A NSW landlord has been ordered to pay a former tenant $2100 for not keeping a rental property in “reasonable repair”.
According to 7news.com.au, the tenant, who was renting a property in Weston, in the Hunter region, made an application to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have the rent reduced while repairs on the property were carried out.
The tenant had asked the landlord to address an ant problem in the kitchen and repair a faulty hot water system, dishwasher and broken gate.
The tribunal found the landlord had breached their obligations and failed to fix the ants in the kitchen or do the other repairs on the home.
The tenant had been forced to pay $360 for pest control for the ants in the kitchen, which the tribunal then ordered they be compensated for.
The hot water system was not in “reasonable repair” prior to being replaced and the tenant had “suffered loss and damage, in the nature of excessive water and gas bills” and the tribunal ordered the landlord to pay $360 to the tenant.
The landlord was also ordered to pay the tenant a further $680 after the tribunal found the dishwasher in the property was not working for more than nine months during the tenancy.
On top of that, the landlord was also ordered to pay a further $700 over a faulty gate that led to “inconvenience, loss and damage, and a significant reduction of security and privacy” for the tenant.
In total the landlord was ordered to pay the tenant $2100.
However, the tenant had also made a claim for $7500 for compensation along with some other claims, which were dismissed by the tribunal.
The tenant was living in the property at the time of the application but has since moved out prior to the tribunal decision being handed down.
