Landlord trying to charge for replacing sealant

IronWolf

Hi

Recently we had a problem with our shower, a lot of the sealant around the base was mouldy and there was a leak, which went through to downstairs. So the sealant has had to be replaced.

Now the landlord is trying to say we should pay for the cost of replacing it, as we didn't properly ventilate the bathroom.

As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing we could have done to prevent it, there is a bathroom fan, which we leave on after showering for a reasonable amount of time, and we leave the bathroom door open sometimes, but still there is considerable mould that builds up in the room. I'm pretty sure its because they are using cheap sealant as pretty much everything provided in the flat is cheap tat.

Am I right in thinking this is the landlords responsibility and falls under reasonable wear and tear on our part?

Thanks

joannaspanner

Does the bathroom have a window?

IronWolf

Not that opens, just a fan

joannaspanner

Thats crap, like you said, you have the fan running and the door open, how else does he expect you to keep it ventilated?? I would say it is his responsibility definitely... Our bathroom gets very damp if we don't keep the window open during showers etc so we have to reseal quite often and regrout just as the grout gets rotten quite quickly, so we now do it ourselves as its easier.. How much did he try and charge you out of interest?

dimbo61

Where are you living ? In a cave!
Another stupid landlord who should be looking after his tenant.
Why cant the window open please dont tell me its old, made of wood and rottern !
Is the whole bathroom tiled and how many showers are taken in the bathroom each day

IronWolf

The entire bathroom is tiles, only 2 showers a day in total. The window is an old one, wooden frame, just a hole in the top for the fan.

They said it was "quite a cheap job", only costing around £80, just for about a 4m length of sealant in total.

Yorkie1

Sounds like fair wear and tear to me. I'd refuse to pay it now on that basis, and dispute any attempted deductions from the deposit.

mchale

Yorke wrote: »

Sounds like fair wear and tear to me.

Not necessary, mould can be caused by not cleaning properly.

tpt

not ventilating the bathroom wouldn't cause the sealant to fail. its silicone and supposed to cope with water. excessive movement on the tray, or bad initial application will cause it to fail, and it may not even be leaking at the point either. A shower area should be waterproofed behind the tiles and onto the tray - the sealant should be just belt and braces.

P.s. if the charge is for replacing the sealant rather than fixing the damage then he's having a laugh - a tube of silicone is no more than a fiver and cleaning off and applying it will take no more than an hour....

tbs624

How long have you been in the property? Was the sealant all shiny and new when you moved in?

Most LLs budget for replacing the sealant every so often - he can put it down on his annual expenses for tax purposes.

However, as the T you need to heat and ventilate the property so as to minimise damage from condensation. After showering/bathing you should shut the bathroom door whilst the fan is running. Is the fan set to auto run on for a short while or do you go back in to switch it off?You can use proprietary cleaners to remove black mould.

If the bathroom is fully tiled there will be maximum condensation and the fan will need to be a decent one to clear it. If it is struggling to do so then tell the LL in writing, and keep a copy.

Yorkie1

mchale wrote: »

Not necessary, mould can be caused by not cleaning properly.

True, but the sealant was replaced due to its leaking - which isn't caused by T's negligence as far as I can see.

But it's a fair point that we are all speculating as we don't actually know for sure!