Mould issue - Advice needed!

Hi All,

I have just had tenants move out from one of my rentals and they have left behind some unwanted mould.. Tenants have lived in the property for around 12 years and have left the property in very poor condition. I purchased the property in April 14' to renovate and in future subdivide.

Has anyone dealt with similar mould issues? Tenant says they have tried cleaning it numerous times but it keeps coming back which indicated to me it may be a possible riding damp issue or maybe just neglect and failure to ventilate rooms property?

If I am to have a professional mould removal expert inspect the property (cost of $799 + GST) can this be deducted from tenants bond? Overall the property was left in a horrendous state but as I am renovating most other issues (holes in doors, walls, damaged laundry, carpet filthy & broken fly screens etc etc.) are not of concern to me. My main concern is ridding the from bedrooms of mould.

The home is an 80's brick veneer on a slight sloping block (front rooms with mould issues have approx 20-30cm under subfloor and at rear of property there is approx 60-80cm under subfloor).
 
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Rented for 12 years.....when was the last time the walls were repainted?

It does not look too bad to me.....I have had a similar problem in a cool south facing room that needed some quality new paint with extra anti bacterial paint additive and after a good room wash with vinegar and warm water to solve.

If the room has had a cupboard located in the same place it may just be a case of no sun and little ventilation causing the mould.
If it is the front of the house there may be an issue with the garden being too close to the outside wall and water is getting past the damp course.
Are the wall vents covered or blocked?
What is on the outside?

It is hard to get money from the tenant for this given the general state of the house.....tenant had rented for 10+ years then with no repaint - you would have factored this in when you purchased in 2014 - yes?

Paint and profit....it will look 1000 times better..and no mould.....:)
 
Yeh agree with above - get some paint on it that contains anti-mould treatment and see how it goes. You would expect a fair bit of wear and tear after same tenant for 12 years.
 
I cannot see why you would ask the tenant to pay for this? This needs to be addressed and is the landlord's responsibility in my opinion.
 
Simply painting over the mould is unwise: it should be professionally treated and removed prior to the surface being painted. Otherwise you leave yourself open to being sued by any future occupant who becomes ill from inhaling mould spores. This is exactly what occurred recently in the Southern suburbs.

Why wouldn't you pursue the tenants for all the other damage? That would leave you with cash in hand...
 
Why wouldn't you pursue the tenants for all the other damage? That would leave you with cash in hand...

If this case presents itself at VCAT, I doubt the OP will get much at all.

Considering OP is renovating, while the damages are the tenants responsibility - if the landlord is planning on painting, ripping out carpets etc. VCAT would likely view that as "tough luck" because they were already doing the work.

Mould is a complex issue, I would get it professionally treated. But, depending on the VCAT member it's hit and miss whether you'll be held liable for the cost or not.

Is there a bond?

Have you spoken (or your PM) to the tenant?
 
Property was managed privately for the 9 month period after I took ownership as tenants contract was expired therefore were on month to month tenancy.

Original condition report was sent to me from previous owner (also privately managed) but this condition report was from 2004 therefore majority of items would no doubt be considered "wear and tear" if it were to go to VCAT. However I believe regardless of property condition it should always be left in a condition that is liveable which requires periodic cleaning/ventilation etc. which has not been the case.

I have organized for a mould expert (from another company) to carry out treatment of any visible mould with a micro clean and sanitation in both front rooms and laundry for a cost of $395 + GST which I will be deducting from the bond as a end of lease cleaning charge. I feel this is fair and current tenant agrees.

Mould expert has noted there are high humidity levels in the rooms but due to poor ventilation and TV unit/wardrobe being placed against the wall it was a perfect breeding ground for mould. He also noted I should organize a professional to inspect damp course and check roof for leaks. This will be paid for by myself.

After treatment I will be repainting with antibacterial paint and investigating further to ensure the issue does not appear in future.
 
If I read the post correctly, you bought the property in April, so you inherited the tenant. Was the owner self managing? If there was a PM in place, what do they say about when this was first noticed? Generally, if a tenant does not adequately ventilate a room, the mould appears on the ceiling. In a situation like this, it give the impression, that there is excess moisture in the wall. We have a moisture meter which we use to assist in working out if there is excess moisture in that section of the wall. If there is, where is it coming from. You most fix the cause first, then treat the mould properly. Then you hopefully have a permanent solution.


Sorry, you posted as I was typing my reply, so my thoughts may not be of value.
 
Mould is a complex area. What has to be determined is the cause of the mould e.g. inherent building problem, poor ventilation, leaks, tenant neglect or a combination of some/all of these.

As a managing agent we conduct 6 monthly inspections and always follow up on mould. This past winter we had more mould problems then previous years. It is easy to treat when it is first detected.

Bleach will not kill mould. Oil of cloves or a vinegar solution is recommended.
 
Mould is pretty much Landlords responsibility:confused:

I learnt that hard-way when tenant didnt report mould growing underneath sink. we only found out when plumber visited IP.
 
100% the property should be liveable when a tenant vacates - and VCAT will (usually) award in your favour for cleaning, malicious damage or damages that aren't wear and tear (ie. Holes in walls, doors etc).

If the matter is taken to VCAT, you will need to show that these damages are above your renovation. For example, if you're guttering the place and leaving a shell, then you normally won't be awarded costs - because you're removing the item anyway. However, if you're replacing the kitchen, bathroom, painting and flooring for instance, you'd be awarded costs of repairing/replacing doors and patching holes that aren't from general wear and tear.
 
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