Call for tougher regulations as mould takes over thousands of homes
A mould menace is lurking in the walls, floors and ceilings of thousands of our homes.
It's the nasty roommate which can cause serious health issues and costly damage to what is for many, the most expensive asset we will ever own.
But when it comes to dealing with it, the issue becomes a little grey.
Suzanna Gaunt and her partner recently started unpacking into a rental in Sydney's inner west, only to find some toxic housemates had already moved in.
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A mould menace is lurking in the walls, floors and ceilings of thousands of our homes. Nine
After just one night they called their real estate agent for help.
"We both woke up feeling unwell... And she offered no solution except to run the air conditioning 24/7 on hot to dry it out," Gaunt said.
"[Then] she immediately terminated the lease on the spot so we had nowhere to go."
The real estate agent disputes this, claiming the tenants wanted to leave and the agent allowed them to, with their rent and bond refunded.
Nanotise mould specialist Alex Ross said better understanding of the cause and solution for mould is required to takcle the issue in Sydney rentals. Nine
Nanotise mould specialist Alex Ross says there's a lack of building protocol for developers and little understanding between real estate agents, tenants and landlords of what's causing mould, who's responsible, and how to get rid of it.
He says we need tougher regulations or Sydney's mould menace isn't going anywhere.
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