The owner of a Maribyrnong property leased as a women’s refuge says she may stop renting her house to the state government because of continued complaints about violence and graffiti.
Since 2001, Louise Saddler has rented her townhouse to the Department of Health and Human Services, which subleases it to a women’s housing group that provides secure accommodation for women and children.
Ms Saddler said she had no choice but to give the department notice because she could no longer ignore the impact antisocial behaviour at the refuge was having on the neighbours.
“Since 2001, there have been problems with noise and domestic violence,” she said.
“There have been bongs at the front, wife bashing, Nazi stickers and external graffiti. Not to mention a ‘free sex’ sign pointing to my unit.”
Ms Saddler said she had written many complaints to the department and asked for a solution to the issue, but the responses were “poor”.
“The department said unless I had witnesses and names of the tenants, they were obliged to adhere to the Residential Tenancy Act. The housing commission said they couldn’t do anything either. I even went to the police, but everyone is fearful of reprisal.”
Ms Saddler said she sympathised with both the department and the women in need of public housing. “Although I made requests to the department and the women’s group to provide strategies for dealing with the problems caused by the tenant, I didn’t receive a response from either party.”
She said her only option was to give the department notice.
Her main concern, she said, was the loss of available public housing because of a few misbehaving tenants and the organisations that “lack the ability” to properly police refuges.
“Because I have given notice, there is now one less property available to a family in need.”
A department spokeswoman said all tenants were expected to be good neighbours and behave in a way that minimised inconvenience to others.
“But when this doesn’t happen, community housing agencies and the department can and do take legal action to evict antisocial tenants,” the spokeswoman said.
“The situation has obviously been frustrating for the owner of the property and the department is working with the community housing agency to relocate the tenant and ensure the property is left in good condition.”
