When they woke up on Monday, Laverton residents did not expect to see an ironing board hanging from a tree, a couch balanced precariously on the roof and a mountain of debris covering the front lawn of a local house.

The house in Melbourne's west had been trashed some time over the weekend, police said.

Locals sent images of the ruined home to 3AW, showing broken furniture scattered across the lawn, along with old mattresses - one wedged firmly in the tree also holding the ironing board - plastic bags, books and a pile of newspapers.

Sergeant Stephen Bosnar from Laverton police said the house recently had a tenant, and that the owner of the premises "has made a complaint to the police regarding criminal damage".