A couple who left a south Canberra rental unit with the "pungent smell" of dog urine and faeces and "widespread" damage, has been ordered to pay the owners more than $9000 in compensation.
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When the tenants' one-year lease ended in May 2015 the Fisher property was found to have widespread damage, which the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal found to be caused by their two dogs kept inside illegally, operating a hair and beauty business and storm damage after the couple failed to close the windows when they moved out in April.
The property manager said every part of the unit was dirty with the tenants making no effort to clean anything, in a statement to the ACAT.
"The smell inside the unit made it unbearable to stay inside, it made my nose run and my eyes water," she said.
"Overall my observations were that the tenants did not upkeep the property to an appropriate condition throughout the lease."
The tenants agreed to keep one dog in the yard and only smoke outside when they signed a 12-month lease and moved into the freshly painted unit with new carpet in May, 2014.
They were later given permission to keep a second dog after the property was found to be well maintained during their first property inspection in June.
But things began to go downhill from November when the tenants denied smoking inside after the property manager noticed "a strong smell" inside the unit when she was assessing mould in the ensuite.
The property manager repeatedly emailed the tenants about issues with dog faeces and cigarette butts left in the yard, the patchy lawn and reminded them to keep pets outside after noticing the dogs barking at her from inside the unit on several occasions, including during a "drive-by" inspection in December.
She found the kitchen, carpets and garden in an unsatisfactory condition when she inspected the property in February.
The tenants repeatedly asked for more time to have the carpets cleaned but before the next inspection neighbours complained to the property manager about a large gathering of people and dogs at the unit which had blocked the driveway.
The property's owners took the former tenants to the tribunal seeking $13,841.35 in damages, but the tenants only admitted liability for $1265.54 and wanted $234.46 from their bond returned.
The ACAT found the tenants had breached the residential tenancy agreement by keeping pets inside and operating a business from the premises, not taking reasonable care of the property, and by failing to leave it in substantially the same state as it had been at the beginning of the tenancy minus fair wear and tear.
But the owners and real estate agent had also breached the agreement by repeatedly attending and entering the unit without prior notice or consent from the tenants.
The former tenants were ordered to pay $9188.54 for cleaning and repairs to the property, rental arrears, reimbursement for loss of rental income and the tribunal fee.
