A file image illustrating hoarding disorder. This photo is unrelated to the article. [Herald DB]
A file image illustrating hoarding disorder. This photo is unrelated to the article. [Herald DB]

A real estate agent in China discovered a trash-filled apartment and an abandoned dog after a female tenant stopped paying rent and disappeared, stirring controversy online.

According to the South China Morning Post's May 28 report, agent Tang visited a studio apartment in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and found the unit packed with garbage and a malnourished Alaskan Malamute left behind.

Tang shared a video of the scene on social media, writing that she had collected one month's rent as a deposit but feared it would not cover the cost of cleaning the room.

In the video, Tang said the smell was "horrific" and trash was strewn everywhere, leaving no room to stand.

She added that she was stunned by the state of the apartment. The tenant had always dressed neatly, she said, and she never imagined anyone living that way could have kept up such an appearance.

Footage showed the apartment floor completely buried under garbage. The dog found inside appeared emaciated, having gone without proper food for days. Tang took the animal to a veterinary clinic, where it was found to be in generally good health aside from weight loss. The rescued dog is set to be adopted by a nearby resident.

The incident is the latest in a series of cases in China in which tenants have trashed rental properties before vanishing, drawing widespread public criticism.

In March, a tenant in Guilin, Guangxi, disappeared while three months behind on rent, leaving the apartment reeking of garbage and with damaged furniture and appliances. The landlord said at the time that he planned to file a lawsuit against the tenant.

Last year, a similar case occurred in the southwestern city of Chongqing, where a female tenant about a week behind on rent went missing, leaving the landlord to deal with the aftermath. The apartment contained not only piles of trash but also a dead cat.

Online commenters reacted with outrage, with some asking how anyone could live in such filth and others calling for authorities to crack down, saying such tenants were "lazy and morally bankrupt."

China Pick
China Pick

jshan@heraldcorp.com