A businessman has hit out at a council run property letting partnership after it has left him with a £6,000 bill for repairs and cleaning. The landlord who has many properties protected by landlord insurance claims he took on two tenants recommended by the council scheme that damaged his properties and left without paying.
Avey Mohammed was horrified to find the level of damage inflicted on his properties. Graffiti had been sprayed on the walls and the tenants ripped out all electrical fittings including every radiator, slashed the furniture provided as part of the tenancy and removed every door. Mr Mohammed has firmly pointed the finger of blame at the council. He feels that they obviously did not carry out adequate checks on tenants involved in the scheme and claims he has also had problems with housing benefits payments causing his firm to chase up the money due.
Mr Mohammed said: “We joined the scheme thinking it would be well-managed because it was run by the council and we are already partners with successful and similar schemes in Dundee and Fife. But in the time we were with the scheme, our office was always on the phone to the council, looking for payments. I’ve never seen damage like it in the 15 years our company’s been here. Room after room was damaged and the council effectively shrugged its shoulders on what happened.”
The council run scheme provides the tenant with a rent bond so that certain groups of people such as the homeless or those threatened with homelessness are able to secure a tenancy. As part of the scheme the council promises to carry out checks on the applicant to ensure they can afford to pay the rent. The council refute the claims being made about the Rent Bond Guarantee Scheme claiming that the criticisms are completely unfounded and are not the views of most of the other landlords who are very happy with the scheme.