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Tenants forced to pay landlord after fleeing their “uninhabitable” rental

A family has been ordered to pay their former landlords $3,000 after they “abandoned” they “uninhabitable” rental property. Bechara Rizk and Ariye Atayi Juma claimed that the Sydney home was unlivable, given the unrelenting infestation of cockroaches and other bugs. When the couple moved into the home with their young daughter on April 29th 2023, they immediately noticed “tiny insects and small cockroaches” in the linen cupboard, living area, master bedroom, second bedroom and main bathroom. They said the house was completely inundated with insects, as they found them on the walls, doors, skirting boards, carpets and in the toilets. Rizk emailed the real estate agency saying he did not consider the property habitable — especially for his young daughter. “(We) went to the property an hour ago for the first time since we received the keys yesterday and there were tiny insects and cockroaches alive and dead in every room,” the email said. “I have taken some videos if you need to see evidence but, most importantly, we are not comfortable bringing a small baby who is crawling to live in this apartment.” “I am writing to formally pull out of the lease and wanting to understand what the repercussions are for us.” The real estate offered to arrange a pest control service, to which the couple turned down as they believed the problem was too far gone to be fixed easily. After returning the keys on May 1st, Rizk sent an email the next day requesting their bond and deposit be returned. A pest controller treated the home on May 3rd, recording that a “small amount of (insect) activity” had been located and treated. In a letter to Rizk and Juma the next day, the real estate agency said the pest controller had found “no evidence of a pest infestation in the property” and the couple’s claim the property was uninhabitable was without merit. Rizk replied, “We have pulled out of our lease not due to a change of mind, it is uninhabitable and simply not what we signed up for. “We cannot live in an insect-infested apartment with a young baby.” “As any parent should understand, our child is our first priority and at the very least it would be irresponsible and the most could potentially put her in harm.” The matter between the family and the landlord ended up in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with the couple seeking repayment of their bond while the landlords asked for compensation for the couple’s “abandonment” of the lease. Tribunal member Ross Glover found that the couple did in fact abandon the property, and were ordered to pay their former landlord $3,000 in compensation. The amount was deducted from the couple's bond which left no remaining balance to be refunded to them. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Family forced to live in a tent after mould infestation makes house "unliveable"

A family of five have been forced to live in a tent in their backyard after their home was overrun with an infestation of black mould that was making their children sick. Andrew Walsh-Baldwin and his wife Angalina took the drastic measure to move into the backyard of their $480,000 property in Victoria after the toxic mould in their newly purchased home caused all three of their young kids to fall ill. Their home has been rendered "unliveable" by construction experts, who said their home has not allowed for proper drainage during the unprecedented amount of rain. Ms Walsh-Baldwin broke down in tears when talking to Nine News, as she said "it's been freezing" living in the tent. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A family of five is living in a tent, after heavy rain caused black mould to flourish in their home. Serious building defects in the newly purchased property are also contributing to the spread, which is making the kids sick. <a href="https://twitter.com/reid_butler9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reid_butler9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/IR1AqLNpI3">pic.twitter.com/IR1AqLNpI3</a> — 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1594595429681098759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote> "This was supposed to be our home," she said. Her husband Baldwin said, "The other week we got 190ml (of rain). I can't believe... we've got to this point." "The kids have been getting sick and missed a full term of kinder," he said. "You just feel inadequate now because, as a parent, we've failed." Dr Cameron Jones of Biological Health Services, who inspected the house, said it was among the worst cases of mould he'd ever seen. "When I've done moisture testing on the timbers, they're showing anywhere from 20 to 30 per cent plus," he said, before revealing the safe level is a maximum of 15 per cent. Building inspector Zeher Khalil, who is helping the family out free of charge, said what he found at the house is "unbelievable". "To pay $480,000 for this house, I mean I just feel like I've been ripped off," he said. The family is insured with Allianz, but their claims were rejected because the company said the defects were pre-existing, with Ms Walsh-Baldwin saying, "We've got rights too." Image credits: Nine News

