A Queen’s graduate student is searching for a new place to live after her mother said they discovered water damage, suspected mould, and signs of rodents at the house she planned to call home.
In an interview with The Journal, Yohonna Hodgins said her daughter arranged to rent a room in the house after viewing the property remotely. When the pair arrived in Kingston at the end of August to move her belongings in, Hodgins said the condition of the property was significantly different from what they expected.
“There were animal droppings,” Hodgins said. “There was garbage that looked like it had been there for months. There was a smell.”
Animal droppings, damaged carpet, and debris inside the rental property.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY YOHONNA HODGINS
In a statement to The Journal, Vito Cutrona, who manages the property with landlord Noreen Cutrona, said the house is rented as a whole unit rather than on a room-by-room basis. The lease provided to The Journal lists the monthly rent for the unit as $4,804 for seven people, with tenants responsible for electricity, heat, and water. Hodgins said her daughter’s share was $676 per month plus a portion of the utilities.
She said the rented bedroom itself appeared to be in acceptable condition, so the pair initially believed cleaning the rest of the house might resolve their concerns.
That changed after Hodgins was informed about water coming through the basement ceiling.
An opened section of the ceiling in the rental property after workers investigated a water leak.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY YOHONNA HODGINS
She said workers arrived the following day and opened part of the ceiling in a bathroom near her daughter’s first-floor bedroom.
Hodgins said the drywall appeared wet, and she observed a dark substance she believed to be mould. She was told by the other tenants that rodents had damaged the plumbing in the house, causing a leak.
Cutrona disputed that account of the leak’s cause. He said they first became aware of a water issue on Sept. 1, when a tenant reported a drip from the ceiling. Cutrona said he attended the property that day and found no active dripping but observed a damp spot and arranged for a plumber and roofer to investigate.
According to Cutrona, a roofer attended the property on Sept. 2 and resealed the area around a chimney stack. The plumber came back Sept. 3, opened the drywall, and repaired a pipe that day.
He said a professional assessment of the area affected by the leak has been arranged and is expected to take place shortly.
Hodgins said her daughter has asthma, and the combination of the suspected mould, water damage, and other conditions led her to decide the property wasn’t somewhere her daughter should live.
Food and cans inside the rental property.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY YOHONNA HODGINS
“I don’t think this house is habitable,” Hodgins said. “I don’t think that this is an appropriate condition for humans to inhabit.”
Cutrona said he considers the property suitable for occupancy based on their response to the leak and the work completed so far.
“We take maintenance concerns seriously and work to address them as soon as they are brought to our attention,” he said.
Her daughter is now temporarily staying with family while searching for another rental. Hodgins said the commute is approximately 200 kilometres round-trip to attend classes.
Hodgins said she contacted the landlord after deciding her daughter wouldn’t remain at the property and requested the return of the money her daughter had paid.
“They did send all the money back,” she said.
Cutrona said the student arrived while repairs were underway and asked to be released from her lease.
“Although the lease remained in effect, we agreed to release her from the tenancy,” Cutrona said.
Hodgins said her daughter was fortunate to have family within driving distance and to receive her money back, but she worries other students may not have the same options.
Tags
housing, Kingston rental, landlord
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