A Hobart family is now without a roof over their head after a tree crashed down into their rental property during Friday night’s severe weather event.
The family had only just moved into their new home after facing ‘multiple setbacks’ when strong winds brought down the tree, which smashed through the roof and into their front living room.
A family friend told Pulse the “old house” contained asbestos, meaning the family can no longer live there.
“This not only left their home unliveable, but their belongings unusable due to the asbestos,” they said.
The friend said the tenants had not taken out home contents insurance on the property and are not in a position to replace the items lost to potential asbestos contamination or water damage.
“They have also lost a brand new fridge and freezer full of food [and birthday presents for one of their kids],” they said.
A spokesperson for the real estate agency that manages the property said the results of asbestos testing, to determine if the family’s belongings are safe to keep, are currently pending.
They added that they are also attempting to find a new property for the tenants to move into, a claim the tenants deny.
A State Emergency Service (SES) spokesperson said crews attended the scene around 5:20am on Saturday and found significant damage.
“The tenants of the property were not physically injured in the incident,” they said.
“Tasmania SES provided safety advice to the tenants and the real estate company who manage the rental property.”