Real Estate

Woman shares terrifying snaps of wasp infestation

A <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/woman-shares-terrifying-wasp-infestation-online-neighbours-suggest-fire-and-deodorant/news-story/43d4f645a532185d12291ca0b642867e" target="_blank">NSW woman</a> has taken to social media searching for help to deal with a terrifying wasp infestation. Posting in a local Facebook group, the woman asked for advice on how to remove the colony of buzzing insects from her window sills. “How do I get rid of wasps?” she wrote. “An exterminator? “Help”. <img style="width: 382.0598006644518px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845587/capture.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bbdb0324e3ca4cb285ea8ec763360e75" /> Image: Facebook Locals were quick to provide advice, including several more unconventional ways of dealing with the situation. “Deodorant and lighter usually does the trick,” one person wrote. “Wait till dark, get a sheet of newspaper, roll it up nice and long and burn them,” another commented. “Lots of dishwasher liquid and water in a spray bottle and spray it into the hose,” a third said. Several other members also suggested various bug sprays and repellents. However, the woman revealed that those solutions wouldn’t quite work. “Thank you everyone,” she wrote. “I am cautious to spray them myself as I have a slight reaction to bees/wasps and they’re also up on the second floor window, which makes it tricky. “But I’ll see if I can get someone to help. After this revelation, another member of the group called her out and urged her to leave the wasps alone. “If they are on a second-floor window & not worrying anyone hanging about the window ledge - why would you kill them??” the person asked. “Because they’re coming into my shed, where I park and I’m allergic and have a child,” the woman countered. Though the woman has yet to share an update on the wasp removal, she has plenty of options to consider. Image: Facebook

Home & Garden

Neighbourhood taken over by world’s largest rodents

Meet the world’s largest rodent: the capybara. They’re semi-aquatic, meaning they love to swim, and have webbed feet designed for that exact purpose. It also means they can swim underwater for up to five minutes without surfacing for air. They grow up to 2 feet, or 60cm, in size, and can weigh anywhere between 35 to 66 kilograms. They’re native to South America, where they’re known by many names, including carpincho, chigüiro, and capivara. They’re widely adored on the internet, primarily for their friendly yet calm demeanour that allows them to make friends of all species, including cats, rabbits, deer, turtles, as well as their close relatives, guinea pigs. They’re also known for enjoying Japanese hot springs, a country they are not native to but nonetheless have taken by storm. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> there is one imposter among us <a href="https://t.co/JiXGytI4O7">pic.twitter.com/JiXGytI4O7</a> — CAPYBARA MAN (@CAPYBARA_MAN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CAPYBARA_MAN/status/1367517585626046468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> What More Is There To Life? <a href="https://t.co/yKgic1TA7A">pic.twitter.com/yKgic1TA7A</a> — Wholesome Cat! (@GoldenHappyCat1) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenHappyCat1/status/1445880269718921217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote> But recently, they’ve been making headlines for an entirely different reason: home invasions. Okay, they aren’t stealing into people’s homes in the dead of night to swipe their valuables, but they have been accused of invading one exclusive Argentinian neighbourhood in large numbers and committing crimes such as soiling lawns and “bullying” pets. Nordelta is a gated community in the north of Buenos Aires, and was established in 1999. While it is now home to titans of industry and sports stars, it was once home to wildlife like the capybaras, who are at home in the wetland environment provided by the nearby River Paraná. While residents of the enclave have issued calls for the capybaras to be castrated or relocated, supporters both in Argentina and around the globe have rallied around the rodents, holding them up as a symbol of class divisions and environmentalism. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Mural in Buenos Aires, celebrating the capybara invasion of Nordelta, Argentina’s most exclusive gated community, an enclave of the ultra rich, built in a lush area on the wetlands of the Paraná river. <a href="https://t.co/TKhzCx74aB">pic.twitter.com/TKhzCx74aB</a> — Radical Graffiti (@GraffitiRadical) <a href="https://twitter.com/GraffitiRadical/status/1430541217889079300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2021</a></blockquote> One longtime resident, real estate broker Gustavo Iglesias, told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/rodents-the-size-of-st-bernards-swarm-an-exclusive-gated-community-11633882543?fbclid=IwAR1BxC7KRD6Syy5fQRVQ_O0QelWfsoz2VC5XkgDmXrYkklbw6GS-SuZFDtA" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>, “I’m not anti-capybara; I want to scratch their cute little bellies as much as anyone else. “The problem is that their population is out of control, and people are too scared to do anything. No one wants to look like they’re opposed to nature.” Iglesias complains that his lakeside garden is used by roughly a dozen invading capybaras as a toilet daily, but the last straw was when his dog Lucho came home sporting two deep gashes “that looked like the handiwork of rodent incisors.” Critics of the neighbourhood include environmentalists like Enrique Viale, who said, "wealthy real-estate developers with government backing have to destroy nature in order to sell clients the dream of living in the wild – because the people who buy those homes want nature, but without the mosquitoes, snakes or carpinchos". Viale told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/22/argentina-capybaras-giant-rodents-gated-community" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> that describing the takeover as an invasion would not be accurate, saying, “It’s the other way round: Nordelta invaded the ecosystem of the carpinchos.” Viale has been part of a decade-long campaign to get congress to pass a law protecting the wetlands from further development. While wealthy residents may not appreciate the return of the capybaras to their native habitat, people from around Argentina have taken to visiting the neighbourhood just to encounter the friendly creatures. The locals should be happy about this - tourism is good for the economy, after all. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Nunca pensé que iba a estar vivo para ver a los carpinchos domando chetos y librando la madre de todas las batallas en Nordelta. Estoy así: <a href="https://t.co/Gy6t7viQUS">pic.twitter.com/Gy6t7viQUS</a> — Portgas D.🇦🇷 (@CoupeFuego_) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoupeFuego_/status/1427827864053952514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote> Image: Magali Cervantes/AFP via Getty Images

