Bad tenants leave clean-up bills

Many tenants don't respect the property they rent. Photo / File

Hot water cylinders ripped out, doors removed and truckloads of rubbish are just some of the problems Rotorua landlords have faced when tenants leave their rental homes.

One property owner said it had cost them thousands to repair and clean the damage their tenants had left. For legal reasons the owner cannot be named as a claim is before the Tenancy Tribunal.

"They [tenants] didn't respect the property whatsoever, they just disappeared without paying rent," he said.

"It was an absolute pig sty. We had the largest rubbish truck we could find in Rotorua and took seven full truckloads to the dump. We had to get new carpets in all the rooms.

"We were just absolutely disgusted, we thought how people could live like that?" he said. He said it cost $30,000 to repair although they had "gone above" what was required in order to attract "better tenants".

The owner has now turned to professional property managers.

Another homeowner said the "world's worst tenants" recently left her Rotorua rental property but it took an eviction notice and a court order by the Tenancy Tribunal. Another application is before the tribunal for the bond.

"It's cost me about $600 to make the place livable again. There were broken windows, they took all the keys, you couldn't lock the shed," she said.

"They've wrecked the carpet, there's burn marks, punch holes in the doors. I need to replace the curtains.

"There was a yuck smell throughout the house. We've done two loads of rubbish, one was a load of steel.

"I was just so angry that people can do this and get away with it," she said.

Rotorua Rentals co-director Richard Evans said such situations weren't unique to Rotorua.

"We manage 900 properties and have only had two like this in the past 12 months, it's not a major problem here," Mr Evans said. "We know of one property that was trashed [recently], the tenants hadn't paid rent and tried to rip the hot water cylinder out."

Mr Evans said it was important that property investors had malicious damage insurance to provide cover in these situations.

The Rotorua Daily Post reported yesterday 1537 complaints were filed with the tenancy tribunal at Rotorua District Court last year - the overwhelming majority by landlords.

Pam Jones of Pam Jones Property Management said that professionally managed properties didn't have as many issues as private landlords because they had checks in place and did routine inspections.

Rotorua Property Investors Association president Debbie Van Den Broek said it was vital private landlords did similar checks.

"It's important to interview your tenants well, don't just take the first person. Do all the checks. At the end of the day it's a lot of money," she said, "and you have to think, 'Would you let this person drive your car? If not, why let them live in your $200,000 house?"