These units were split into two flats, and while the upstairs had a few improvements, the carpet was old, ventilation in the bathroom was terrible, and the AC rattled through a hole in the wall that let in draughts. The staircase started falling apart, and instead of fixing it properly the landlord taped over it, which quickly degraded in the sun and felt like a tripping hazard. We later rented the downstairs unit for more space, knowing it wasn’t renovated, but the condition was rough patched-up front door, worn kitchen bench, dirty under-sink cabinet, and half-finished rooms. We accepted that at first, but when the rent was increased to ‘market price’ it was frustrating given the state of the property.
I even took it to VCAT, but dropped the case when we decided to move out. On vacating, we were charged for new carpet despite having it professionally cleaned, and the cleaner himself said it hadn’t been touched for years. It felt like we were penalised for problems that existed long before us. The agency is still trying to rent the place without addressing any of these long-standing issues.
