1 Isis Street, Wahroonga NSW 2076

At the start of the COVID pandemic, tenants could experience third-world conditions in Sydney’s leafy north shore for 00 per week. The house had four bedrooms — three large and one barely usable — but serious structural and safety problems. Cracks in the walls and ceilings, missing support pylons, and warped floors made it unsafe. Sewage leaked onto the footpath and took a month to repair. The bathroom was a mouldy disaster; when we tried to fix it ourselves, the landlord praised our effort instead of hiring a tradesperson. Lights stopped working for weeks due to asbestos contamination in the roof. Later we discovered possible Mr Fluffy asbestos insulation in the walls. The landlord also turned up at night unannounced. Eventually, the house became uninhabitable, and we left — traumatised, exhausted, and financially penalised after the tribunal sided with him due to timing. Avoid this property at all costs and go straight to NCAT if a landlord refuses repairs.