A KCTV5′ investigative reporter followed a Kansas City family as they have moved from one rental home to another in the Kansas City area. And each time, they left the rental home trashed. Reports were received about the deplorable conditions and extensive damages caused by the family being tracked.
In 2010, the Sibell family rented a Kearney home to this family. Kristie Sibell recounted to KCTV5 how the family caused $30,000 in damage by basically turning her house into a dog kennel.
“Everything was covered in dog feces,” she said. In January, Travis Matteson gave Anderson a tour inside the home his parents had rented to the Dalmans. During the tour, Matteson showed that every room was destroyed and covered in feces and filth. The conditions were so bad that both Matteson and the KCTV5 photographer who came along to shoot the conditions had fleas from just being inside. The family stopped paying rent and eventually left the house in ruin.
A police officer involved in the case says most police departments across the metro offer free classes to landlords on dealing with tenants and avoiding nightmare scenarios. First and foremost, he says pay a professional company to do tenant background checks. Collect all money before handing over any keys. And make sure your lease is up to date and legal for your state. The rules change over time and differ between Missouri and Kansas.
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