Problems with damp and cold in flat.

Nicklt

Hi, the flat we are in currently (me, girlfriend, daugter) is our first, when we viewed it we where only looking around for about 5 minutes which i now realise was silly, but because it was so cheap and so conveniant for work etc we snapped it up. It was all good for a couple of months but now we have a real problem with damp and mold.

Our bedroom is the worst hit, the paint on the one wall started to blister and when i pushed these blisters water just pored out. I left the window open all day which dried the wall out but as it dried all the paint fell off. I've stripped the wall of the paint but it's very hard to paint it because it constantly gets wet which means the paint won't dry. Furniture/clothes/carpets all have a feel of damp about them. I hate it here in the flat, and have decided we are going to move in January because that is when out lease ends. But i just want to know, because ive had to re-do the wall and do general DIY bit around the flat can the landlord withold the deposit even though these repairs had to be done by me and where not my fault?

Fire_Fox

Most damp in flats is caused by condensation, which is largely a function of residents' lifestyle. Bedrooms are a classic spot due to all the water we release by simply breathing overnight. If the cause of the damp is condensation then the landlord can withhold money from the deposit for any damage caused. I would suggest you run a search on 'condensation' on the board as this issue is raised several times a week at present.

BitterAndTwisted

The cynic in me says that the landlord was quite possibly aware of the damp problem and just chose to hide it by painting over it to get tenants in without addressing the root-cause and that was the reason the rent was so cheap.

In the first instance I would have a look outside to check whether there's any obvious external cause for the damp like leaky guttering or water running down outside.

In order to protect yourself and your deposit I'd put your concerns about the damp problem IN WRITING to the landlord now.

Please be aware that a lot of condensation problems are caused by occupants not ventilating and heating properties properly. Are the windows full of condensation? Is there mould on that wall with the blistered paintwork? You might be able to keep the problem in check by hiring a dehumidifier from somewhere like HSS and running it 24/7. Pull any furniture away from cold external walls and keep all wardrobe doors open to ensure air circulation.

Nicklt

i think some of it is condensation from us breathing overnight, but i think the main problem is coming through the walls, when i return from work (when no one has been in all day) the problem is its worst, the wall is dripping with water. When i look outside at the wall quite a few of the bricks seem to be falling apart, where bits of the brick have fallen off and even some have lost about an inch of their front. Im going to paint over the wall again and leave the window open all night and get it dry. I think it would be a bit unfair of the landlord to withold the deposit when i have done all i can to fix it. I have phoned her to report the problem and she said it's happened before and that we should just leave the windows open to dry it out. So she does know about it. The place wasnt in the best of conditions when we moved in, i've completely re-painted it ripped out about half a miles worth of wire the lead to no where and lots of other stuff.

Fire_Fox

Have you tried a dehumidifier? That will at least keep the damp down so that the wall can dry and/ or the damp air doesn't damage your belongings. Mould is almost always down to surface water, i.e. condensation, so I suspect you have two problems here.

Take dated photographs of the brickwork in case there is a deposit dispute at the end of the tenancy, and send a recorded delivery letter to your landlord. If there is no satisfactory response get Environmental Health involved. Assuming this is a leasehold flat it is probably the freehold/ management company's responsibility to repair the external brickwork, but your landlord's responsibility to push for the repairs to be carried out in a timely manner.

BitterAndTwisted

Take steps to protect your deposit now: take photographs of the damaged external walls. Hire a dehumidifier and run it 24/7 before you even think about making good the internal paintwork, that can be left for the last few days before you move out again. Wipe down the damp wall every day and DON'T DRY THE CLOTHS USED INSIDE THE HOUSE! Put your concerns to the landlord in writing now, then you should have an audit-trail should your landlord claim you were the cause of the condensation.

It's no surprise to me that the problem is at its worst when you get home from work, the moisture in the air migrates to the coldest walls and that's happening when there's no heating on during the day.

Nicklt

its very annoying, i've got the flu at the moment so im stuck at home surrounded by the damp.

Fire_Fox

Nicklt wrote: »

its very annoying, i've got the flu at the moment so im stuck at home surrounded by the damp.

Then order a dehumidifier online!

goldbyron

Is it any worse when it rains/snows? Are you on the ground floor - just wondering if it is just condensation. It seems like the landlord needs to repair the brickwork however a dehumidifier would be best - at least it is rented and you can just move!

casper_g

I think goldbyron's question as to whether it's worse after rain/snow may be key.

If the water builds up behind the paintwork -- to the extent where it causes the paint to blister and water to pour out when touched -- this doesn't sound much like a condensation issue. Could it be more a question of penetrating damp? I'd be looking at the guttering and flashings to see if they're working as they should be, especially given the wet weather we've had over the last few weeks.

Nixer

Whoa. The paint's got bubbles of water under it and people think this is condensation from an internal source? I wish I could make paint blister when I breathe! Sounds like soggy plaster to me and the OP has said the bricks are damaged. I would wager water running down an external wall. Is the wall where the bricks are damaged the same wall that you keep trying to paint? What's the mortar like? Is there any of it left?

Don't waste money painting wet plaster until you've ruled out external problems like damaged guttering or roof tiles. Dehumifiers are great but I would borrow one initially if poss because it won't solve an external damp problem and I don't think it's going to solve this. They are good for drying laundry though.

In fact I'd just be inclined to move. The landlady saying "it's happened before" is usually code for "I can't be arsed to do anything about it".