Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that with the recent extreme weather events, endless rain and flooding, serious issues of mould and dampness have arisen in rental properties across the state. In Queensland, a lessor must ensure that premises are fit for a tenant to live in under section 185(2)(b) of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008. Accordingly, if mould appears in a rental property, an owner should be required to treat the mould in order to meet this obligation. Treating the mould and its source needs to happen as soon as possible in order to be effective.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to develop and enforce standards for treating mould in rental properties which ensure property owners and their agents must remedy mould occurring in a rental property, as well as any structural issues in the property which give rise to this mould.