This is the kind of case that discourages some landlords from letting out their property. Not to mention the squatting cases that continue to plague our daily lives.some tenants take every liberty with other people’s property. In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of cases of tenants abandoning their homes without informing their landlords: no fewer than 5,000 cases last year. And then there’s the damage caused to the rental property.

This case, reported by Le Maine Libre, combines the two.. It is the story of a couple in their thirties who had occupied a dwelling for over a year in the commune of Sillé-le-Guillaume, in the region of Mans. The owner reclaimed his property in a sorry state after the tenants left without notice. Damaged electrical panel, lino and sockets ripped out, broken mixer tap and hob, damaged door, and a generally poor state of repair, according to the description in the local daily.

Blame it on the 4 dogs…

In their defense, the couple argued that the damage was caused by their four dogs: three American staff and one German shepherd… They calmly explained to the judge that their pets urinated on the electrical sockets, causing the switchboard to malfunction… And so they ripped out electrical equipment simply out of a concern for safety! As for the damage to the cooker hobs, a mixer tap and even the electrical panel, the story doesn’t say how the dogs gained access to them.

The prosecutor of the Caen court has shown herself to be “scandalized” by the behaviour of this couple, who were supposed to “peaceful enjoyment” of the premises, even if the sentences remain rather measured in view of the damage: 100 day fines at 3 euros for the man (a sum she will have to pay every day. Unpaid days are converted into prison days) and a four-month suspended prison sentence for his companion.