Elderly self-managed investor left with huge mess
An elderly Victorian landlord has been left with a costly clean-up after tenants trashed her self-managed property in Drayton.
Von Souvlis, 72, had leased her rental property to a young man, his partner and three children, who had lived in the home for the past year.
She gave them two days to vacate the property, after falling three months late in paying the rent.
When she came to inspect her property, she discovered a mess that she said was enough to make a grown man sick.
She told community newspaper The Satellite the property was littered with soiled nappies, toys, clothes and other signs of residents who had evacuated in a rush.
One of the cleaners threw up after coming across rotten meat and other mess in the kitchen.
"There was so much debris on the carpets we just had to rake it out,” Ms Souvlis said.
"It's not funny because I haven't got enough money to do this really. It will put me behind for months and months."
The Residential Tenancies Authority general manager Fergus Smith said there were options for people with tenancy issues, which should always be considered before letting a property.
"A landlord can ask for a rental bond as a security deposit on the home," Mr Smith told The Satellite.
"The bond is paid back to the tenant at the end of the tenancy, so long as no money is owed for damage, rent, or other costs."
Mr Smith has advised tenants and landlords to talk through their issues to work out a practical solution.