Galina Manders envisioned a comfortable future, a steady income from a rental property she’d owned since 2018. Two previous tenancies had been uneventful, offering peace of mind. But in March 2022, everything changed when she welcomed a new couple, vetted through an agency, into her former family home.
The agency, citing data protection regulations, couldn’t fully disclose the tenants’ details before they moved in, a restriction Galina now deeply regrets. Initial visits revealed only a “bit of a mess,” easily dismissed. It wasn’t until a surveyor’s visit, arranged a year later to reassess the property’s value, that the true horror began to unfold.
Photographs arrived, depicting a scene of utter chaos. The surveyor couldn’t even reach the upper floors. Requests for a personal inspection were met with a barrage of excuses, delaying the inevitable confrontation with the reality of what was happening within her walls.
When Galina finally gained access in March 2025, she was met with a stench and a sight that brought her to tears. The house was buried under mountains of garbage, making passage nearly impossible. Mold consumed almost every surface, a silent testament to neglect and decay.
The tenants, when confronted, responded with abusive messages, escalating the situation until Galina was forced to block their communication. A formal eviction notice was filed in January 2024, but the couple remained, shielded, she believes, by laws designed to protect renters – laws they exploited to her detriment.
It took the force of bailiffs to finally remove them, but the damage was already done. The cost of repairs soared to £60,000, with Galina personally shouldering £40,000. Plumbers, equipped with hazmat suits, were required to address the hazardous conditions within the home.
Remortgaging the property became necessary, a painful financial blow. Galina feels a profound sense of injustice, believing the tenants knew the legal system would favor them, and they were proven right. The experience has left an indelible scar.
Now, Galina has made a resolute decision: the house will remain empty. She would rather bear the burden of the mortgage payments herself than risk repeating this nightmare. The prospect of future tenancies fills her with dread, a stark contrast to the hopeful vision she once held.
She acknowledges that problematic landlords exist, but insists that equally damaging tenants can exploit the system, leaving property owners vulnerable and financially devastated. Galina’s story is a cautionary tale, a testament to the hidden risks lurking beneath the surface of the rental market.
The trauma has fundamentally altered her perspective. She never imagined her investment would become a source of such profound loss and heartache, a painful lesson learned at an extraordinary cost.
