July 12th 2024.
As I stepped into the small double room, my heart sank at the sight before me. The place was in shambles, a clear sign of the chaos caused by my previous tenants, who I had to bribe just to get them to leave. The mere thought of them made my stomach churn.
Amidst the piles of trash and clutter, I could see stolen items in their original packaging, complete with security tags. It was like decluttering the bowels of hell. And that's when I stumbled upon something even more alarming - drug paraphernalia and weapons scattered throughout the room. I counted 22 knives of varying lengths, sending a chill down my spine.
Without wasting a moment, I called a locksmith to secure the house. They changed the locks on both the bedroom and front door, and even added locks to all the windows. It was a huge relief, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.
But this was a far cry from my first meeting with Lucy, the tenant who had called me looking for a room to rent. She seemed like a nice, responsible person, and all her references checked out. I had no reason to doubt her. In fact, she had even been honest about asking if her boyfriend could occasionally stay with her.
After 10 years of being a landlord, I had seen my fair share of unauthorized partners sneaking into my properties. So, it was refreshing to have Lucy be so upfront about it. I felt comfortable with her and her boyfriend when we first met.
Little did I know, that decision would come back to haunt me in the worst possible way. You see, the house I was renting out was a house of multiple occupancy, with six rooms rented to individuals. The other five rooms were occupied by lovely South African nurses, who not only respected each other, but also treated the house like their own home.
But just two days after Lucy moved in, I received a call from one of my existing tenants. They told me about a scruffy, rude man hanging around the kitchen and a constant stream of strange people coming in and out of the house at all hours. My heart sank as I realized the gravity of the situation.
I immediately called Lucy to confront her about it. She nonchalantly told me that her boyfriend had come to stay and that he had a lot of friends who would be visiting. Her attitude was completely different from any other tenant I had encountered. She was hard, defiant, and entitled. I couldn't help but feel suspicious and knew I needed to get to the bottom of things.
I asked for her boyfriend's name and quickly looked him up. What I saw left me in shock. He was a known drug dealer with a history of violence and had even been in prison for it. And now, he was awaiting trial for holding up a garage at gunpoint. I couldn't believe it. I had an armed gunman in my house.
Without wasting any time, I took action. I served them with eviction notices and informed my other tenants about the situation. I also told Lucy that she and her boyfriend had to find another place to live. But she refused, claiming she had nowhere else to go and that she wasn't doing anything wrong.
To create some urgency, I told them I would come to the house the following week, on a Thursday, to arrange for their departure. In all honesty, I knew that legally I couldn't get them out within a week. But I had to do something, to put my foot down and show them that this behavior was not acceptable in my house. At the very least, I had to ensure that they stopped upsetting my other tenants.
As Thursday approached, I was ready to face them. When I pulled up to the house, I saw four intimidating figures positioned on each street corner, glaring at me. This was a quiet neighborhood filled with decent people, and their presence was a clear indication that they were ready for a fight.
But I refused to back down. I parked my car and walked to the house, ignoring the intimidating "bouncers". It was time to take a stand.
As I stepped into the small double room, my heart sank. It was like a scene from a horror movie. The room was in shambles, with trash strewn all over the floor. It was clear that my previous tenants, whom I had to bribe to leave, had caused this chaos. My stomach churned as I began sifting through the debris, feeling like I was decluttering the bowels of hell. Among the piles of stolen box sets, perfume, and trainers, I discovered something even more alarming - drug paraphernalia and weapons. My heart raced as I counted 22 knives of varying lengths scattered around the room. It was a terrifying sight.
Without wasting a moment, I called a locksmith and had the house secured. The locks were changed on both the bedroom door and the front door, and additional locks were added to all the windows. As they worked, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. But this was a far cry from how I felt when I first met Lucy* - the person responsible for this mess.
Initially, I had a good impression of Lucy. Her references were impeccable, and I had no reason to doubt her suitability as a tenant. However, during the paperwork, she mentioned that her boyfriend might occasionally stay with her. Having dealt with sneaky partners in the past, I was pleasantly surprised by her honesty. I even gave her my blessing to have her boyfriend over. Little did I know that this decision would come back to haunt me.
At the time, the other five rooms in the house were occupied by a group of lovely South African nurses who treated the house like their own home. However, two days after Lucy moved in, I received a call from one of the nurses. She was concerned about the new tenant, describing her as "scruffy and rude." To make matters worse, there seemed to be a constant stream of strange people coming in and out of the house at all hours of the day and night. I was shocked and immediately called Lucy for an explanation.
Her response was cold and defiant. She claimed that her boyfriend had moved in and had a lot of friends visiting him. It was clear that her attitude towards the situation was completely different from any other tenant I had encountered. I felt uneasy and suspicious, so I decided to do some digging. I asked for her boyfriend's name and looked him up online. What I found left me in disbelief - he was a known drug dealer with a history of violence and was currently awaiting trial for armed robbery.
I was horrified. I had an armed gunman living in my house. I knew I had to act fast. I quickly served them with eviction notices and informed my other tenants about the situation. I also called Lucy and told her that she and her boyfriend had to leave immediately. But she refused, claiming that she had nowhere else to go. I had to create some urgency, so I told them that I would come to the house the following week to arrange their departure.
In reality, I knew that legally, I couldn't kick them out that quickly. The Section 21 eviction notice gave them two months to find a new place. But I had to do something to put a stop to their disruptive behavior. On the day I was supposed to meet with them, I was ready for a showdown. As I pulled up to the house, I saw four intimidating individuals positioned on each corner of the street, glaring at me with hostility. It was a quiet neighborhood, and their presence only added to the tension. I had to show them that I wasn't afraid. I parked my car, ignoring their menacing stares, and walked up to the house.
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