Jenna Lovell's hypermobile spectrum disorder means turning taps and handles can be impossible, but her landlord refused to replace the taps in her home. In Tasmania, she had no recourse other than an anti-discrimination complaint.
Tasmania will become the last state or territory to allow tenants to make minor modifications to rental homes, but its proposed laws won't allow for accessibility or security upgrades.
T-cross taps require a grip and twist motion, which can cause pain and discomfort for people with certain medical conditions.Her condition became more severe over time, while the taps became progressively stiffer. Even devices that sit over the top of the tap were difficult to use. But her landlord kept replacing the T-cross tap heads with other T-cross taps, rather than with a lever-operated tap, meaning Ms Lovell still couldn't access water in her own home.
In Victoria, there is a 'no unreasonable refusal' clause for modifications such as CCTV for family violence victims, energy efficiency changes, and health and safety modifications.The ACT, Queensland and Western Australia specifically include minor modifications for "accessibility", such as those that Ms Lovell required, while other states have differently worded clauses that could also allow this.
Landlords Modifications Disability Hyper Mobile Tasmania Tenants Rights Madeleine Ogilvie Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder
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