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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly and Stephanie Convery

Leaking sewage and no water: Victorian renters’ compensation claims stall in tribunal backlog

Aerial view of Yarra Valley, Victoria
A Victorian family was left without drinkable water plumbed to their rented rural property, no functional hot water system, and with open sewage tanks that leaked near the house. Photograph: blew_i/Getty Images/iStockphoto Photograph: Ippei Naoi/Getty Images

When David*, his partner and young daughter moved to a regional Victorian property close to two-and-a-half years ago, they just wanted a tree-change. What they got was a nightmare rental experience, a hole in their bank account worth more than $20,000 and a prolonged dispute that is still without resolution.

David, who asked that his surname not be used, is just one of nearly 13,000 people waiting for his bond and compensation application to come before the Victorian civil and administrative tribunal (Vcat), where backlogs still persist and the median wait time is more than nine months.

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