‘Uncomfortable’: Qld landlord’s ‘Big Brother’ cameras

Frustrated tenants have been left feeling “uncomfortable” by the “Big Brother”-like cameras their landlord installed.

Frustrated tenants have sounded off on a landlord in Queensland whose installation of cameras made them feel like they had signed up for “Big Brother”.

Grace moved into the boarding house in Brisbane’s north with seven other tenants six months ago but quickly realised cameras were watching them.

She was told it was to make sure the kitchen stayed clean, but she claimed more cameras continued to be installed throughout the house.

Grace initially noticed cameras in the kitchen and living room. Picture: A Current Affair

“It wasn‘t disclosed to us during the interview. It was kind of just in the corner of my eye one day. I walked in and I noticed it,” Grace told A Current Affair.

“(They) slowly added more and more and then recently they upgraded to a more intense sort of surveillance system.

“It feels so uncomfortable because you can’t feel free to leave your room.”

Fellow tenant Tom said it felt like he had “signed up for an episode of Big Brother”.

Grace said the cameras made her feel ‘uncomfortable’. Picture: A Current Affair

Tom said it was like living in ‘Big Brother’. Picture: A Current Affair

But while the property's owner was stringent with their surveillance, the former tenants claim the same could not be said for their alarm maintenance.

“One of the downstairs ones, it’s been chirping since I first moved in and they’ve never changed it,” Grace said.

They say the property also has an outdated fire plan, while Grace has not had a working fire alarm in her bedroom for months.

The fire alarm in Grace’s room does not work. Picture: A Current Affair

They claim her fire alarm was removed by a cleaner.

“I don’t know much about him except that he is what I’ve been informed is the cleaner. But he is almost here every day,” Grace said.

They claim that at one point the cleaner locked their kitchen items in another room because he was annoyed about the mess they made.

“It just really upset me because I had a lot of cooking utensils I used regularly,” Tom said.

They claim their kitchen items were locked in another room. Picture: A Current Affair

They claim the property’s fire plan is outdated. Picture: A Current Affair

Grace and Tom were both issued breach notices by the landlord and have since been evicted.

Tom said it was for “endangering other housemates and serious vandalism for putting tape over the cameras”.

Grace said she was given two breaches for having a guest stay and leaving items in the common area.

“I checked the house and I didn‘t know what personal items they were talking about other than my bread cooker,” she said.

Tom and Grace have both been evicted from the property. Picture: A Current Affair

Real Estate Institute of Queensland chief executive Antonia Mercorella described the cameras as “concerning”.

“We’ve seen cases where the Residential Tenancies Authority has imposed quite hefty fines on owners or operators who breach those rules around privacy,” she said.

The Residential Tenancies Authority are investigating Grace’s complaint, while Brisbane City Council has inspected the property.