Sydney renter living in house with mould and fungus on ceiling hit with lease hike
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A Leak in This Man’s Apartment Caused Such Mold He Couldn’t Use Some Rooms — Then His Landlord Raised the Rent by 40 Percent
- Tenant left shocked after being told his lease would increase by 40 percent per week
- Nick Brown lived in a house with a moldy and mildew-infested ceiling
- He was paying $390 a week but has been told he has to pay an additional $150
A tenant was shocked after being told that his lease would increase by 40 percent, despite living in a house with a moldy ceiling with mushrooms growing on it.
Nick Brown, 31, has paid $390 a week for the past three years to rent a two-bedroom house in Chifley, Sydney’s southeast.
He is in constant battle with his landlord to fix a water leak that has covered his ceiling in mold and even mildew.
A tenant was shocked after being told his lease would increase by 40 percent despite living in a house with a moldy ceiling with mushrooms growing on it
He is in constant battle with his landlord to fix a water leak that has covered his ceiling in mold and even mildew
Now he’s been hit with a rent increase and his landlord has told him to pay an extra $150 a week.
Mr Brown is currently sharing the house with his girlfriend and the couple had made plans to start the new chapter of their lives together in the property.
Mr Brown said he had made several complaints to the landlord about the leak and builders had been sent to fix it on several occasions.
“It just got worse and worse because they didn’t fix it properly,” he said news.com.au.
“There were cracks over a foot long in the ceiling, water was coming through, mold was coming out of the cracks and growing along the ceiling, water was dripping onto the carpet through it, and even a mushroom at one point.”
The mold had become uncontrollable and spread from the building to its furniture and clothing and rendered some rooms unusable.
Mr. Brown took it upon himself to fix the problem, repairing a broken shower head and a leaking kitchen tap.
Mr Brown currently shares the house with his girlfriend and the couple had made plans to start the new chapter of their lives together in the property
The mold had become so uncontrollable that it spread from the building to its furniture and clothing, rendering some rooms unusable
Mr Brown was hit by the rent increase just as the house was becoming habitable again – with the landlord explaining that the price increase was necessary to keep up with inflation
Then he did a thorough cleaning and scrubbed the mold off the ceilings and windows.
Mr Brown was hit by the rent increase just as the house was becoming habitable again and the landlord explained that the price increase was necessary to keep up with inflation.
The devastated 31-year-old said he is considering moving back home because he can’t afford to live in the house right now.
He currently works as a laborer but has been forced to quit his job due to a genetic disorder in his joints.
Mr. Brown planned to become an NDIS support worker to lighten his workload, but the transition comes with a massive pay cut.
“I said to my girlfriend, I’m looking forward to some stability, not in this constant state of paying rent for a place we’re only using part of,” he said.
“Just to live a normal life and as soon as it’s over they kick me in the ass.”
Mr Brown planned to become an NDIS support worker to lighten his workload, but the transition comes with a huge pay cut