The Room Filled With 200 Bottles of Urine

This piece is part of our International Bizarre Landlord Stories series. Today’s story was first reported in Australia.

After a tenant finally moved out of a suburban house-share, the owner expected a quick tidy and a key handover. Instead, he opened the bedroom door to find floor space taken up by rubbish bags, food cartons and rows of plastic bottles. On closer inspection, the bottles were not drinks. They were filled with urine and stacked in crates under the bed, beside the wardrobe and behind the desk.

The discovery

The tenant had resisted inspections for months, citing awkward work hours. When the locks were changed during a lawful checkout, the smell hit first. The bed was pushed tight against a wall to conceal bottles stored along the skirting. Bottles were also hidden in drawers and inside a cupboard behind folded clothes. It took hours just to make safe access routes for removal teams.

The clean up

A licensed biohazard contractor was called to remove waste safely and to disinfect hard surfaces. The carpet and underlay were beyond rescue and had to be lifted. A specialist deodoriser treatment was used on walls and ceilings. The landlord kept a full photographic record and a timeline of attendance by all trades.

Lessons for landlords

• Be strict about access. If mid term inspections are repeatedly postponed, reset dates in writing and follow your formal process.
• Watch for proxy signs. Blocked access routes, taped up vents and heavily curtained rooms can suggest problems that need a closer look.
• Use the right contractors. Human waste is a biohazard. Use licensed firms for removal and decontamination, and keep disposal receipts.
• Log everything. Time stamped photos, inventory notes and contractor invoices support cost recovery and reassure future residents.

Your experience

What is the most extreme clean up you have had to organise after a tenancy ended.

Which practical steps or suppliers proved most useful. Share your tips below to help others prepare.

Series so far

• The Tenant Who Kept a Tiger in a Harlem Apartment
• The Day a Cow Knocked at a Fourth-Floor Flat
• When a Tenant Found a Python in the Toilet
• The Tenants Who Turned a Flat into a Miniature Zoo

Background coverage: Deccan Chronicle report.