1 Newell Street, Footscray VIC 3011

I lived in this house for several years, and over time it became almost comically unliveable. The entire property was visibly sinking — shelves couldn’t hold anything level, chopping vegetables on the kitchen bench was impossible without things rolling straight off and across the floor, and the walls were so warped that photos taken inside looked like they were shot through a fisheye lens. A neighbour installed a 12-foot corrugated iron fence that extended onto the landlord’s land, completely blocking natural light to one of the bedrooms and the bathroom. Despite raising this with the agent multiple times, nothing was done. Mould eventually developed in the bathroom, and the bedroom was essentially useless — yet we continued to pay full rent for it. We also had a broken carport with rotting timber that became unsafe to walk under. It took nine months of repeated requests before a handyman was finally sent. He spent 30 minutes on the job, left the rotting wood in place, and simply attached a new beam to it. When we pushed back, we were met with hostility. We took it to VCAT and won, though the rent reduction awarded was only around 5%. The derelict property behind us also caused an ongoing mouse infestation. We reported it several times, but the agency ignored all communication. Eventually, the cracks in the walls became so severe you could fit your fist through them. These were known issues from when we first moved in. When we finally demanded they be fixed for safety reasons, the response was to evict us — supposedly because a friend had stayed with us temporarily and wasn’t on the lease. This happened just two weeks before Christmas, after seven years of tenancy. It was cold, aggressive, and completely unjustified. Even after we moved out and were told the house had been cleaned to a satisfactory standard, our bond was held back over a single milk crate left behind — just one final insult to close out an already difficult rental experience.