Death traps: It’s time to give a damn...

I have just been chatting with a lovely young lady from central-west New South Wales. Like all the other tenants who find me, she has requested that her name be withheld. In this article, she shall be known as Ariel. If you are just tuning in, most tenants are scared to speak out.

Ariel and her young daughter are in government housing. She has just had a very scary experience. A huge tree in her backyard had fallen down. She was very lucky that the tree fell in between her housing and her neighbour’s house and not on top of her while she was sleeping. When she moved into the property seven years ago, Housing NSW knew that the tree was dead and needed to come down. Ariel had complained about the tree numerous times. Every time there was a storm, she called Housing NSW. Ariel couldn’t and wouldn’t let her daughter play in the backyard. It was just too dangerous. Surrounding neighbours had also put in complaints. Yet Housing NSW did nothing. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

 

 

There have been other issues. NSW Housing renovated the house about three years ago. But they forgot something. A toilet. They didn’t provide a portaloo. They didn’t provide temporary housing while renovations where being done. Ariel had to use the neighbour’s toilet for about three days. She couldn’t use the bathroom for about three weeks. Tenants should be treated with basic dignity and respect. To my mind, this includes access to basic amenities.

 

 

And the list goes on...after the workmen left. They left holes in the backyard. They left rubbish. Ariel had to get rid of the rubbish herself. The shoe is on the other foot when tenants in private rentals leave rubbish behind. Bond deduction! When Arial first moved in, there were holes in the walls. The workmen didn’t fix them up properly. They weren’t sanded or painted over. The bathroom wasn’t fixed properly. The tiles bow. One power point isn’t even fixed to the wall. It’s falling out!

 

And Ariel hasn’t had an oven for about three years. She also requested that an air-conditioning unit be installed. It was deemed non-essential. Keep in mind that this small town is almost in the desert, and it can get up to 45 degrees at its hottest.

Ariel also had a break and enter last year. One man threatened to break in and rape her. She didn’t feel safe and comfortable at home. She was staying with friends. She asked for a transfer to another house. But NSW Housing took the view that the situation wasn’t serious enough. They also told her she had to move back to the house otherwise she wouldn’t be eligible for another place. Luckily, nothing happened. But that is not the point, Arial and her daughter were at risk of harm. Arial didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t move into a private rental. In this particular area, it is notorious that the housing sector is extremely competitive. There are just not enough houses to go around.

We also got to talking about empty government houses. Apparently, it is no unusual to see empty government houses around the town. As they are left sitting empty, squatters and bored teenagers get in and trash the joints. Ariel says this has been going on for years. From what I understand, waiting lists for public housing can be up to seven years. There are homeless people out there that need accommodation. This is a complete waste of resources.

If you see an empty house, take a picture of it and send it in to me with its address. Signing out, Bad Landlord Australia.