Tenants trash and abandon Waikiki home

A local man’s retirement nest egg has been trashed by rogue tenants. Rick Boyes has owned number 72 Burnside in Waikiki for the past 20 years and has rented it out privately for 10 while he lived with his partner. It is the 65-year-old truck driver’s first and only home. A huge pile of rubbish from an emptied skip bin, including used syringes, lies on the lawn. But that is just the start of the carnage left by his tenants. Inside the house, every room has been trashed, with masses of broken and dirty furniture, clothes, food and rubbish littering every room. Outside there are abandoned and totalled vehicles. Even Mr Boyes’ shed wasn't spared. “I've worked hard all my life to buy this house and pay it off,” he said. Mr Boyes initially rented the house to a tenant who brought in three other people before his death last year. The landlord returned the bond money to the deceased’s family but was unable to get a bond from the new lessee. He then began the difficult process of trying to have them evicted. Mr Boyes had health issues the past few months and admits to “mucking up” the eviction paperwork twice, before getting a court order. He had charged $270 per week in rent for the four bedroom, two bathroom home. He said the tenants only paid rent once and racked up a $7000 bill of unpaid rents. “I kept asking and they kept spinning me stories,” Mr Boyes said. A court order had ordered the tenants to vacate the property on May 12. After they didn’t leave, Mr Boyes proceeded with a bailiff who was meant to come to the property last Thursday but the landlord found the property abandoned two days before. Mr Boyes said the house was unlocked and upon seeing the damage his reaction was “absolute shock”. The former tenants left piles of their belongings and thousands of dollars worth of damage and have stopped answering his phone calls. Mr Boyes says there is a lesson for other homeowners. “If I have to rent it, it will be through a real estate agent, but my intentions are to do it up and sell it,” he said. “Private renting is OK if you’ve got the right person, but you just can’t judge people these days. “Be very wary who you let in your place and I’d recommend you use a real estate agent and people who come with references.”