Fire leaves landlord thousands of dollars out of pocket

Hoang van Pham left after owing the landlord, who has name suppression, $16,222 in rent arrears and $550 insurance excess from fire damage. He had a one-year fixed term tenancy and four months later had set fire to the property’s roof, while cultivating cannabis. 

An application was made by the landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal for tenancy termination and payment of the rent arrears and insurance excess for the fire more than two months after Pham abandoned the rental.

The landlord did not discover what happened for some time. It was only when he turned up at the rental to cut down some trees, he was surprised to find the front door unlocked and wide open and no one at home. He noticed extensive fire damage to the roof and went inside to check if everyone was alright. He found drug cultivation equipment in the bedrooms where the fire had broken out.

The landlord, who had a Mandarin interpreter during the tribunal hearing, says he initially made contact with the tenant on his mobile phone number and Pham agreed to pay for the damage but has not, nor has he paid an earlier tribunal order for $8,062.85 in rent arrears. All the landlord has recovered is the $2,720 bond. He is now owed a total of $14,073.