Tenant evicted from ‘sinking’ rental home with hours’ notice awarded $5,000 by Queensland tribunal

Posted by marketrent

2 Comments

  1. Income-generating asset suddenly uninhabitable, according to landlord’s agent’s contractor:

    *The agent submitted a five-paragraph statement from the carpenter, in which he declared the house had met minimum standards until he inspected it on June 4 — the day before Malcolm was evicted.*

    *Referring to the statement, Mr Eardley asked the agent, “Is that the best evidence you’ve got?”*

    *In it, the carpenter said he had worked on the property for several years and it had always met minimum standards — until that inspection.*

    *He wrote the bathroom and shower — which the tenant had claimed in various emails to the agent appeared to be sinking — had always been “usable”.*

    *In an exchange with Mr Brown, the adjudicator challenged that timeline.*

    >*Mr Eardley: How long has the stumps been like that?*

    >*Mr Brown: Only since the 4th of June. That’s when the carpenter went and had a look.*

    >*Mr Eardley: I’m sorry, they’ve been there for a lot longer than the 4th of June.*

    >*Mr Brown: Yes. Well – but that’s when the problem was, from the 4th of June.*

    >*Mr Eardley: You cannot be serious.*

    *Looking at photos of under the house, Mr Eardley said one stump appeared to be propped up with six bricks, and another with rocks.*