‘Toxic bomb’ mould threat in Qld

Queensland renters are pushing for an urgent overhaul to tenancy laws as residents reveal battling distressing mould infestations in their homes.

Renters battling mould in their homes are pushing for an urgent overhaul of the state’s tenancy laws, saying they have been left fighting illness and thousands of dollars out of pocket dealing with the infestations.

A petition calling on landlords to be required to treat mould in homes was presented to parliament this week, with Greens South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon backing the push.

Ms MacMahon said the unseasonably long rainy season and floods meant many Queenslanders were battling distressing mould infestations, often causing sickness.

“This week one of my constituents told my office about how she has had mould spreading in the ceiling above her bed for the past eight months,” she said.

“This has caused her breathing issues which are so serious she has had to leave her job.

“When she asked her landlord about fixing it, he said that she would have to pay for any mould treatment and that ‘this is just what happens in Queensland’.”

South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Gold Coast woman Christine Butler started the petition – which has gathered more than 300 signatures – and says her family is $12,000 out of pocket with cleaning, inspections, moving and rent.

“(Ms Butler) has been through hell, with multiple types of mould rising through her rental home, turning the property into a toxic bomb,” Ms MacMahon said.

There is no specific reference to mould in the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act.

Instead it advises “deciding who is responsible for cleaning mould and repairing any resultant damage depends on how the mould appeared in the first place”.

A petition calling on landlords to be required to treat mould in homes was presented to parliament this week.

“If mould is a result of problems with the property (for example, a leaking roof, or water damage caused by leaking pipework), it is the property manager/owner’s responsibility to address the mould and make any necessary repairs,” it states.

“If the tenant has caused the mould to appear (for example, by allowing steam to build up in a bathroom without proper ventilation and/or regular cleaning), they are responsible for cleaning it and paying for any damages that the mould has caused.”

Ms MacMahon said “if the law is not clear enough to spell out that (ensuring a premise is fit to live in) includes removing mould, it should be”.

“While our rental laws allowed landlords to leave properties filled with mould, we have more and more tenants getting sick, children developing lung issues and homes are becoming unliveable as cases of mould and damp increase,” she said.