Midsomer Murders actor Nick Hendrix and his wife, Benidorm actress Jessica Ellerby, have been caught up in a row with a former tenant who claimed couple ‘kept his furniture’.
The couple rented out their one-bedroom flat in Acton, West London, to their tenant for seven years before selling the property for £350,000 in January.
Despite always paying the £1,350 per month rent on time and claiming he kept the flat in ‘immaculate’ condition, the ex-tenant, 42, was shocked the couple tried to keep more than £800 of his deposit for redecorating and cleaning.
He filed a dispute through the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) which saw the amount reduced to £564 and he offered furniture left in the house to settle the debt if the deposit was returned in full.
But despite sending numerous text messages, emails and even trying to contact them via their management companies to arrange to collect the furniture he claims he was ignored and later blocked.
The couple rented out their one-bedroom flat (pictured) in Acton, West London, to their tenant for seven years
Jessica Ellerby and Nick Hendrix attend the Warner Music summer drinks on July 17, 2019
The Midsomer Murders actor and Benidorm actress sold the flat for £350,000 in January
The former tenant complained he always paid the £1,350 rent on time and that he kept the flat in ‘immaculate’ condition
Land Registry documents show the house was sold nine days after the couple blocked him.
The former tenant, who we are not naming, said: ‘I am angry. They have got my items and my deposit – I told them it’s one or the other, but they have kept both.
‘It was made clear they could have the bed and light fitting which are worth £500 as payment or take from the deposit but she has blocked me after the decision was made.
‘I guess they have sold the flat with my items inside knowing we were in dispute.’
In messages seen by , sent before the property was sold, the man told them: ‘You’re not keeping my money and things. It was one or the other and that was clear. Let me know when I can collect my bed and my light fitting.’
Mr Hendrix, 38, is best known for his role as Detective Sergeant Jamie Winter in the ITV police detective show Midsomer Murders.
Ms Ellerby has had TV roles in the Netflix sitcom Lovesick and Benidorm on ITV. The couple married in 2017.
Their former tenant told he doesn’t watch Midsomer Murders or Benidorm and had no idea his landlords were TV stars until they told him.
He said: ‘I didn’t know they were famous before I moved in. I don’t even own a TV but I think she may have told me who she was.
‘Whenever she took ages to reply to message she would say “sorry, I’m filming all the time” that was always her excuse.’
The ex-tenant says he was shocked not to receive the full deposit back after putting up with months of building work in a neighbouring property and even forgiving more than £1,000 of damage to his property caused by a leak in the flat.
The ex-tenant, 42, was shocked the couple tried to keep more than £800 of his deposit for re-decorating and cleaning
Pictured: The sitting room of the modern flat in West London
Pictured: The kitchen of the modern flat which sold for £350,000 in January
Under UK law, landlords must make reasonable efforts to reunite tenants with anything left behind. Consent from the tenants must be obtained before any goods can be disposed of.
A close pal of Ms Ellerby claims the tenant asked whether he could leave the items as he clearly didn’t want them before trying to barter.
She rejected his offer and offered to return the items but he only asked for them back after the DPS ruling.
The pal described him as a ‘disgruntled ex-tenant’ who became ‘hostile and unreasonable’ to Ms Ellerby and Mr Hendrix, forcing them to block his number.
Representatives of Ms Ellerby declined to comment. Mr Hendrix did not respond to requests for comment.