More 'unscrupulous' and 'slum' landlords

[artemis]

More in the media today. I am well over it.

RNZ National reports that Family Start spokesperson Colleen Fakalogotoa blames high rents on 'unscrupulous behaviour on behalf of landlords'. IMO not a good look for a government funded service.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201802688/social-workers-go-to-marae-for-help

Then in the Herald, Housing NZ looking to evict 2 families this week. One Angela Eastham definitely has family difficulties (and a very mouldy ceiling which features in the video clip along with a very large dog) - Graham McCready is helping her with her TT hearing. He names HNZ as a slum landlord. HNZ on the other hand, says they have tried very hard to work with Ms Eastham and her extensive arrears.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11647724

[RHarris]

Housing NZ have been one of the worst slumlords around. At least some of their stock is improving at the moment.

[Wayne]

I'm not sure why she expected another 21 days of not paying rent?

As always there will be more to the story but the mould was bad.

[FJW]

Haven't followed the case but I would be very interested to know if it was her 'living style' causing the mold or actual defects with the property. A lot of the time its the former......not being biassed or anything here.

[sidinz]

Haven't followed the case but I would be very interested to know if it was her 'living style' causing the mold or actual defects with the property. A lot of the time its the former......not being biassed or anything here.

I'm with you. When I surveyed over 1000 state houses a couple of years ago I saw lots of mouldy houses. In over 90% of the cases, it wasn't a fault of the house. In those that it was, many were due to blocked gutters.

I'm just glad that there's more publicity on the issue of how moisture is generated and how to get rid of it these days. Hopefully it will mean that other landlords don't get judgements against them for tenant-caused mould like I did. I tried to explain/prove that it was the tenant's habits and not the property but the TT wasn't having a bar of it.

[Viking]

I would like to know how you attributed the mould to the tenants activities.

Housing NZ have been one of the worst slumlords around. At least some of their stock is improving at the moment.

I'm with you. When I surveyed over 1000 state houses a couple of years ago I saw lots of mouldy houses. In over 90% of the cases, it wasn't a fault of the house. In those that it was, many were due to blocked gutters.

I'm just glad that there's more publicity on the issue of how moisture is generated and how to get rid of it these days. Hopefully it will mean that other landlords don't get judgements against them for tenant-caused mould like I did. I tried to explain/prove that it was the tenant's habits and not the property but the TT wasn't having a bar of it.

[jimO]

I would like to know how you attributed the mould to the tenants activities.

not opening windows, unflued gas heating, drying clothes inside the house

[eri]

very cold the last few mornings

first thing the 80 yo windows show a lot of water, condensation, on the inside

each window gets opened a crack to get the air moving through

we rug up to the cold

once the condensation's gone from the glass

(usually about 1 - 2 hours)

the windows get closed

life's been worse than that for millennia........

but modern reality

is still much

for many

[artemis]

I would like to know how you attributed the mould to the tenants activities.

Housing NZ's own fact sheet on mould states that condensation is the most common cause of excess moisture, providing an environment for mould to grow. The activities they specify as causing condensation all relate to tenant activities.

http://www.hnzc.co.nz/assets/Uploads/controlling-mould-in-your-home.pdf

[Davo36]

Yeah the windows in our house are all wet each morning. Especially in the bedrooms.

We open them up for a few hours, keeping the living area ones closed until they dry out. Good to get fresh air in anyway.

[sidinz]

I would like to know how you attributed the mould to the tenants activities.

Assumption based on probability. In most cases it is.

[Wellingtonreno]

It's to be expected when the majority of old houses have single glazing, no insulation and no bathroom extractors. It's the perfect recipe for mould to grow unless you keep it well aired.

[eri]

visited an apartment the other day with filipina tenants

condensation was running down the windows

100% humidity, over-crowding, worries about the security of open windows

+ low income

tend to be the rule from where they come

cultural differences are difficult to change

[PTWhatAGreatForum]

It seems to be du jour thing these days for douchebag slumlords to blame mould on tenants. A couple of years ago I live in one such place and I commented at the time in this forum and got the predictable response from the ranks of the self righteous bunch (who I am sure could afford newer better houses)

1. I didn't dry clothes inside
2. I didn't do a lot of high humidity cooking
3. I have a top of line Japanese made Mitsubishi dehumidifier I ran for 3-4 hours per day

and I still couldn't get on top of the problem. When I left that flat myself and my Mother had to clean up a lot lot of disgusting (and likely dangerous) black mould. The letting agent even had the audacity to complain I hadn't shampooed the carpets.

Leaving aside the fact the carpets didn't need it and it was unenforceable anyway, given what I knew about the place I wasn't going to make the carpets wet in late June. (or July? Can't recall the exact month).

The cold hard reality it was simply a s*hole place built in the 50's or 60's on dodgy land.

Where I live now we do dry our clothes inside sometimes, keep the place shut up during winter, never run a dehumidifier and get static sparks when I jump into bed. Nil mould issue.

What's the difference? Different location and different building.

[Don't believe the Hype]

Michael - you failed to mention the weekly rent difference between your old place and the new one... I'm guessing you pay the same in your better place as you did in the substandard one?