“Acute lung problems” – Mold in municipal building: tenant (23) desperate

Victoria R. has been the main tenant of the almost 63 square meter municipal apartment in Vienna’s third district (built in 1925) since September 2019. This is managed by the city of Vienna (Wiener Wohnen). “I have lived in this apartment since I was born,” adds the tenant.

Extent of damage:

‘Wiener Wohnen negligently turned the water supply back on’
On September 4, there was significant water damage in the apartment, starting in the kitchen. Victoria R. immediately informed the administration of this. “Since then, Wiener Wohnen has made little or no effort to renovate it, so things have continued to get worse. The damage has now spread to other rooms. Wiener Wohnen had enough time to repair the cause of the damage while the damage was still minor. But after even finding the cause, those responsible negligently turned the water supply back on and thus KNOWINGLY and negligently accepted the damage to my apartment,” the tenant complained to krone.at.

A first inspector initially downplayed the incident and expressed suspicion that it was a defect in the neighbor’s bathtub. No further investigation has been done into the cause. A construction contractor told the tenant three days later that everything at the neighbor’s had been repaired and that the spots should now dry on their own and that a painter would then come and paint over the water stain.

Mold formation and acute risk of electric shock!
A fatal mistake. Five days after the first report at Wiener Wohnen, her kitchen was completely flooded and in the bathroom water literally flowed from the ceiling and from the main pipe. The tenant tried for days to dry the wet areas by laying out towels. In vain. The result: mold formation and acute risk of electric shock! Calls from the tenant to speed up the renovation were not heard by Wiener Wohnen.

Photos of the desolate grounds. Power connections also protrude from the wall:

Fatal Fehl diagnosis
A damage assessment has indeed taken place by TVG Vienna, but before the cause of the damage has been remedied. “Unfortunately, the installer, commissioned by Wiener Wohnen, made an incorrect diagnosis and during the inspection overlooked the fact that the cause of the water damage was the main pipe, which was leaking due to age. However, he did not close off the water access to it, so the water flowed all the time. So the water collected in the bathroom almost unstoppably and the damage became enormous.”

“I demand a general renovation”
The drying equipment was not installed until October 3, a month after the tenant first reported the water damage. Tenant: “But the necessary preparatory work, such as knocking off the plasterwork, dismantling the kitchen unit and removing the floor, has not been done. This means that effective drying cannot take place.” As a result, the damage continued to increase. “The mold has spread. The tiles in the entire bathroom and kitchen and the entire kitchenette must be removed urgently. It is also absolutely necessary that the floor in the kitchen and in the front room is removed because everything is soaked,” the tenant emphasizes.

An expert also confirmed this to her, but he did not want to give her the minutes. “Wiener Wohnen also did not respond to our request; now they simply claim that an (outside) wall in the kitchen was damaged. But they don’t even mention the second wall behind the kitchenette, which was clearly affected by water damage and mold.”

risk of injury
The tenant is desperate and also complains about her current health condition. “My lung problems are getting worse. I demand a general renovation of these rooms, as well as new door frames and doors, because they are already too old and too crooked to close and the mold therefore penetrates into all rooms.” She is also demanding damages and a complete remission of the rent. The apartment is in general need of renovation and has probably never been renovated inside (since it was built in 1925). Years ago she applied for renovation without success. The risk of injury is now high because parts of the wooden floor are sticking out and the doors are completely warped “It cannot be that the neighbor lives below me as in a new building and I live as if I live in the Stone Age,” the tenant criticizes.

The tenant must engage companies for renovation on his own initiative
According to her, Wiener Wohnen has so far refused to properly restore the affected areas, so she must find and commission responsible companies herself. “I was forced into this situation by Wiener Wohnen and yet I was abandoned. This forces me to call companies to get cost estimates, but for fear I won’t get the money back.” According to her, the whole thing is a confusing, opaque system in which multiple companies receive orders, even though the renovation could be carried out by a single construction project or renovation company. “But all these companies do not do what is necessary and pass the responsibility on to Wiener Wohnen and other companies, because they are only allowed to do what Wiener Wohnen tells them to do. Ultimately, no one feels responsible.”

Curious: Recently, an apartment on the same staircase was completely renovated within a month. “If Wiener Wohnen wanted to, you could repair all the consequential damage from the water damage and in general all the damage to my apartment. Of course, this is only in the interest of Viennese life if the apartment burns down completely or you move.”

Wiener Wohnen: “Consequential damage does not affect the entire apartment”
Krone.at also confronted Wiener Wohnen with the matter and asked for an explanation. You don’t understand the criticism. “We responded immediately after the water damage was reported and instructed all necessary professionals to repair the consequential damage in the apartment (installer, builder, tiler). The damaged pipe in the apartment above the tenant has already been repaired.” According to Wiener Wohnen, the consequential damage to the apartment would affect a wall in the kitchen, the bathroom and a small part of the floor, “but not the entire apartment.”

Drainage is currently taking place in the affected areas. “As soon as this is over, the repair work will begin, such as plastering in the kitchen, tiling in the bathroom and repair work on the floor. All existing consequential damage to the apartment will be repaired free of charge for the tenant. Colleagues from the technical service personally informed the tenant about all the necessary work steps.”

“This is pure intimidation”
In addition, Wiener Wohnen offered the tenant two offers for a temporary replacement apartment – including relocation. “She turned down both offers.” The tenant explains her rejection as follows: “Only after a month was I offered the replacement apartment – ​​without a kitchen or place to sleep. And only after I had to move because of the mold. This is sheer intimidation as this is not an equivalent replacement and life is as impossible as in the current mold infested, damaged apartment.” And she refutes Wiener Wohnen’s statements: “Three rooms are affected, not two, as claimed. In addition, the necessary preparatory work for the drainage was not carried out.”