant eviction ban she wasn’t able to recover her property until more than a year later, after finally securing a court order for eviction.
The council used agency Houses4Let, which she accused of failing to take references when selecting tenants.
Houses4Let’s ownership changed hands in March 2021 and the new owners were apparently more supportive, but they were still limited by the law.
Darroch told the Bournemouth Echo: “Councils and letting agents need to support landlords and make sure the checks are done.
“I am so frustrated about what has happened to the property, which was once my own home.”
She added: “Most social tenants are absolutely fine.
“I just think that the system is wrong, especially with the way it has been dealt with by the council and the housing association.”
Unsurprisingly given how she was burnt, Darroch added that she would never let the property out again.