Tenants homeless after 'mouldy' house dispute - Hamilton

[muppet]

Tenants homeless after 'mouldy' house dispute


ROTTEN RENTAL: Sisters Candice, left, and Katelyn Hart have fallen ill due to their damp mouldy home, but their landlord says it's their fault.

They're sick, they're tired, they're jobless and now they're homeless.
It's a tough situation to be in, but Candice, 22, and Katelyn Hart, 21, are just glad their rental nightmare is finally coming to an end.
The Hamilton sisters have been fighting their landlord over their rental home, which they share with three of their friends, for the last six months.
They say their mould-ridden rental is leaky and the city council agrees, issuing an Insanitary Building Notice on it "due to evidence of moisture in the building or having been in the building".
But their landlord, Michele Coker, says the mould is the tenants' fault because they aren't cleaning or ventilating the house.
More at

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9192970/Tenants-homeless-after-mouldy-house-dispute

[flyernzl]

. . .so on July 15 they ceased paying rent . . .

That, in itself, is an illegal act under the terms of the RTA.

[speights boy]

You are correct flyer, however if the reports of no contact with the landlord are correct, it did seem to bring it to a head.

More ammunition for the WoF brigade.

Ms Coker offered a report to the tribunal from Bryce Gillard of Generalz Contracting which said the mould was caused by the tenants and that when he inspected the ceiling space it was fully insulated by Pink Batts and showed no sign of dampness.

Generalz Contracting shows on local webpages as a concrete contractor, and since 2011 all Generalz Contracting documents filed to the Companies Office have been filed by Ms Coker.

Ms Coker and Mr Gillard are also both listed as directors of Lileo Trustees Ltd.

[donna]

Some landlords just bring trouble upon themselves! And agreed it makes a great case for bringing in the WoF.

cheers,

donna

[donnyboy]

more often than not, these older type homes have poor ventilation/mechanical extraction, ie; no range hoods and ceiling fans vented to the outside, this with the combination of lazy tenants,not opening windows, wiping down windows and walls, leads to moldy ceilings and walls...

[Hound]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages.aspx?id=1325792&topic=21

[Perry]

Open the windows and let in the cold?
You're kidding, right? I recall a tale on
PT where the LL installed an extractor
fan in the shower, hooked into the light
switch circuit. The tenant[s] elected to
shower in the dark, rather than 'endure'
the moisture ventilation, when showering.

[donnyboy]

Ive been into homes (and ive been into 1000s pre 2000) where the inside temperature is same or colder than the outside temperature.

[eri]

Ive been into homes (and ive been into 1000s pre 2000) where the inside temperature is same or colder than the outside temperature.

this is surprising?

[donnyboy]

this is surprising?

no, i was replying to Perrys comment,

Open the windows and let in the cold?
You're kidding, right?

[skid]

Open the windows and let in the cold?
You're kidding, right? I recall a tale on
PT where the LL installed an extractor
fan in the shower, hooked into the light
switch circuit. The tenant[s] elected to
shower in the dark, rather than 'endure'
the moisture ventilation, when showering.

They say that opening a window a small amount for 5 minutes or so is enough to ventilate a room (with the exception of the shower and maybe kitchen) Its just enough to get rid of the damp air and circulate.
But of coarse,the real answer is decent insulation,which is the main cause of mold on ceilings
I saw a little triangle patch of mold on our bedroom ceiling,.sure enough ,when I went up the insulation had been moved in that spot-I put it back and no more mold.
In the bathroom we have an extractor fan but I gotta say,since we put a shower dome it has been great.
I know they are controversial(whole threads on this) but it not only stopped the mold(which was a real problem)but the real bonus(which I wasnt expecting) was that it stays warm in the shower so in winter you can dry yourself in comfort before coming out.--what about steam you say?--no steam as steam is created when the hot moist air hits the cold air--it just condenses on the dome and runs down off the side(not on you)

[skid]

Sounds like these peoples problems are beyond that, but still thought it would be a helpful suggestion

[Perry]

I use a dehumidifier. Works well. No
mould and no smelly towels, as they
are dry by the morning.

But the tenants would bleat about
the running costs, of course.

[speights boy]

But the tenants would bleat about
the running costs, of course.

If only someone had a plan to reduce cost of power ....hmm.
Those stealth taxes are so insidious.