Reasonable steps to prevent condensation?

Adereterial

Help!

My landlord has caused us nothing but trouble since we moved in (long story, which I won't go into here. This is just the latest issue in a long line of problems.

I noticed about 6 weeks ago that the paint on the bathroom ceiling was 'bubbling' quite extensively above the shower. It wasn't doing that a couple of weeks before so I'm not sure when it started. I reported it to the letting agent, who contacted the landlord. No action has been done to resolve the problem yet and it's getting worse...

The landlord has since emailed her to say that we needed to have taken 'reasonable steps to prevent damage by condensation' and that we are responsible for the damage and will need to resolve it ourselves.

Could anyone tell me what would constitute 'reasonable' in this regard? We keep the window open when bathing and for most of the time anyway, and wipe the walls & windows down when we're done in the morning - there's no mould growing anywhere, which is pretty telling, but the paint in some areas is starting to flake away. It's a terribly cold room with one small radiator which doesn't really heat the room effectively. Do I really have to get on a ladder and wipe the ceiling down every day?! :mad:

I'm totally sick and tired of doing this landlord's job for her but want to be sure we're not responsible before telling her to **** off!

Alter_ego

Probably the wrong paint used if there's no mould.

Adereterial

I suspect it's the paint, it doesn't have that faint sheen every bathroom paint I've ever used has - it looks like standard matt emulsion...

There's no mould because as soon as I noticed mould growing (about a week after moving in), I sprayed everything down with a mould remover and have used that weekly ever since, I think.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd repaint the ceiling with proper kitchen-and-bathroom paint. That matt emusion stuff is entirely inappropriate in a bathroom. Your landlord is a fool imo.

gingertips

visit CAB & then seriously think about finding somewhere else to live.

Landlords like this are a complete joke - dont do business with them

Adereterial

Believe me, we're leaving this place as soon as our contract allows it - we've already notified the LA that we won't be renewing in September.

We've done so much work on this house at our expense, we're not doing any more for her without recompense. It's a nice house in a perfect area for both of us and we'd intended to stay for a long time. Landlord has done herself out of extremely reliable tenants...

I've just teetered precariously on a ladder and the plaster/aertex on the ceiling is all powdery and degraded, definitely not a quick paint job to resolve!

digitalphase

Yeah, definitely the paint. We have the same problem in our current house. Well, there wasn't even a radiator in there when we moved in. We had to nag and nag and nag for one to be put in. They supplied us with a broken wall heater when we moved it - it never worked.
We did the same as you, re. opening windows, wiping walls down etc. But still got black mold building up.

In the end we got so fed up of the state of the room, flaking/bubbling paint etc, that we stripped it down ourselves and repainted with bathroom paint. The LA and LL were informed, but as per usual did nothing.

It's such a sad thing to read that this happens to other people as well. LL like this shouldn't be allowed to rent out properties. I mean, using 'normal' paint in a bathroom is just ludicrous.

I'd move out when you can. We're doing the same and after about 8 months of wanting to move, we're leaving at the weekend :T:T

Adereterial

So far I've spent about £500 putting right things which she's either refused to do or requests she's ignored - replacing locks on the porch door because there was no key, repainting the front bedroom, securing the garage etc - she then had the nerve to send us a letter saying we were in breach of the contract for securing the garage without permission, and demanding a copy of the key. I refused and told her to sue me - we decided to move out at that point!

I've just got home to another letter, seems as though she thinks we're in breach of the 'not allowing problems to persist' part of the contract and threatening to sue us again. Thank god I have a copy of the email requesting she do something about the bathroom and the LAs response saying it would be taken care of! She's now specifically saying we need to wipe the bathroom ceiling down after bathing. Dear god...

Anyone have any thoughts on whether this would be considered reasonable? We wipe the windows and painted walls but I don't think wiping the ceiling is reasonable under any circumstances.

poppysarah

Adereterial wrote: »

We wipe the windows and painted walls but I don't think wiping the ceiling is reasonable under any circumstances.

I don't think it is.
I think opening the window should be enough. If it's more severe then it needs perhaps a special vent fan putting in.

I think your LL is a sandwich or two short of a picnic though.

gingertips

no it isnt reasonable to expect you to do this. Is your deposit in a deposit scheme? I do hope so as I can see they will try their very best to withhold paying you end of the tenancy

Adereterial

Yes, safely stored in the DPS, I've got the paperwork safely filed away!

Thank heavens for small mercies...