Mould in a building … and it’s still under construction

Renters tired of living in decrepit conditions are flooding the NSW government with complaints about landlords and living arrangements, with authorities receiving an average of 170 a month.

Renters tired of living in decrepit conditions are flooding the NSW government with complaints about their landlords and living arrangements with authorities receiving an average of 170 a month.

The latest NSW Fair Trading figures show more than 1550 complaints have been lodged to date – slightly up from last year – with the renters writing about landlords failing to fix things, unfair rent hikes to mould.

The complaints came as the State’s new Rental Commissioner Trina Jones began an unannounced tour of the state last week only for her first visit to uncover serious mould within a Sydney boarding house that was still under construction.

Mould was not the only issue, with Ms Jones also shocked to discover the building had a raft of other compliance issues, ranging from problems with the fire safety systems, waterproofing and the overall quality of the build.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the department and the Office of the Building Commissioner are preparing to issue work orders to the developer for the issues to be rectified.

Mould discovered from the rental commissioner's first unannounced visit to a new construction in Sydney last week.

Ms Jones, who was accompanied by Customer Service Department Compliance and Dispute Resolution executive director Matt Press, declared the discovery of mould in a building that had not yet been fully built was unacceptable.

“Some of our most vulnerable people depend on boarding houses for affordable and safe accommodation,” she said.

The New South Wales Rental Commissioner Trina Jones. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

“To discover mould during construction of this boarding house was unacceptable. Thankfully it will be dealt with long before this building is occupied.

“Renters expect and deserve a safe and secure place to live when they move in. As Rental Commissioner I am focused on a fair, quality and affordable rental experience in NSW.”

Left untreated, mould can pose a serious risk to the health and safety of workers and potential tenants of the site, specifically respiratory problems.

It can also spread rapidly and remain hidden after the project is built and ready for occupation.

The surprise audit follows the NSW government appointing Ms Jones as the State’s first-ever rental commissioner – a role designed to hold the industry to account and lift building standards.

Ms Jones, who is also reviewing the comments of16,000 people in relation to plans to improve rental laws such as banning no grounds evictions and making it easier to keep pets in rental properties, said her goal was to create a “fairer rental experience” for tenants.

Mould uncovered in a boarding house being constructed in Petersham last week.

Assistant Building Commissioner Matthew Whitton said both planned audits and unannounced visits of residential apartment buildings began in September 2020, with boarding houses added from July this year.

“If these buildings do not meet the quality we expect, we won’t hesitate to issue orders to rectify issues,” he said.

Rental complaint figures show there were 1966 complaints lodged in 2021 – or 163 per month.

The figure is expected to be eclipsed this year with 1500 complaints lodged so far.

One tenant complaint how the landlord was refusing to fix the airconditioning, while another wrote about mould in the bedroom and a soaring electricity bill from a dehumidifier used to try mitigate the problem.

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