Mount Louisa landlord Brenda Govan to sell rental after nightmare tenants

A Townsville landlord who was left with $10k in damages after her property was decimated by tenants says she has been left with no other option but to sell. See the pictures.

A TOWNSVILLE landlord who was left with $10,000 in damages after her property was decimated by tenants says she has been left with little option than to sell up.

Brenda Govan has owned her Mount Louisa investment property since 2009, and in 13 years she has privately rented it out four times.

But after her last tenants – a family of six with two dogs who for months refused to vacate the home – left it in a state of chaos, she has been left to pick up the pieces.

After sending breach notices, the tenants eventually moved out, but what they left behind shocked Ms Govan.

Damage left on the doors of Brenda Govan’s Mount Louisa rental property.

Filthy walls, rubbish and old clothing littering the ground, splintered doors, urine-soaked carpets that penetrated the concrete, and a “disgusting smell” was what faced Ms Govan when she walked through the house.

“ … We saw the state the property was in and it was just overwhelming,” Ms Govan said.

“My first thought was ‘how could someone live like this and how could they do this to me after I gave them a shot at finding their feet?’”

She has since brought in the help of multiple tradespeople and over a dozen family members to clean the property.

As Townsville continues to buckle under a housing crisis, Ms Govan said she feels the ordeal has left her with no other option than to sell the property and walk away from the rental market for good.

Townsville resident Brenda Govan is out of pocket more than $10k after her Mount Louisa rental property was damaged and left in disgusting conditions by her last tenants. Picture: Katie Hall

“It does make it difficult for the good guys out there because it sounds like a lot of people are giving up and saying we can’t do this again, just selling and walking away,” she said.

“I think it will make it difficult for the good renters to find places because I think everyone is getting so over it.”

And after making her first landlords insurance claim, Ms Govan is uncertain she’ll be covered for the damages.

The kitchen in Ms Govan’s Mount Louisa rental property.

“Even they (provider) said you probably won’t be covered because this is considered poor housekeeping, rather than damage,” she said.

She said stronger protections need to be introduced for landlords in these circumstances.

New tenancy laws are set to be introduced by the Residential Tenancies Authority from October 1 this year, and include landlords being made to provide a specific reason why a pet should be refused.

Originally published as Mount Louisa landlord Brenda Govan to sell rental after nightmare tenants