Please Help Chrissie, Lee & Rory

Chrissie and Lee are good rental tenants with an impeccable rental history. They’ve recently been left with nothing. Nowhere to live and with no belongings, at no fault of their own.

Chrissie and Lee live in Queensland with their adult son, Rory. QLD has seen severe rain and flood events of late, leaving many homes inundated with mould, posing significant health risks. Even more so, for those with pre-existing health conditions like Chrissie, who suffers from Cavernous Malformations on her brain as well as Functional Neurological Disorder and Rory who also has Cavernous Malformations and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Early in the year, Chrissie and Lee began to notice small faded, white, dust like marks on their black coloured carpet. Thinking it was dust or scuff from foot traffic, Chrissie thought nothing of it and would vacuum it away. In mid May the white marks began growing, multiplying fast, changing colour and growing fuzz. This is when they realised this was potentially mould they were dealing with. Under medical instruction from their GP to protect their health, on 17 May, they made the decision to leave the property, with only some clothing and their pets. They went to stay with Lee’s family. In the meantime, little did they know, they had a long fight ahead of them.

Chrissie and Lee informed their Property Manager of the mould issues and were told that it was their responsibility to clean and manage the mould in the carpet. They disagreed. The Property Manager organised for a carpet cleaner to assess the mould in the carpet. They performed a basic assessment and determined that yes there was mould, but didn't determine a source, nor did testing of air quality or otherwise to determine the types of mould or the levels they were in, inside the property. Chrissie and Lee felt this assessment was not adequate enough to show that they did not cause the mould and that it couldn’t be “maintained”, so they then organised and paid for an independent Hygienist to assess the property at a personal cost of $500.

The Hygienist determined 4 types of mould. 2 types at levels 5000 x and 150 x higher than the safest recommended levels. One of the mould types is considered "the other black mould". The two largest colonies of mould have health risks due to mycotoxins produced by them, with some of the mycotoxins being linked to neurological damage, respiratory issues, autoimmune diseases, even cancer. The Hygienist advised that further investigations be carried out by checking the concrete slab underneath, as the concrete could be a source.

After attending a Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) hearing on 6 July, Chrissie and Lee then reached out to Queensland Statewide Tenant Advice and Referral System (QSTARS) - a free legal service dealing with tenancy (this information was given to Chrissie by her disability advocate) - and they were advised by QSTARS to have a building inspection of the property carried out, to determine the source and if the mould was due to a potential structural issue, as this might support their claim.

Lee reached out to a number of building inspectors and was informed that none of their building reports would hold up in court/QCAT hearing due to the specialised nature of this type of inspection. They recommended a specific Building Inspector whose reports would be more suitable for Chrissie and Lee’s needs. This particular building inspection would come at a cost of $5150! Chrissie and Lee borrowed the money from their son in order to have this inspection performed. Thankfully they did.

The inspection determined 5 defects and 6 major defects/safety hazards.

The Building Inspector found concrete efflorescence in the concrete slab - aka moisture (at almost 40% levels) in the concrete. The moisture in the slab has then caused pressure, which has formed cracks in the slab allowing the moisture, vapours and efflorescence crystals to surface to the top of the slab. This moisture cannot escape through the underlay and carpet, so mould begins to grow. This issue has been further exacerbated by the environmental moisture caused by the excessive rain recently. The Building Inspector also found that the foundation on the left side of the house (where the mould is the worst) was not graded correctly. The foundation was graded TOWARDS the house instead of away, which means moisture is directed to the house. They also found that the external brick work did not comply to the Australian standards. Black plastic under the rocks that surround the entire perimeter of the house was also discovered, which retains moisture instead of allowing it to drain away. The Inspector also identified that a drain in the backyard is either broken or blocked, keeping the backyard waterlogged, which then feeds into the slab creating even more moisture.

Chrissie and Lee have submitted this to the Property Manager and have requested back pay of the rent they are STILL paying, as well as compensation for the cost of the Hygienist and Building Inspectors Report. They are awaiting a response in regard to this.

On the weekend just gone, a number of friends/family/colleagues all came together to help Chrissie and Lee remove and dump close to everything they own and help them clean and pack what might be salvageable. They were only really able to salvage some kitchen items and some of their clothes, that might be able to be remediated. It was truly heartbreaking for them and everyone involved to literally throw out everything they own and have worked hard for. Many sentimental items GONE.

On Monday, 18 July, Chrissie and Lee were then informed, that their insurer, who they have been loyal, diligent paying customers for approximately 10 years, will not be compensating them for the contents they have just lost. Chrissie and Lee are not taking this decision lying down, and are in talks with the insurer to appeal. However, they’re not overly optimistic about the outcome.

They are broke. They have been left with nothing. They have recieved no support or care from the Property Manager/Landlord through any of this. They have had to prove their innocence at their own expense. This entire experience has left them shattered and has further impacted Chrissie’s health and her disabled son’s mental health as a result.

This is why I’m asking for help. With just a small amount of support from a large group of people, we can really help get this family back on their feet in no time.