When 'Deep Cleaned' Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means
I stumbled across a discussion today that made my blood boil, and honestly, it’s got me thinking about just how broken the rental market has become. Someone in the UK moved into what was supposedly a “deep cleaned” rental property, only to find mould so thick on the toilet cistern it looked like something out of a horror film. The photos they shared were genuinely shocking – we’re talking about black mould caked onto surfaces, the kind of mess that takes years of complete neglect to accumulate.
What really gets me is that this tenant was actually considering tackling this biohazard themselves with some vinegar and elbow grease. The sheer fact that someone’s first instinct is to grab cleaning supplies rather than immediately contact the landlord speaks volumes about how normalized substandard rental conditions have become.
The responses to their post were telling. Multiple people jumped in with the same advice: document everything, contact the landlord immediately, and under no circumstances should they attempt to clean this mess themselves. One person mentioned they were a landlord and would want to know about this kind of issue straight away, would hire professionals, and wouldn’t charge the tenant for it. That’s exactly the response you’d hope for, but judging by the discussion, it’s far from guaranteed.
What struck me most was when someone pointed out that UK housing standards are genuinely awful, and that local councils often don’t care about mouldy conditions. The chronic housing shortage means people just put up with appalling conditions because they need somewhere to live. It’s a sobering reminder of how market forces can completely override basic human dignity when housing supply is artificially constrained.
Here in Melbourne, we’re certainly not immune to dodgy rental practices. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories from friends and colleagues about “professionally cleaned” properties that were anything but. The difference is we’ve got slightly better tenant protections through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, though even then, the power imbalance between landlords and tenants can make it difficult for people to assert their rights.
My daughter’s looking at moving out of home in the next few years, and frankly, the thought of her potentially ending up in a situation like this terrifies me. The idea that someone could advertise a property as “deep cleaned” when it’s clearly a health hazard is infuriating. It’s not just about cleanliness – mould can trigger serious respiratory issues, particularly in people with asthma or other conditions.
The whole situation highlights a fundamental problem with how we think about housing. When shelter becomes a commodity first and a human need second, you get landlords who think it’s acceptable to rent out properties with serious health hazards. The fact that professional property managers and landlords were jumping into the discussion to say “this is not normal, contact us immediately” suggests that even within the industry, there are standards that this situation falls well below.
What frustrates me is that fixing this stuff isn’t even that expensive in the grand scheme of things. Professional mould remediation, proper ventilation, addressing leaks – these are maintenance issues that responsible property owners should be handling as a matter of course. The cost of doing it right is nothing compared to the potential liability of renting out a property with serious health hazards.
I think we need to start having more honest conversations about housing standards and what constitutes acceptable rental accommodation. Just because there’s a housing shortage doesn’t mean we should accept properties that pose genuine health risks. Every tenant deserves to live somewhere safe and healthy, regardless of how desperate the rental market might be.
The good news is that when people share these experiences online, it helps others recognize what’s normal and what absolutely isn’t. That UK tenant got some excellent advice about documenting everything and holding their landlord accountable. Hopefully, they’ll get the professional remediation they need rather than trying to tackle a serious mould problem with household cleaning products.
Housing is a human right, not a privilege. We shouldn’t have to normalize living in conditions that would make a health inspector blanch.