A frustrated landlord who evicted a “tenant from hell” after a six-month court battle says he was “absolutely shocked” by the state of the property they left behind.

Bas Basra fears it will cost him up to £5,000 to clean up the once “immaculate” flat in Folkestone that he had rented to the same person for 12 years.

Pictures show abandoned belongings, rubbish scattered across every room, rusting cooking hobs and windows covered in mould.

Issues with the plumbing causing leaks from toilets and taps were also discovered.

So bad was the condition of the town centre property that Mr Basra says his contractor refused to carry out any work.

“When he sent me pictures, I was absolutely shocked,” said the 49-year-old.

“They literally just abandoned all their stuff. Bottles of alcohol, the sofa, mattresses, the bed, cutlery, dishes in every single drawer.

“The windows were literally stuck shut by mould and condensation because the flat hadn’t been aired.

“The cobwebs in there were at least five to 10 years old. They were so bad they looked like Halloween decorations.

“Ironically, there were also cleaning materials, which were never used.”

Mr Basra says he was forced to take legal action to remove the tenant after he was refused access to the flat to carry out inspections and take pictures, having wanted to sell the property as a going concern.

He says he even attempted to send his own cleaners to help but they were turned away.

It was only after the tenant was evicted that he discovered the extent of the home’s poor condition.

“It feels quite demoralising,” he said.

“We put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of money into these buildings.

“When you see them being mistreated, it's quite disheartening.”

The landlord, who has been in the business for more than 25 years, says he tries to rent properties to those in need and always aims to fix problems as soon as possible.

“The cobwebs in there were at least five to 10 years old…”

“I'm more or less accessible all the time because I do this for a living,” he explained.

“It's in my interest to fix the problems as they come, rather than being left with something like this at the end of it.”

Mr Basra is planning to sell the property after being hit hard by mortgage increases and rises in stamp duty taxes for landlords.

While the tenant, who was paying just shy of £600 a month, did not look after the property, Mr Basra believes the authorities who placed them there 12 years ago could have stepped in.

“I’m not a doctor, I’m not a social worker,” he said.

“The duty of care to the tenant only stretches so far.

“I just feel that the social services and the local council are so overwhelmed at the moment with cases.

“Even when I called Folkestone council and told them what was going on, no one bothered to do anything.”

Mr Basra, who owns properties across Folkestone, says the demand for rental homes in the town is so high he could “buy another 100 properties and still fill them”.

“It’s crazy,” he continued.

“I'll have 48 to 50 viewings on that property. That's how bad it is.”

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics last year showed how housing in Folkestone has become increasingly popular since 2019.

The town has gained attention as a destination for ‘DFLs’ - or people ‘down from London’.

But such is Folkestone’s popularity, as demand has increased, so has the cost of renting in the district.

Up 36% since 2019, this is a bigger rise than anywhere else in Kent and means people are now paying £989 a month on average.

At the time of writing, there were only 27 flats in the town available on Rightmove for less than £1000 a month, and none for under £600.

What does the council say?

In a statement, a spokesman for Folkestone and Hythe District Council said it works with both tenants and landlords.

It said: “Our private sector housing team try to help resolve any issues relating to housing conditions and will also signpost or refer vulnerable residents to the appropriate agencies who can help.

“If tenants wish to make a request for assistance, they need to make sure that they have reported issues to their landlord in the first instance and give us the landlord’s contact details so that we can liaise with them and notify them of any inspections that a private sector housing officer may carry out.”

What can landlords do about a messy tenant?

According to the government, the law requires renters to use properties in a “tenant-like” manner - a term that originates from a legal case in 1953.

This includes reporting any repairs needed to the landlord or letting agent and making sure the home is well-ventilated, carrying out minor maintenance, and disposing of all rubbish and keeping the house reasonably clean.

Failing to do so can be a breach of a tenancy agreement, and a landlord may ultimately decide they want to evict the tenant.

In this scenario, they would need to serve notice as appropriate to the tenancy and, if necessary, obtain a court order.

In May 2023 The Renters (Reform) Bill was announced to parliament and received its first reading in the House of Commons.

Once it becomes law, Section 21 evictions will be abolished.

This means landlords will no longer be able to evict a tenant at two months’ notice (after the first six months of the tenancy and once any initial fixed period has expired) without giving a reason.

And in Labour’s autumn budget, some tax hikes for landlords were announced.

This included additional stamp duty paid by buy-to-let owners increasing from 3% to 5%.