What NCAT actually weighs
NCAT is not a court — it's an administrative tribunal — but it still runs on evidence. The tribunal member is not going to inspect your property, will not interview your neighbours, and will not look for evidence you didn't bring. You bring it, in writing, or it doesn't exist.
What carries weight: documented timelines, photographic evidence in context, independent inspections, and correspondence with the agent. What carries no weight: verbal claims, screenshots without dates, and emotive language.
The five evidence pillars
Every strong tenant-side mould case rests on five pillars. You don't always need all five, but the more you have, the more robust the case:
- →Chronology — a clean, dated list of every report, response and event (see our timeline guide)
- →Photographic evidence — wide and close, with scale and dates, indexed by ID (P-001, P-002…)
- →Correspondence pack — printable copies of every email, portal message and text, in date order
- →Independent inspection report — a factual, observational document from a third party (this is where we fit)
- →Loss schedule — itemised list of damaged belongings or out-of-pocket costs, with photos and replacement values
What to leave out
Tempting but unhelpful inclusions that tribunal members typically discount:
- →Medical claims you can't substantiate with GP records
- →Internet articles about 'toxic black mould' or similar
- →Allegations about other tenants in the building unless they've provided written statements
- →Long emotional narratives — the tribunal wants facts in date order, not story
Lodging — practical notes
NCAT applications can be lodged online via the NCAT website. The application fee is modest and waiver applies in hardship cases. You'll be asked to upload supporting documents — a single, well-organised PDF with a table of contents beats 15 separate uploads every time.
Hearings are usually scheduled 4–8 weeks after lodgement, but urgent matters (vulnerable occupants, severe contamination, health risk) can be expedited. Mention urgency on the application and have evidence for it.
Where Fuck Mould fits
We produce the independent inspection pillar — and increasingly, the whole evidence bundle. Our NCAT Evidence Pack is designed to drop straight into your application: chronology, indexed photos, correspondence pack, observation report and a plain-English summary in one PDF.
We don't appear at NCAT and we don't give legal advice. Pair us with a Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) advocate or solicitor for the legal side.