"Total nightmare": Family of four kicked out of "disgusting" rental home
A family of four are facing the reality of becoming homeless after being kicked out of their rental property for complaining to their landlord about mould making them sick.
Kiara Spiteri-Whitney and her family, who were renting a home in St Mary's in western Sydney, said their home was inundated with mould, which rapidly spread throughout the home and grew in the bedrooms, kitchen and living area and covered the beds, cupboards and lounge sofa.
Ms Spiteri-Whitney, her partner Corey and two children, including one living with ADHD and autism, became sick, prompting her to raise the issue with the landlord.
After asking the landlord for help, they were told they need to leave the house and were given a mere 20 days to find a new property.
Since moving into the home in 2018, Kiara said there was a list of issues that were never tended to by her landlord.
When the family moved in, they thought they were moving into a clean and tidy rental.
"At first, everything was going smoothly, but after three months in the property, everything became a total nightmare," she wrote on Facebook.
"When we come for the open home a back shed was completely open and accessible to view."
"So myself and my partner thought it was perfect, he could use the back shed for a man cave for him and our two boys. During open home all applicants were advised that new carpets, dishwasher and blinds were being put in."
Despite the promising open house viewings, the family's hopes were shattered when they moved in and found the house with leaking taps, no hot water and windows without fly screens.
"We moved into the property to find out the back shed had been nailed shut and wasn't accessible," she wrote.
"Throughout our four and a half year tenancy we have had nothing but consent issue's throughout the property. For our whole tenancy we have had three consent running taps with barely any hot water pressure."
"So trying to have a decent hot bath is absolutely pointless. We have had no fly screens in all three bedrooms. So opening bedroom windows for ventilation hasn't been an option."
Kiara also said the carpets were also "putrid" and were pulling up from the floorboards.
"There has been a serious mould issue throughout the property. The tiles around our home are breaking away," she wrote.
After receiving an eviction notice out of the blue, she has less than three weeks to find a new home for her family.
"Absolutely disgusting and I honestly wouldn't wish this on anybody," she said.
"With only 20 day's left to find another property in a major rental crisis. Competing against people with higher income and more to clearly offer."
"I'm seriously scared my children are going to be homeless and there is absolutely nothing, nothing I can do about it."
Image credits: Nine News / Facebook