FIRST the house flooded. Then they were out.
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A Merewether couple has experienced a dose of some of the hard truths of rental agreements, having been told to pack up their Berner Street flat, initially with nowhere to go, because it was deemed “uninhabitable” after a water pipe burst.
On Friday, Simone Pilla came home to find about two centimetres of water had dispersed across the floor from a pipe behind the bathroom vanity.
She rang her real estate agent the next day to find out if alternative accommodation had been arranged.
Instead, she was advised her landlord had terminated the rental agreement and she was to permanently move out over the next week.
“We didn’t understand it,” Ms Pilla said.
“We’d been good tenants, we paid our bills on time, and then we’re told we have to go – it was devastating.
“What upset me the most is that we did nothing wrong. It was totally out of our hands.”
Thankfully, Ms Pilla was able to sign a six-month lease on another flat not too far away.
But she was unable to have damaged furniture replaced as it was uninsured, and could have potentially been without somewhere to live.
“We really don’t know anyone we could have stayed with because we’re not from here,” Ms Pilla said.
“It was really stressful as it was, but it could have been much worse.
“I just think people should be aware that this can happen.”
According to the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Ms Pilla's landlord was within their rights.
The union’s senior policy officer, Ned Cutcher, said homes were commonly deemed uninhabitable after severe weather events such as a bushfire, but it was still possible for landlords to use the power in smaller circumstances.
“If there’s a problem in the house, and the landlord wants to get it fixed without the tenant being there, it’s very easy for them to end the agreement,” he said.
“But there does need to be a reasonable middle ground.”
Mr Cutcher said tenants should be aware of their rights, and the rights of landlords, when they sign a rental agreement.
He said advocacy groups were keen to stress there were many avenues of appeal.
“Most people don’t really stop to consider their rights if they find themselves in situations like these,” he said.