Family & Pets

Disastrous mouse plague set to hit Sydney in just weeks

An investigation of rodent mice is set to hit Sydney homes, and now experts are urging people to protect their homes. Country towns have been dealing with their own mouse plague since 2020, resulting in ruined crops, tonnes of damaged stored and grain along with millions of dollars’ worth of damage to homes and land. The NSW government announced last week it had secured 5000 litres of anti-coagulant bromadiolone. The amount is estimated to be enough to treat around 95 tonnes of grain and will be provided to farmers for free, once its use has been given the green light by federal authorities. Now, experts are warning Sydney to rodent-proof their homes as mice are feared to be coming to the suburbs by travelling in trucks in a bid to find warmer weather. Dr Leigh Davidson, CEO of Your Vet Online, told Channel 7’s Sunrise that the city’s prolonged humid weather could mean winter might be filled with the rodents. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I think the thing that concerns me most about these mice is how they have managed to learn and employ military strategy. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mouseplague?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mouseplague</a> <a href="https://t.co/8eq8KpCyIB">pic.twitter.com/8eq8KpCyIB</a> — Strong Raiders Areas (@sloanefather) <a href="https://twitter.com/sloanefather/status/1395326603173920771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2021</a></blockquote> "We’re having really good warm temperatures, there’s an abundance of food and we’re not getting those frosts that we’d normally get," Dr Davidson said.

Home & Garden

Vic aged care patient’s leg found infested with ants

WARNING: Graphic content. Victoria’s aged care nurses are being overworked and understaffed during the coronavirus, and that was shown quite clearly through the horrific living conditions some elderly residents are being left in. The Guardian reported on Sunday that one woman had been left in bed with a bloodied bandage on her leg, which soon became overrun with ants. The 95-year-old nursing home resident known as Milka succumbed to her injuries and passed away on Sunday morning. Milka is just one of many who missed out on the care she desperately deserved and needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic completely annihilating Melbourne’s aged care system. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837385/covid-cases-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3d1e698a228448439dbd9f54792e044a" /> The footage and photos of Mila’s leg were taken inside a private residential aged care home in Melbourne on Tuesday. Two weeks earlier, a staff member at the facility had contracted COVID-19. The virus quickly spread through the facility, and it resulted in some residents being left without food or water for 18 hours. It was also revealed that faeces remained on the floor as staff rushed from one critically ill patient to another. On some days, there were only two staff members looking after 68 residents. Most staff members had been sent home sick. In a press conference on Monday morning, Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the terrible conditions in which Milka died. “I have not seen the footage but I have been briefed on it, that is just shameful and would be very distressing for everybody concerned,” he said. “That footage relates to a particular facility which we have now taken over. “Hospital nurses have gone and taken over in a number of these situations and I think they have taken over for good reasons.” Milka’s family told The Guardian they do not blame the nursing home. They say until COVID-19 swept through the aged care centre, she was provided with amazing care.

