Mould in rented flat

terryw

robpw2 wrote: »

we have a damp problem in our bedroom .. i cleaned it with bleach spray and its coming back its only a temporary measure ..
and its not from condensation because we dont dry clothes in there and never have .. all thats in their is a bed and a computer .. yet it keeps coming back

so everyone stop blaming the op and making out as if its nothing .. MOULD CAN MAKE YOU SERIOUSLEY ILL and op make sure your ll does something about this

Dampness on walls is caused by
1. A failed or no damp-course - this shows all along the length of the wall up to five feet high.

2. Penetrating damp - slates missing, guttering gone, water running down the outside wall, water-pipes leaking etc. visual examination should show this.

3. Condensation caused by the simple act of living not just drying clothes in the house. The moisture typically ends up in the corner of the coldest room in the house. Heat and ventilation will assist in stopping this. See advise from other posters.

terryw

penguine

bristol_pilot wrote: »

You should never dry laundry inside a property, it puts a simply enormous load of moisture into the air and will cause condensation. Neither should a wardrobe be placed against an outside wall, as this causes the condensation to form behind the wardrobe where it can't be seen. If the cause is condensation due to drying laundry inside the property, as seems likely, then it is the tenants' fault.

You shouldn't breathe inside your property either, this also puts moisture into the air.

But seriously if you're drying clothes inside and you don't keep the heat pumped up over the winter it's worth looking into the cost of a dehumidifier. We use one in our front room with the door closed overnight and a rack of wet washing, it cuts the drying time down from about 3 days to 1. We have condensation issues, but these are worse in the bedrooms where we sleep at night than in the room we put the washing in.

Antispam

I disagree, you can dry laundry provided you have adequate ventilation as humans we have been drying laundry for hundreds of years, the problem is modern housing now has less draughts and well insulated

A wardrobe on a outside is fine provided you leave a small gap to allow air to flow and having even a small amount of insulation like polystyrene lining paper can help, but the gap certainly helps enormously

Laundry isn't just the only culprit, lifestyle can be, bathing, cooking etc. Having air bricks and allowing a window open when cooking or bathing can help

bristol_pilot wrote: »

You should never dry laundry inside a property, it puts a simply enormous load of moisture into the air and will cause condensation. Neither should a wardrobe be placed against an outside wall, as this causes the condensation to form behind the wardrobe where it can't be seen. If the cause is condensation due to drying laundry inside the property, as seems likely, then it is the tenants' fault.

carolt

I'd disagree that it's primarily to do with your lifestyle - having baths/cooking, even drying clothes are quite normal activities, and assuming you open windows sometimes or use other ventilation, should not cause a problem.

In my experience of rental properties, we had damp in 2 - in the first, it appeared suddenly, and turned out to be caused by broken guttering. Easy to fix - problem then gone.

In the second, we had really chronic mould, water running off windows/doors etc. Esp in the kitchen/bathroom of the flat. It turned out, just before we left, that the bath had been plumbed in incorrectly, and so there was basically a huge pool of water under the bath, airing cupboard and attacking the kitchen wall.

We had a dehumidifier running 24 hours a day, fobbed off with all sorts of excuses about 'lifestyle' previously.

The fact is, if normal living is causing serious mould, then it's not your fault - it's almost certainly structural in some way, and the landlord should investigate it and fix it. After all, it's likely to affect the structural integrity of their property too, so is in their interests too.

It sounds like you just have a lazy/incompetent LA, who is taking the !!!! - the landlord may not even know.

Follow tbs624's excellent advice.

And remember - mould can seriously damage your health. My eldest has asthma - possibly just inherited, but the fact she grew up with mould probably didn't help. Get it seen to now!

rich_finch

Hi,

Thanks you all for your replies!

I am going to carry on perusing the landlord. I have never had mould in a property so am new to the causes etc.

So maybe this mould has been caused by normal living factors but it wouldn't hurt our landlord to come round and assess the situation and check the outside of the wall for any leaks/guttering etc and as it's in the best interests for his property maybe clean it and explain what we might do to prevent it from happening again.

At the end of the day if he had acted on this 3 months ago when we first reported it but turned round and said "sorry it's up to you to clean", I would of!

I don't like to make a fuss about something like this but it wouldn't take much for him to make a little effort! All he's done so far is send a guy round to confirm we have got mould!?

I'm also still waiting for him to fix 2 of the 4 spot lights in the living room (which I have also been on to the LA for about 5 months!), I've changed the bulbs but they still don't work! Once the other 2 go we will be sitting in darkness! )

laurabizzle

I'm glad other people get this! I thought it was just my bad luck with the homes I pick! Or that I was doing something wrong...

My last rented flat had mould and the estate agents blamed me (!!!) They said I should cook less things on the stove, i should open all the windows while I take showers and that my tumble dryer caused too much moisture (even though it was a condenser dryer!!)

