Damp/mould - rented flat - who is responsible?

dearbarbie

Hi there - hope this is the right place for this

My boyfriend has a privately-rented flat from an agency which I am moving into in a few weeks...but there's a few things we need to solve....
Current problems are:

Damp and mould on ceiling in every room - windows are not too big but it's too cold to open them. Rooms are quite large, I have asked my boyfriend to stop tumble-drying as that makes the room humid and is not helping (tumble dryer came with the flat)
Tiles fallen from walls in kitchen and shower room
One broken bed in 2nd bedroom
Light fitting not working
Mould around windows - condensation

We would like these all resolved but the agency seems to be putting things off so just looking for some advice. I won't start paying rent until 1st March and the agency will take money from our accounts seperately instead of one joint payment - wondering if witholding rent is an option til they fix things but I guess I'm choosing to move there.

Just emailed environmental health.

Apparently, the agency implied that my boyfriend had pulled the tiles off the wall, although I think it's due to lack of air circulation in there/damp making them fall from the walls.

Is mould of the furry black and white kind dangerous?
Getting ready to make a load of draught excluders and borrow a dehumidifier!

And - sorry if these are silly questions - where do we stand on getting simple things fixed like a broken toilet roll holder (plastic, fitted to wall), would that be our responsibility to replace/attach?

Look forward to your advice - thanks

BitterAndTwisted

All mould-growth is a health-hazard!

The overwhelming majority of condensation and damp problems in a property are cause by the tenant's lifestyles.

Check how the tumble-dryer is vented and stop using it until that's done and rectified as necessary! Properties need to be adequately ventilated and heated to prevent condensation and damp. Consider buying or renting a dehumifier.

The tiles detaching themselves from the bathroom and kitchen walls may be from the same cause.

Put all of your requests for repairs IN WRITING to the agents by Recorded Delivery.
it's entirely possible that the agents are bringing your concerns to the landlord's notice but until and unless the landlord sanctions them their hands my be tied to undertake any of them.

You CANNOT withhold rent even if the place is falling down around your ears unless you adhere to extremely specific procedures. See the Shelter website for advice about this.

rsykes2000

Unfortunately it sounds like the mould is caused by your boyfriend. He needs to do a couple of things immediately to stop it getting worse. Heat the place and ventilate it. The windows need to be opened regularly, you can not have a sealed property and expect it to not get mould and damp, using a tumble dryer / drying clothes on radiators makes this much much worse. Draught excluders will just exacerbate the problem by letting even less air in to circulate round the property and ventilate it.
You can clean a lot of mould using 50/50 bleach / water (be careful to wear gloves if you do this). If might need repainting. As for the broken fittings, see what you need then go into a hardware store / B&Q and ask one of the sales assistants, they might even be able to tell you what to do as well as what you need to buy.

Jowo_2

Tenants are obliged to adequately heat and ventilate the properties and are responsible if their lifestyle has caused condensation and damp. A landlord is responsible when its been caused by a maintenance issue (such as burst pipe).

You've already admitted tumble drier use and failure to open windows. Many housing association and council websites publish leaflets for their tenants on how to avoid condensation and treat mould and damp. Google them and follow their advice

Have a look at the Shelter website on how to get repairs done.

How did the bed, light fitting and toilet roll holder get broken?

dearbarbie

Thanks everyone, I believe the bed and everything else is just wear-and-tear, not sure - not my flat yet!

I have told him before about the TD and suggested that stops (it will!) and we are borrowing a dehumidifier in a few weeks.

however, neither bathroom is well-ventilated, particularly the one with a bad problem above the shower. Extraction is poor and no windows are anywhere near them, apart from leaving door open...

Jowo_2

wear and tear is about natural deterioration under ordinary usage so it covers things like carpets thinning around doorways, furnishings fading through sunlight - it tends to exclude breakages, marks, stains, tears, burns and so on.

Anything that is broken by a tenant, through negligence or by accident remains the responsibility of the tenant to pay for. Double check with your boyfriend how these items were broken and what exactly the damage is.

I'm a bit worried that you are attributing damage potentially caused by your boyfriend onto the landlord and the act of reporting it to the environmental health may not help matters, particularly if the environmental health inspects and does indeed confirm that your boyfriends failure to ventilate has actually caused or aggravated the mould and damp. Landlords that believe that tenants are damaging their properties tend to prefer to evict the tenant, then deduct the cost from their deposit...

Fire_Fox

Being too cold to open windows is not an excuse, tenants have a responsibility to care for the flat. In many upper floor flats it's perfectly safe to open the windows for an hour while you run a couple of errands; in a lower floor flat open the windows for an hour while you are doing some vigorous cleaning and wearing a decent sweater, you really won't die! Otherwise you needed to stop the water at source OR use a dehumidifier.

I wouldn't move into this flat unless the letting agency or landlord has done a full inspection, someone is going to have to pay for the mould damage out of their deposit. No idea why you have contacted Environmental Health when you admit this is a lifestyle problem, nor why you would want to use draft excluders, you need more ventilation not less!

Heliflyguy

dearbarbie wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I believe the bed and everything else is just wear-and-tear, not sure - not my flat yet!

I have told him before about the TD and suggested that stops (it will!) and we are borrowing a dehumidifier in a few weeks.

however, neither bathroom is well-ventilated, particularly the one with a bad problem above the shower. Extraction is poor and no windows are anywhere near them, apart from leaving door open...

As you have pointed out the TD appears to be a problem, do check the outlet pipe is used, it may be fixed or you might have to hang it out of a window it may also be a condensor type TD.
Once you have the place clear of mould, one good product is mould and mildew remover I think by Dettox, and have painted if neccessary get onto the landord and insist he renews the extractor's in the bathrooms, having ineffective or no extractors is no excuse for a landlord to lump the problem onto you and maybe fit a extractor fan in the kitchen window id there is one.
Its not always down to the tenant as others would like to believe some properties suffer more than others, roll on summer.
Oh and I pressume the LL ok with you moving in?

dearbarbie

update: as posted in jan

damp was sorted by the mould and mildew cleaner and loads better as i moved in and ventilate the flat a lot.

however, we have an en-suite shower room that the agency have told us its not safe to use, since 2 months ago and they've done nothing about it.
the floor is rotting because the shower is on a carpet floor and water leaks due to a really silly shower curtain. the tiles, it has transpired, have fallen off due to a roof leak so the landlord is trying to claim this from the flat's management company, who are claiming on their insurance, which is taking ages.
we were told the floor could give way if we go in there. a hazard! i pay £850 a month for this priviledge.
luckily we have another bathroom we are using.

asked for a reduction in rent, landlady says she will consider once the shower room is repaired. typical.

just wondering if anyone had any advice. contract ends in october, am keen to save hard and move out. we have a 2-bed flat but have seen much better-kept and much more moden (you cant buy parts for our toilet anymore the bathroom suite is so old! and the carpet is unvaccuumable as there's no tread under it and its old)

i only moved in as my boyfriend lived there. maybe its time to give up and move somewhere nicer and easier!!!

dearbarbie

can anyone advise how we could possibly get the landlord to hurry up and repair the damp/unsafe floor? its been going on for months. citizen's advice?

tbs624

Local Council - Private Sector Rental Team - Tenancy Relations Officer (TRO). They can deal direct with the LL, if necessary.