Tenant outraged

Mould in apartment: “Nobody reacts”

Günter Fürst is convinced: since a fan was replaced in his bathroom, mold has been forming more frequently. But his complaints go unheeded.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Günter Fürst is at loggerheads with the housing developer Gswb in Salzburg. The bone of contention: a new fan in his bathroom.

At first, everything seemed normal. Günter Fürst didn't notice anything for a long time. "It was quite gradual," sighs the 59-year-old. He lives in an apartment owned by Gswb, the largest non-profit property developer in Salzburg. Almost four years ago, Gswb had the fan in the bathroom of his apartment in Salzburg's old town replaced.

"The device was much smaller than the previous one. But I didn't think anything of it at first," he says. However, according to him, the fan doesn't really work and black mold is now forming in the bathroom time and again. "I can't keep up with the cleaning. The mold is dangerous, I have lung disease," Fürst is furious.

He turned to the Gswb - completely in vain. According to him, he no longer receives an answer to emails, and he can't reach anyone on the phone. "Now they just hang up as soon as they hear my name." He recently received a text message from Gswb. It confirms that a company has been commissioned to carry out the repairs. "The whole thing is dated July 2023 and therefore very old. An outrage," rages Fürst.

Gswb itself emphasizes on request: "Mould is always a problem, but it can't be fixed with a fan." In addition, Mr. Fürst must have already received a "ticket" for his complaint. The majority of these tickets would be dealt with within five days. Only major damage would take longer.