Young Calgary Family Left with $14,000 in Rental Property Damage
The Fyfe family thought they had found the ideal tenants for their Saskatoon home but it all went wrong when they discovered over $14,000 in damages done to their property.
“It’s astounding the amount of damage they could cause in such a short amount of time,” said Sean Fyfe. “Every inch of the house is damaged in some way.”
The damages were extensive, kicked-in walls, busted appliances, stained carpets, and ruined bathroom fixtures. Decomposing garbage and rotting food was left everywhere.
“I think it’s obvious we’re dealing with hoarders of some sort,” Sean stated after describing the three five-tonne truckloads of garbage that were taken to the dump.
Three years ago, Sean and Miranda Fyfe decided to move to Calgary and rent out their Saskatoon home to a family. They seemed like the perfect fit, the wife was working, husband on disability and they had three children. The wife was enthusiastic about the home and couldn't wait to have a safe place for their kids to play.
Sean and Miranda wanted to help them start over and rented out their newly renovated Saskatoon bungalow to them.
It wasn’t until the tenants vacated the house and Sean and Miranda went to inspect the property that they discovered the mess.
Unfortunately, their insurance policy does not cover the damages and the Fifes are on the hook for the entire cost of repair and renovations.
Industry professionals encourage landlords to purchase the most comprehensive rental insurance policy possible to protect their property.
As for the Fyfes, they can’t afford professional contractors so they are making the 14 hour drive out to Saskatoon every weekend to do the repairs themselves.
Sean and Miranda have learned from their experience, they will never take a renter’s good word that their home is in good shape. Sean plans on making sure the couple incorporate regular checks on their property into their rental agreements.
“After this lesson, we’re going to do things differently,” Sean said.
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