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I’d like some advice on a mould issues on the bathroom ceiling and top of the walls in my son’s unit (he is overseas) that is rented. The unit has been owned for 6.5 years and he lived there until 2 years ago. The bathroom is internal. The recently departed tenant notified just before the end of the tenancy that there was mould on the ceiling that kept on coming back. There are a number of side issues to this: the now-departed property manager did not carry out a 3-month inspection which would have probably/possibly have identified the issue: there had been a leak from the above unit around 3 years ago which had caused a patch on the ceiling (leak fixed and ceiling treated and painted at that time). There are new areas, different from previous spot, indicating a leak.
Inspections by plumbers/mould removalists find that there is no wet ceiling caused by a further leak (called a dry leak from previous moisture) so the mould would have had to have been caused by condensation – therefore room not ventilated properly. There is a fan/light in the bathroom which has to be turned on in order to use the bathroom (a black hole otherwise).
Fair Trading recently had a newsletter saying that if mould occurs only during a tenancy, then the tenant is responsible for the removal. If the mould was there before then the owner is responsible. Quotes to remove the mould are in the order of $700-800. I maintain the tenant should pay (bond has not been released pending this) but the property agents are hesitant that if this were taken to the Tribunal, the tenant would not be responsible.
Would love some advice from the experts or anyone who has had same/similar issues.
Thank you.
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