Caring

How to handle a wasp infestation

Wasps are common in all regions across Australia. They build nests on buildings away from direct sunlight and cause a lot of damage in the process. While most homeowners might ignore wasps, it is important to appreciate the risk they pose to your home’s occupants and the structure itself. They have an extremely painful sting which contains histamine. This chemical can cause allergic reactions in some people leading to health complications such as anaphylaxis or death. Stings from bees and wasps caused 12,351 admissions and 27 fatalities in Australia. It is for these reasons that you should learn more about <a href="https://www.dawsonspest.com.au/pest-library/bees-wasps">wasp nest removal</a>. This article highlights a few safe techniques of nest removal from your home or business structure. Read on. Identify a wasp infestation It is easy to find out if your home has a wasp infestation but finding a wasp is another matter altogether. These insects try to hide their nests away from sight where they can live undisturbed. You can check under an overhang where wasps stay away from the rain. They can also build under an awning, wood deck, soffit, railing or large tree branch in your compound. If you have noted wasps buzzing around your compound, it is important to call a licensed pest removal technician who has the skills and equipment to do the job. Stay away from a wasp nest If you happen to notice a wasp nest, it is advisable to stay away from it and remove your pets from the area. Many homeowners have ended up in emergency rooms while trying to locate wasp nests and remove them. It is important to note that wasps won’t attack unless they feel threatened. If you agitate them when trying to remove the nest, you will end up badly hurt or worse. To make matters worse, wasps release chemicals that attract others nearby and this can lead to a fatal situation especially if you have kids around. Once you identify a wasp nest, call a licensed wasp nest removal technician who has the prerequisite skills and equipment to do the job safely. Professional wasp removal The best thing about professional nest removal is that the pest control company knows how to handle the situation. They have experience dealing with different wasps in the area and will know which techniques to use. Without such skills, you might end up making things worse and injuring yourself. The nest removal process begins with a thorough inspection of your property, starting with the area where you spotted the nest. The pest control technicians wear protective gear to avoid injuries, and they use eco-friendly chemicals to eliminate the infestation and remove the wasp nest. When dealing with wasps, you need to appreciate that nest removal is not enough, hence the use of pesticides to get rid of the infestation. The best pest control service carries insurance for your protection and protection of their workers and you will enjoy peace of mind when they work. Written by Handyman Authors. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.handyman.net.au/nest-no-more-how-handle-wasp-infestation">Handyman</a>.

Home & Garden

4 signs you have a termite infestation

Termites. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of the home owner quite like these little pests. A common problem throughout the country, one of the best ways to head off a complete infestation is by recognising when your unwanted visitors have arrived, and acting quickly. Here are four “warning termites ahead” signs to look out for. <ol> <li>Crunching and munching – Did you know that you can actually hear termites eating? If you put your ear up against a surface infested by these little critters you can hear them merrily munching away on your timber. If you can hear the quiet hum of wood being consumed, then it’s time to call the pest man.</li> <li>Look out overhead – If you’ve noticed unusual insects taking to the sky in and around your home then you may already be in termite trouble. Flying termites, also called swarmers or alates, are one of the first signs of termite infestation. You may also find discarded wings around your home, another sure sign of unwanted guests.</li> <li>Knock on wood – Termites generally eat their way from the inside out, meaning that the timber itself ends up completely hollow, apart from a very thin outer layer or sometimes just the paint itself! Some wood may have been eroded so badly that your hand can actually go straight through to the other side. To cause this much damage, termites would have had to have swarmed in quite a while ago which makes watching out for the early warning signs even more important.</li> <li>Swollen doors or windows – While other factors can cause doors and windows to swell or warp, this can also be a sign of termites. As they eat their way through timber, termites produce moisture which cause wood to warp. If you are having issues with your doors and windows, make sure you get to the bottom of the true cause, just in case it is termites.</li> </ol> Have you had termites? How did you spot them? Share with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/09/cheap-and-trendy-recycling-tips/">7 cheap and trendy recycling tips</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/20-fixes-for-household-problems/">20 must-know fixes for everyday household problems</a> <a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/08/easy-trick-to-whiten-yellow-pillows/">The easy trick to whiten old pillows</a>

Home & Garden

Rodent spotted on board forces plane to turn around

An Air India plane flying to London was forced to return to Mumbai after passengers spotted a rat on board. Though the rat was not found, the pilot returned to Mumbai on Wednesday keeping passenger safety in mind, Air India said in a statement. Passengers were later flown by a separate aircraft to London. The aircraft would be fumigated and checked before it is returned to service. Maintenance workers would have to make sure that the rat did not damage equipment or chew any wires and the plane is certified to be rodent-free, an airline official said. Air India had two other mishaps the same day. A pilot aborted takeoff from a northern Indian city after a stray dog ran onto the runway as the plane was taxiing. An official at the airport in Amritsar said the pilot spotted the dog running onto the path of the front wheels of the plane. He applied the emergency brakes and returned the aircraft to its parking bay. All 171 passengers and crew later boarded the same plane which took off for London. In another incident, an Air India plane from Mumbai was hit by a catering van at the Newark, New Jersey, airport in the United States. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2015/12/five-star-floating-hotel/">The five-star hotel that floats in the ocean</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2015/12/10-spectacular-drone-photos-taken-in-2015/">10 spectacular drone photos taken in 2015</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/01/common-travel-insurance-exclusions/">8 common travel insurance exclusions</a>

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Tenants forced to pay landlord after fleeing their “uninhabitable” rental

Family forced to live in a tent after mould infestation makes house "unliveable"

Woman shares terrifying snaps of wasp infestation

Neighbourhood taken over by world’s largest rodents

Disastrous mouse plague set to hit Sydney in just weeks