Tenants still suffering in the wake of TC Debbie

A CANNONVALE resident has accused some property owners of "double dipping” on insurance payouts in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.

Wayne Fairbrother believes he has been treated unfairly by property owners. Picture: Peter Carruthers

A CANNONVALE resident has accused some property owners of "double dipping" on insurance payouts in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.

Wayne Fairbrother was forced to vacate his Cannonvale rental property after one metre of water made a virtual river of his hallway.

The torrential rain following Cyclone Debbie, beginning on March 29, caused the nearby creek to break its banks and inundate houses backing onto the waterway.

This was the beginning of a battle with property owners and real estate agents which, seven months on from Cyclone Debbie, is still not resolved.

When Mr Fairbrother, his wife and teenage step-daughter vacated the property he was told he owed $5500 for repairs to the house caused by the cyclone.

That figure was later reduced to $1000 which Mr Fairbrother agreed to have taken out of his bond.

"He wanted us to pay $5500 for what?" he said. "They are double dipping."

Mr Fairbrother said he was losing a percentage of his bond which was forwarded to the property owner who the tenant stated also collected a payout from their insurance company.

Simpson family on the balcone of their cyclone Debbie damaged Proserpine home.

General manager of communications at the Insurance Council of Australia, Campbell Fuller said many property owners had landlord's insurance which would cover loss of rent and damage to the property itself.

"Landlord's cover can provide for loss of tenancy income as well as damage that occurs to the property through actions of the tenant or natural disasters," he said.

"(However) the property owner may be required by the insurer to disclose any financial recovery through damage that has taken place at the time of lodging a claim.

"If the cost of that damage has already been recovered then they may be required to disclose it."

Mr Campbell said he was unaware of any double dipping on property damage in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.

As of yesterday, Cyclone Debbie's current insured loses are $1.564 billion up $89 million since last month.

QSTARS has received nearly 70 referrals for cyclone-related complaints across the Mackay-Whitsunday region since March 29.

QSTARS Mackay tenancy solicitor Simone Butschle said some tenants were continuing to live in damaged rental properties and paying full rent because their landlords hadn't organised repair work and weren't willing to offer a rent reduction.

Ms Butschle said there was also growing pressure from landlords to evict tenants on periodic leases or whose leases were nearing their end without 'just cause', or to increase rent because of the demand for rental accommodation in the region.

"I've heard of some tenants having their rent increased from $50 a week to $100 or more per week, even a couple of hundred dollars in some cases," she said.

"There is a massive shortage of housing in the area and (landlords are) taking advantage of that.

"It's making quite a number of tenants homeless and forcing them to camp or live in their cars or relocate."

A tenant of a Cannonvale apartment block can relate to this.

A room in the Proserpine Motel left ruined by Cyclone Debbie. Picture: Peter Carruthers

The man, who wishes not to be named, moved into a caravan this week after living in severely damaged property since late March.

His neighbour told the Whitsunday Times the tenant had holes in his roof, mushrooms growing on the walls and when he plugged in appliances he was often shocked.

The tenant was also forced to accept a rental increase since Cyclone Debbie hit.

The neighbour said all the tenants in the block of 10 units had complained about cyclone damage to their real estate agents but nothing had been done.

Tenants at another apartment building claim real estate agents are breaching occupants in order to force them from their homes.

"They have breached pretty much everybody in the complex a couple of times," she said.

"We got breached for having an odour then we got breached for having bean bags and chairs in the garage.

"I just think its disgusting," she said.

QSTARS Mackay advocate Nikki Hancock said "in some instances, landlords simply want to get their tenants out so that they can increase the rent".

Ms Hancock said tenants in properties that were completely or partly unfit to live in or where the amenity or standard of the property had decreased substantially were entitled to a decrease in their weekly rent to match the current condition of the property.

"Instead we're seeing tenants being forced to reside in half a property but still being charged full weekly rent," she said.