A Saint John man says he’s out as much as $4,000 after discovering what he believes was mould in his new apartment, and New Brunswick’s Tenant and Landlord Relations Office said it couldn’t look into his formal complaint immediately or give a future date when it would.
The two-bedroom unit in an older building in the city’s north end seemed fine to Abdulbari Alhallak when he first looked at it. He said he detected a damp smell, but was told it was fresh paint, not something like mould that would impact the air quality.
Alhallak has asthma and allergies.
He signed a lease and was given keys to the vacant apartment a week before his June 1 tenancy was to begin. He said he spent more than 10 hours cleaning it over the course of two days in late May, and had trouble breathing while in the unit.
“From the first day I was there, I started noticing my breathing became a lot worse,” he said. “My sinuses and breathing got so bad I couldn’t even stay there the whole day…By [the third day], I couldn’t even get out of bed, I was so sick. I had to take the whole day off and stay home.”
Abdulbari Alhallak says he found what he believes is mould above the drop ceiling in the apartment. (Submitted by Abdulbari Alhallak)
After scouring the apartment, looking for the source of his breathing difficulties,
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