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Media Release: 6 April 2000 Wollongong floods: tenants win compensation from landlord: 6 April 00 The Legal Aid Commission in Wollongong has recently successfully assisted tenants claiming compensation from their landlord for possessions lost in the Wollongong October 1999 floods. The tenants claimed that the landlord knew that the house had a long history of flooding and that the frequency and severity of this made the house uninhabitable. In a negotiated settlement the landlord agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to the tenants for their belongings which had been ruined by the flood waters. Legal Aid lawyer Matt Turner who acted for the tenants says that the results sends a strong message to landlords. "With the storms and floods which have hit Wollongong in 1998 and again in 1999 this issue becomes extremely important not only for tenants here but throughout Australia." "There are many properties in the Illawarra at risk of flooding and landlords can be liable if their tenants are affected. The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 requires premises to be safe to live in and of a reasonable standard." For further information contact Matt Turner (02) 4228 8299 or 04086 10298 |
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