Southport family given just 10 hours to leave rental

A Gold Coast family with school-aged children were left with the prospect of having nowhere to go after being given just hours to leave their rental. Here’s how it happened.

A Southport family was given just hours to vacate their rental property after asbestos was discovered in the building – by experts they hired themselves.

Retired truck driver Greg Conroy, his wife Katrina, a teacher, and children Jacob, 11, and Meaghan, 15, were left with nowhere to go after being advised by email at 1.43pm on Thursday October 27 that they had to vacate their Gilmour Lane property by midnight that day.

Mr Conroy said they became concerned after a tradesman hired in June by the then property managers to fix plumbing, cut into a bathroom wall, spreading dust through the house and leaving a gaping hole behind. He said they had raised their concerns with property managers, but nothing was done.

“After four months, after they cut the hole in the wall, they left it like that, I reported it,” he said.

“I said get someone else to fix it. I’m over it.

“When they said no so I said I’ll get someone out to fix it. I’ll do it properly by getting someone to check it.”

Greg Conroy in the bathroom of his Southport home where deadly asbestos sheeting was exposed. Picture: Keith Woods.

Mr Conroy hired Coastal Asbestos Removal to check for the deadly substance, hoping a positive report would prompt the property manager and landlord to rectify the problem. But the family was shocked when instead they received a Notice to Leave from their property manager at 1.43pm on Thursday October 27 giving them until midnight to get out on “non-liveability” grounds.

“There’s four of us here. We’ve been here almost three years,” Mr Conroy said.

“How are we supposed to vacate the property in a ten-hour period?

“If we’re in a position where we have to leave the house we’ve nowhere to go, we’ve no family here.

“We didn’t do anything except to say, yes, it is asbestos. Now we have to leave.

“It’s a disgrace.”

Greg Conroy at the Southport home he and his family were given just hours to leave. Picture: Keith Woods.

The family, who are paying $550 a week for their rental, said they had not initially been offered any help finding an alternative place to stay.

Management of the property was taken over by RE/MAX Regency in Robina just ten weeks ago. Following inquiries from the Bulletin, the agency offered the family help to secure another property.

They suggesting a one-bed duplex in Pimpama available for $425 per week as a possible option and said they may also be able to assist with moving costs.

A one-bed Pimpama duplex it was suggested the family might be moved to.

RE/MAX Regency Principal Jason Miller said his firm was working to resolve “serious and complicated” problems it had inherited after taking over management of the property on August 19 from an agency which has since closed down.

“Recently, the tenant reported the presence of asbestos in the property. The works that resulted in the asbestos becoming an issue was carried out in June, two months prior to us taking over the management,” Mr Miller said.

“After becoming aware of the asbestos we have sought, and acted in accordance with, the advice of the Queensland Government (workplace health and safety) and qualified contractors. It is on their advice that we issued of the Notice to Leave. The tenant sought advice from the RTA (Rental Tenancies Authority) and confirmed that we were acting according to our obligations.

“The next step is for the property to be vacated for the purpose of carrying out a health and safety assessment.

“We have previously approached the tenant to ascertain whether the tenant is willing to vacate the property to allow the assessment to be carried out. However, the tenant disputes the seriousness of the issue and therefore refused to vacate the property.

“Upon receiving (the Bulletin inquiry), we have again approached the tenant in an attempt to reach a resolution, which of course includes our assistance to secure alternative accommodation on either a temporary or permanent basis. As at the time of (writing), our attempts to relocate the tenant have been declined.

“The situation is serious, complicated and difficult for all concerned but we are committed to continuing our efforts to find a solution that will have the least impact on the tenants.”

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