My new flat also has a slight mould problem, imagined I'd get the same response again so I haven't complained, I've just been wiping down the mouldy sides once a week or so. Luckily it's easy to manage and hasn't got out of control. Have taken on board all the advice tho, might have a move around when I get home now!! And open some more windows!!

bristol_pilot

This site gives a table indicating how much moisture is put into the air by various normal household activities:

http://www.buildingpreservation.com/Condensation.htm

It is clear that carrying out laundry (washing or drying clothes) inside a property puts the most moisture into the atmosphere, far more than breathing, cooking, bathing etc. Look at the figures in the table, four and a half litres (that's a gallon!) a day from drying clothes indoors. That is additional to the moisture from other activities. Modern housing is too well insulated to ventilate that much moisture and in the UK it is usually too cold to open all the windows when drying. If you can't hang washing outside, use a tumble drier or go to the launderette then if you really must dry clothes indoors put them in a room with a dehumidifier but you will need quite a powerful one to draw out that much moisture. However this is no way the LL's fault and far from shouting your mouth off about demanding the LL do this and that, you are likely to lose some of your deposit for causing damage to the property.

tbs624

bristol_pilot wrote: »

.... If you can't hang washing outside, use a tumble drier or go to the launderette then if you really must dry clothes indoors put them in a room with a dehumidifier but you will need quite a powerful one to draw out that much moisture. However this is no way the LL's fault and far from shouting your mouth off about demanding the LL do this and that, you are likely to lose some of your deposit for causing damage to the property.

The OP has not "shouted his/her mouth" off as far as I can see:s/he has politely drawn the problem to the attention of the LA but the LA has apparently done very little. Several of us have pointed out the problems with drying washing indoors, plus the effect of other normal activities, but no LL can afford to ignore a request from a T over damp and mould growth. It is listed as the first of 29 "hazards" in the HHSRS. You cannot safely make an assumption that the OP's problem is entirely self-induced based simply on a couple of photos and the fact the Op admits to hanging washing on an indoor clothes rack. It can certainly exacerbate a damp issue, but the LA/LL should be out systematically checking, and discounting where appropriate, all possible causes.

If a T is in a property with poor quality double glazing that does not allow for trickle ventilation, or the property has an ineffective heating system or defective rainwater goods then these are all things that can all be factors in damp and mould growth. Sometimes a T may not be able to afford to keep a poorly insulated home adequately heated. A LL may have installed a first rate heating system and provided means of adequate ventilation but it does not mean that the T will use them efficiently to keep damp and mould growth at bay.

Some quotes for you from the HHSRS operational guidance:

"....mould spores are potent airborne allergens. Exposure to high concentrations of these allergens over a prolonged period will cause sensitisation of atopic individuals (those with a predetermined genetic tendency to sensitisation), and may sensitise non-atopic individuals. Once a person is sensitised relatively low concentrations of the airborne allergen can trigger allergic symptoms such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, eczema, cough and wheeze. For a sensitised person, repeated exposure can lead to asthma, and it appears that the severity of the asthma intensifies with increasing humidity, house dust mite and mould levels."

Under causes:

"The indications are that ... indoor mould growth ( has) increased over the last century. This is probably because of reduced ventilation levels, increased humidities, and warmer indoor temperatures in winter months caused by changes in dwelling design and adaptations introduced when houses are renovated"

and

"Moisture production is influenced by the design, construction and repair of the dwelling, and on occupant density and activity. Moisture is produced by occupants through their normal biological and domestic activities. Relatively low levels of moisture are generated through breathing and are spread out over the twenty-four hours. However, there are higher levels produced in peaks from cooking, clothes drying and bathing (or showering). Vapour pressure will equalize humidities throughout a dwelling, so that damp in one part will have an impact on relative humidities in other parts."

Damp and mould growth may be attributable to the structure of the property & either to the actions or omissions of the T or of the LL, or a combination , but a LA /LL should *always* properly check the cause promptly.

tbs624

rich_finch wrote: »

....I'm also still waiting for him to fix 2 of the 4 spot lights in the living room (which I have also been on to the LA for about 5 months!), I've changed the bulbs but they still don't work! Once the other 2 go we will be sitting in darkness! )

Again, put it in writing and give them a deadline by which to do it, together with some dates and times on which you can be there to allow access to the property. If they won't deal with it you can suggest that, as they seem too busy/unwilling to deal with it, you will get three quotes from local electricians.

Once you have the quotes you send them in to the LA with a letter that says "here are the quotes, would you like to pick one within x days, after which I shall arrange it myself" . Once the work is done you then present the bill to the LA and ask them to pay up . If they fail to do so you write saying that you will pay it & deduct the amount from your next rent payment. Keep copies of all letters safely with your tenancy agreement.

Get the LLs address, as I suggested previously, so that you can keep him/her up to date. Sadly many LLs have absolutely no idea what their LA does or doesn't do on their behalf.

Is this LA a member of ARLA, OEA, or NALs schemes etc? If so, they should be signed up to a code of practice and you should ask them for a copy.

clutton_2

i have proved in 3 of my properties that tenants life styles have a significatn effect on "damp" - where tenants hang washing outside, open windows in the day and during cooking/bathing, and heat the property - no damp problems

where the next tenant does all the opposite of above - damp black mould appears within weeks.