Renting in Canberra can be hard, but landlords sometimes struggle too

Almost every landlord contacted for an article on their views of the rental market was reluctant to comment and one who would speak only did so the condition he was not named, following bad experiences and threats made by a problem tenant.

The man said his experience left "a real bad taste in his mouth" and led to him deciding to fix up his Chifley rental property and sell it immediately because he didn't want to risk having another tenant causing issues.

He said he was left about $3500 out of pocket because the tenant "effectively squatted" for months while he fought to have her evicted after she stopped paying. He spent about $3000 on repair work before selling the house, with much of that going towards fixing things the tenant had damaged.

The man had just one rental property, with the rent coming from it a significant part of his income.

"The problem that we face is an attitudinal thing," the man said.

"People who rent seem to think the people who own these properties are f---ing multimillionaires and worth a fortune.

"The bottom line is I was possibly in a position that was no better off than her.

"She decided that a trip to see her friend was more important to pay for than the rent."

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The man said having a property manager would have made no difference because in his experience, they effectively operated as "an answering service" and had no power to do anything he couldn't do himself.

Multiple ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decisions released this year paint a picture of the struggles some landlords face in their fight for recourse when they encounter problem tenants.

In one case, a landlord, carpet cleaner and painter told the tribunal of their shock at the state of the carpet in a Narrabundah rental property.

The tribunal found tenant Fleur Millar was liable to pay landlord Anne Catherine Abrahams $2100 as a result of the damage, which was caused by dog urine and faeces.

Carpet cleaner Brett Walmsley described being "shocked by the state of the carpet throughout the house", with every room in the house "badly stained"

"The pungent stench of urine was overwhelming," he wrote in a letter of evidence.

He told a tribunal hearing the carpet was beyond repair and had to be replaced.

In another tribunal case earlier this year, tenant Mark David Vanner was ordered to pay landlord Juanita Bonke more than $8400 in costs including outstanding rent.

Mr Vanner had left the property he rented from Ms Bonke suddenly in late March 2014. The tribunal's decision said he had not paid rent since mid-December 2013.