Redcliffe grandmother handed eviction notice after rental’s roof collapsed in TC Alfred damages

A grandmother has been handed a 24-hour eviction notice after her rental was deemed uninhabitable following damage to its roof caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Janine Pirie lives on the top floor off her rental apartment at Margate. Picture: David Clark

A Queensland grandmother has been handed a 24-hour eviction notice after her rental property was deemed uninhabitable following damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Janine Pirie, 54, moved into her top-floor apartment at Margate in City of Moreton Bay last September with her two grandchildren, aged 10 and 12 months.

Pictures seen by The Courier-Mail show cracks in the ceilings of the unit.

At 8pm on Saturday evening the ex-Tropical Cyclone was in full force, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain to parts of South East Queensland.

Water began to gush into Ms Pirie’s loungeroom after her ceiling began to give way.

Janine Pirie ceiling on her living room floor after water began to pour in on Saturday as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred crossed SEQ.

“It was like someone had stuck a hose through the crack, it was just coming down,” she said.

“I rang my son, you need to come help me get out of here. I think the ceiling is going to go, and it did. My ceiling is on my living room floor.”

More than 300mm of rain fell throughout Brisbane in just 24 hours on Sunday, inundating cars and homes, with huge downpours turning streets into creeks and rivers into rapids.

Ms Pirie notified her real estate agent of the damage on Sunday, by Monday L.J. Hooker Redcliffe came to inspect the property and handed her a 24-hour notice to vacate.

Place Estate Agents head of property management Matthew Gleaves said handing Ms Pirie an eviction notice had left her in a less than ideal position during a natural disaster.

“In this instance when we’re in a natural disaster, the best thing to do is work with the tenant.”

“It doesn’t help the owner not having a tenant in there, and with 24 hours to vacate a property isn’t an ideal situation at the end of the day.”

Tenants Queensland CEO Penny Carr has warned other renters faced with a similar situation to be well informed if they have sustained damage to their property or if they have any disputes about being asked to vacate.

“When there is a natural disaster there are commonly disputes about whether properties are non-liveable or not and sometimes tenants argue they are, and the lessor argues they are not,” she said.

Janine Pirie cleans up in her damaged unit. Picture: David Clark

“The tendency can be ended for non-liveability within a month of a natural disaster happening if the property is left partly or fully unfit to live in due to natural disaster.”

Ms Carr said that tenants have the right to dispute if they believed certain parts of the house were uninhabitable, and were not required to leave based on the notice given.

“The owner would have to take them to the tribunal to end the agreement,” she said.

While landlords are not liable for damage to tenants’ personal belongings in most cases related to damage from a natural disaster.

L.J. Hooker Redcliffe said it first became aware of a hairline crack in the roof on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

“Following storm damage L.J. Hooker Redcliffe had no option but to issue a Form 12 Notice to Leave on Monday March 10 as the premises had become uninhabitable,” L.J. Hooker Redcliffe said in a statement.

“L.J. Hooker Redcliffe arranged for the bond to be immediately returned and provided recommendations on where to find emergency accommodation.”

L.J. Hooker Redcliffe said it had discussed a range of flexible options with the impacted tenant around accommodation and storage.

“L.J. Hooker Redcliffe will follow its internal processes to work with the body corporate to arrange the necessary remediation works to the premises.”