A father-of-four faces a bill of more than $50,000 after a tenant stole everything of value from his rental home and smashed the rest.
Michael Mills evicted the tenant he found via Gumtree from his investment property when he discovered it was dirty and the windows had been smashed.
The four-bedroom house in Yanchep, north of Perth, needed repairs the 42-year-old said he couldn’t afford at the time, so it was left vacant for about two months.
Michael Mills (above) evicted the tenant he found via Gumtree from his investment property when he discovered it was dirty and the windows had been smashed
Neighbours warned him that the evicted tenant was coming and going and squatters were living in the increasingly damaged house.
Mr Mills returned to find his nest egg stripped bare, with rubbish, debris, and broken glass strewn through every room, and drug paraphernalia on the floors.
Mirrors, light fittings, exhaust fans, taps, doors, shower heads – even a toilet seat and the kitchen sink – had been ripped out and sold, he said.
‘They’ve ripped out everything that wasn’t bolted on and everything else is damaged,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Why would you steal everything?’
Everything was stripped from this trashed bathroom – even the toilet seat
The kitchen was also completely looted with the oven, cupboard doors, appliances, and even the sink ripped out and sold
A needle was among the drug paraphernalia found littered around the house, along with bongs and meth pipes, and so much ice was smoked it contaminated the walls and carpet
Bathroom tiles were damaged, animal droppings littered the house, holes had been bashed in the walls, wallpaper was ripped, and needles lay on the floor alongside bongs and meth pipes.
Outside, a third of the fence was stolen, graffiti was sprayed on the patio wall, the back of the shed was kicked in, and the garage door had been damaged beyond repair.
A huge crack in the pergola support post made it so unsafe Mr Mills said the council demanded it be fixed or removed within 24 hours.
He said the rogue tenant ripped off part of the outer wall around the side of the property to see if there was copper piping – but was left disappointed.
Part of the fence was stolen by the rogue tenant and would need to be completely replaced
The side of the shed at the back of the house was kicked in for seemingly no reason
The taps were just some of the things taken, along with Mirrors, light fittings, exhaust fans, doors, and shower heads
Below that, even the fuses in the power box were ripped out and the power pole tampered with to the point where Western Power shut off the electricity to it.
Worst of all, the house was so contaminated by meth the carpets, benches, light fittings, doors, and door handles had to be thrown out.
A pile of debris including barbeque, couches, furniture, and window panes sat out the front, either contaminated with drugs or badly damaged.
‘The carpets stank, they’re filthy, it was really hard to be in there,’ Mr Mills said.
Mr Mills said cleaning the house, repairing the damage, and replacing all the stolen, damaged, and contaminated items would cost at least $50,000.
A pile of rubbished dumped in the kitchen where the oven used to be and a stain on one of the shelves
A pile of debris including barbeque, couches, furniture, and window panes sat out the front, either contaminated with drugs or badly damaged
Above the bath there was a hole in the wall that was smashed through by the evicted tenant or squatters
He said he paid $350,000 for the house and spent tens of thousands more renovating it before renting it out.
‘I’m furious, it’s devastating. That’s our retirement,’ he said.
‘I’ve been a self-employed tradie for most of my life so I’ve never had superannuation – this is my super. It’s a big speed bump.
‘This should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. These people know how to game the system so it takes ages for you to be able to kick them out.’
The costs would be even more if friends and strangers hadn’t offered to help him clean up and repair the house, some even offering carpet and their expertise.
The wallpaper in the room was shredded and many of the bathroom tiles missing… along with the door
Mr Mills returned to find his nest egg stripped bare, rubbish, debris, and broken glass strewn through every room, and drug paraphernalia on the floors
Mr Mills said this water damage to the ceiling, a common sight inside the house, was from squatters and the evicted tenant stealing roof tiles
Mr Mills said the evicted tenant’s own father promised to do free plumbing work and was horrified to hear what his son did.
He said the man told him he hadn’t seen his son in four years since he stole $25,000 from him.
Mr Mills said insurance wouldn’t cover his costs because it was malicious damage, and no one would insure the place afterwards because it was vacant and damaged.