u/Calm_Grocery_7394

TL:DR - known ceiling leak caused gnats and I’m being told to clean or pay up.

I’ve just vacated an old shitty house due to the owner selling (blessing in disguise)
During the tenancy there was a leak in the roof / ceiling across a lounge and kitchen.
The lounge ended up having a pushed in type hole where you could see natural fibres 50 years old coming in.
This fibre and the wet encouraged a swarm of gnats to move in for a few days during the rain.
The critters seemed to just love sitting on the ceiling and doing their little dot shits.
We all know the wrath of a gnat.

Anyway, owners knew about the leak, ended up removing the tree outside which had caused the leak when they decided they were selling (probably because the sales agent(s) they allowed to access my property without a form 10 told them to.

Come the vacate. Now I know everyone says the property was cleaner than when moved in, but when I say I moved in (desperation) there was builders crap, actual mud, grass all through the property, it was trashed. . Fine, I’ve had a bond clean because I’m not an animal to leave it gross and wanted to do it in good faith.

But I’m being DEMANDED to clean the ceiling.
Lounge room is standard height, kitchen is 3m+ (split level)
They claim, ceiling was freshly painted when I moved in. I’m guessing because they covered the leaks (covering about 25%)

I’ve said I am not cleaning the ceiling because
A. The gnats came in from a leak not attended to until they decided to sell (22 months I was there); and
B. The ceiling is too high to safely clean as a non trade.

They are adamant I MUST clean the ceiling.

I’ve spoken to the PM (who is actually really lovely and is stuck between a rock and a hard place) and said I will go to qcat over this.

My question is, am I responsible for the gnats and their little poops, if they were all coming through a leak in the ceiling that was never fixed. Or should I just pay $500 for someone to come clean it.

EDIT:

I ended up moving the stuff I’d already moved back outside and left the keys, so the property was ‘vacant’ thanks to the advice from nice people on here.
I’m 2 hours behind schedule but at least that’s one problem solved.
For those who feel it necessary to criticise my time, I’m moving house on my own, so although it might sound like a simple thing to sit around 5 hours, I don’t have that luxury especially when I wasn’t informed prior.

I’m moving into my new house today and I’ve gone through the processes of requesting connect for electricity at my new house and received an email from them (AGL) confirming my electricity will be ready today.

Yesterday, I popped over to do a quick walk through and plan and realised the electricity was off. So I called AGL and was told that it will be turned on tomorrow. AFTER Energex come out and do a site inspection of EVERY power point and LIGHT in the house. I need to be ‘home’ for 5 hours between 8-1pm to provide access.

I was pretty annoyed, as there is no way I would have know this unless I called for the odd reason I was passing by.
I told AGL I have an email saying it’s all good to go, and no where have I any communication that this was an issue and I need to be present.
I have Removalist booked etc, a day off work to move and I can’t because no one knows when Energex ‘might come’

And I’m expected to be present at a vacant house, with no electricity for 5 hours.
AGL said they tried to ‘call me’ multiple times the day before and I checked my phone (I have a setting for unknown numbers go to voicemail because spam calls) and there is a one voicemail saying ‘hello, um hello may I speak with Mrs **first name** hello?’
Which has NO indication of an urgent call, and there is nothing emailed or texted.

In all my years of moving, I have never had this happen. Is this a new thing? How is this even acceptable to request someone to wait on the steps for 5 hours, with literally nothing to do but wait.

TLDR
Energy company sucks at communicating and I’m expected to sit on the stairs of a vacant house without power for an undetermined time waiting for a site inspection from Energex. Is this normal.