Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords left viewers heartbroken last night as it featured an 89-year-old man stitched up by his own son.
During the first episode of the Channel 5 documentary‘s new series, aired on Wednesday (February 17) evening, pensioner Alan revealed how his son had secured him as a guarantor on his rent – and then refused to pay.
Alan’s heartache on Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords
He said: “[My son told me] ‘I’m not prepared to pay, mind your own [bleeping] business, you’re a complete [bleep]’.
“I felt like my world had come to an end.”
Alan’s son owed £1,100 in rent arrears. But that figure risked going up and putting Alan even more out of pocket.
Read more: Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords: Squatter climbs onto caravan roof to evade cops in new series
Sitting with Paul Ainsworth-Lord, from the letting agency that looked after his son’s property, Alan got emotional as he realised the full extent of the situation.
Son’s betrayal
He said: “‘I’m in a mess, can you be a guarantor for me…’, he said ‘I won’t let you down dad’. We’ve been alright and all of a sudden, this.”
Paul said: “The old guy is terrified by what’s happening to him.
“The tight sod, I can’t believe the lad’s done that to him.”
Alan explained: “I’m going to have to mortgage my pension to pay this off. I have no capital, I’ve just got the pension coming in… I don’t want him back. I’m ready to break down, I can’t hold it back much longer.”
He then burst into tears and revealed: “I haven’t cried since my wife died.”
I would love to help him if I could, just wish I had the money.
Paul, heartbroken, said: “For him to break down in tears and tell me the last time he cried was nearly 20 years ago when his wife died, I felt bad, I felt awful.”
Later, Paul and Alan went to the property and found his son had left a load of belongings, which meant the property couldn’t be immediately let out to someone else, which would get Alan off the hook.
As a result, he risked seeing the arrears double. All he could afford was £100 a month out of his pension, which he agreed to pay.
Paul branded Alan’s son a “cold-hearted swine”.
What did Channel 5 viewers say?
And on Twitter, it seems viewers felt the same way.
A number even offered to help Alan out financially.
One said: “Just watching on plus 1 Channel 5 and crying my eyes out for Alan, he reminds me of my dad #NightmareTenants.”
Another tweeted: “Hi @ALEproperty if Alan the 90-year-old man from Nightmare Tenants on Channel 5 still has outstanding money from what his son left, I would like to pay it off for him. #channel5 #nightmaretenants.”
Read more: Housing officer appalled to discover 30 tenants cramped into ONE house during night search
A third wrote: “Hi I have just watched the show and I am also willing to help Alan, if you could contact me I would also like to help.”
A fourth put: “My heart is breaking for Alan on #NightmareTenantsSlumLandlords I would love to help him if I could, just wish I had the money.”
A fifth said on Twitter: “#nightmaretenantsslumlandlords I feel so sorry for 90-year-old Alan, having to pay off his son’s rent arrears. Absolutely awful.”
Someone else tweeted: “Poor Alan on #NightmareTenantsslumlandlords I will actually give him £100 if there’s a way.”
https://twitter.com/LadyNakanoT/status/1362148722193408000
Hi I have just watched the show and I am also willing to help Alan, if you could contact me I would also like to help.
— vikaas ahmed (@VikaasA) February 17, 2021
My heart is breaking for Alan on #NightmareTenantsSlumLandlords I would love to help him if I could, just wish I had the money 😭❤
— Amy Rose Davies (@amyrosedavies1) February 18, 2021
#nightmaretenantsslumlandlords I feel so sorry for 90 year old Alan, having 2 pay off his sons rent arrears. Absolutely awful.
— Carole Kendell (@CaroleKendell4) February 17, 2021
Poor Alan on #NightmareTenantsslumlandlords I will actually give him £100 if there's a way.
— Gary Furness (@garyfurness1) February 17, 2021
What did you think of last night’s Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.