cavity wall insulation - tenant on benefit - flat

want2bmortgage3

Hi
I am currently a private landlord and rent out my maisonette/flat to a tenant on housing benefit. The property is vunerable to damp/mould due to condensation/lack of ventilation and a cold north facing wall along the length of the lounge and main bedroom.

In the paperwork from the council there was a heatseekers leaflet saying people on benefits could apply for free cavity wall insulation, my tenant did this, a company came out but then said they couldnt do anything as it was not a house and there is a neighbour above who doesnt have an issue with damp.

I have tried the energy saving trust but no answer, and their online search comes up with several (15-20) independent/energycompany/council grants for insulation.

So I'm finding the whole thing a bit frustrating and wondering if anyone has any advice on getting this insulation done and what if anything should I have to pay??

ormus

if its a block of say 4 or 8 private flats, then you cannot expect the council to pay for all that cavity wall insulation. (unless every tenant was on benefits).
how do you think its possible to insulate just the one flat?

want2bmortgage3

I dont know this is why I'm asking, my flat is the ground floor so could it not be filled to a certain height?

Are you saying I am likely to have to pay for both flats whether the neighbour above wants it or not? (he is a private owner btw). Its more a maisonnette than a flat as its a block of 4 on 2 levels.

MX5huggy

You can get a tax break by paying for it yourself.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2006/bn50.htm

want2bmortgage3

cheers. ive called a couple of the independent people on the energy saving results... seems like ive got to have a word with the above neighour and see if hes willing to pay his half. im not confident he is as i know he doesnt have anywhere near the damp problem my tenant does as hes a single bloke and gets takeaways a lot. so will try and sell it to him sayin it will save 35% on his heating bills and pay for itself over a couple of years. if he still dont agree guess i will just have to get his done as well and pay the whole lot. but is that possible if hes not interested? if i did this could i still get my half free as my tenant is on benefit?/?

swagman

The scheme is administered by a company called eaga. They have a freephone number worth calling if you have not done so yet: 0800 316 2805.
They can give exact information on how the scheme works, who it applies to, types of property etc.
Or you could email them on [EMAIL="enquiry@eaga.co.uk"]enquiry@eaga.co.uk[/EMAIL]

These are probably the people who sent out a company in response to your tenant. But you may get a fuller picture of the rules if you contact the organisers yourself. Eaga are the authorised source of info on the scheme.

Your local Citizens Advice (details in the phone book) can also give you a printout of the rules of the scheme and advice on getting the best out of it. Visiting them in person is best if there is one nearby.

Errata

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

cheers. ive called a couple of the independent people on the energy saving results... seems like ive got to have a word with the above neighour and see if hes willing to pay his half. im not confident he is as i know he doesnt have anywhere near the damp problem my tenant does as hes a single bloke and gets takeaways a lot. so will try and sell it to him sayin it will save 35% on his heating bills and pay for itself over a couple of years. if he still dont agree guess i will just have to get his done as well and pay the whole lot. but is that possible if hes not interested? if i did this could i still get my half free as my tenant is on benefit?/?

You might want to get that in writing from an installer before you talk to him.

Owain_Moneysaver

You cannot insulate your neighbour's walls, regardless of who pays, without his agreement. And in flats you may need your freeholder's agreement too.

want2bmortgage3

its not straightforward is it...... so getting my wall insulated means getting the neighbours agreement, whether hes paying or not, getting the freeholders agreement, then choosing between numerous companies offering the service at different prices..

Owain_Moneysaver

Have you checked whether the neighbour might also be entitled to free insulation? AIUI things like working tax credits counts as qualifying benefits for these schemes - he doesn't have to be on 'social security'

plumb1_2

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

Hi
I am currently a private landlord and rent out my maisonette/flat to a tenant on housing benefit. The property is vunerable to damp/mould due to condensation/lack of ventilation and a cold north facing wall along the length of the lounge and main bedroom.

Installing cavity wall insulation, would be the las thing i would do. Chances are you will make the situation worse.