Mould in Rented Accomodation

amanda1986

I have been living in a private let (short assured tenancy) for a year and a half with my partner. During the winter some mould started to appear in the bedroom on the exterior walls, ceiling and in the wardrobes.

I contacted my landlord at the weekend and he agreed to pay for a contractor to fix the issue. The property itself is an old sandstone farmhouse conversion, which is extremely cold, even in summer and the windows/doors are very draughty.

He then returned to the property and blamed us for the mould, stating that it was caused because we had 'long showers and didn't open any windows at all. He has told us that we have to fix the problem and if we don't he will arrange a contractor and send us the bill.

Having researched this online, I found various sites offering different advice, some stating it could be the tenants fault and others suggesting it is the landlords issue.

Please could someone offer some clarity as to who is at fault for mould caused most probably by poor ventilation in the house?

Thanks.

angelsmomma

Do you have long showers without opening the windows?

sharp910sh

Do you open the windows? Do you hang wet clothes inside?

amanda1986

We always have the bedroom windows open and never dry clothes inside. The mould is only in the bedroom and around the front door, not in the kitchen or bathroom as you would be expect. And yes, we live in scotland.

sandsni

Do you have any reason to think the problem is due to damp rather than condensation?
eg. Is there any blocked or damaged guttering outside?
Are there any signs of water coming in around window frames?
Is there any detritus (moss/leaves etc.) lying against the outer walls which would prevent exterior walls from drying out naturally.
Some old houses have "cold spots" on exterior walls where moisture in the air inside the house is more inclined to condense. Making sure the house is adequately heated can help ensure the interior side of the exterior walls doesn't cool down too much (I hope that makes sense).

www.periodproperty.co.uk is quite a useful resource for information on older houses. It might help you ascertain whether the problem is structural (and therefore the LLs responsibility) or a lifestyle issue (in which case it is the Ts responsibility).

littlesnuggy

If by your own admission "the windows/doors are very draughty" how can you say it's poorly ventilated? Modern properties that have double glazing and are all sealed up for energy efficiency are even more likely to get mould.

The mould you describe can only be due to condensation; 'damp' cannot support surface mould. A leak that saturates a wall and makes it colder can in turn exacerbate a condensation problem though.

Sounds like you need to either a) increase the heating in the bedroom as the amount of moisture you're creating by breathing overnight is hitting surfaces that are too cold or b) reduce the amount of moisture in the bedroom by opening the windows or possibly using a dehumidifier for a few hours a day.

What did the landlord say his contractor would do to "fix the issue"?

You might want to look up the Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) which evaluates hazards in rented dwellings and covers mould. (eg http://www.npt.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1038)

Fire_Fox

amanda1986 wrote: »

I have been living in a private let (short assured tenancy) for a year and a half with my partner. During the winter some mould started to appear in the bedroom on the exterior walls, ceiling and in the wardrobes.

I contacted my landlord at the weekend and he agreed to pay for a contractor to fix the issue. The property itself is an old sandstone farmhouse conversion, which is extremely cold, even in summer and the windows/doors are very draughty.

He then returned to the property and blamed us for the mould, stating that it was caused because we had 'long showers and didn't open any windows at all. He has told us that we have to fix the problem and if we don't he will arrange a contractor and send us the bill.

Having researched this online, I found various sites offering different advice, some stating it could be the tenants fault and others suggesting it is the landlords issue.

Please could someone offer some clarity as to who is at fault for mould caused most probably by poor ventilation in the house?

Thanks.

Most mould is condensation which is a form of damp and primarily a tenant lifestyle issue: the issue is effective ventilation and circulation of air. Be sure there are spaces between and around furniture and there is through flow of air, not just a window open a chink or drafts. Would be worth clearing out the wardrobe rather than packing it tight and leaving the door open regularly. The average person releases litres of water a day from showering, breathing, cooking and laundry. Try a dehumidifier and a mould and mildew spray like Dettox.

embob74

We have the same problem with mould and I would recommend Dettol mould and mildew remover. You just spray and wipe off and the walls I have done have stayed clear for a while now.
I would say the best thing to do is plan to move on somewhere else. I have searched for solutions and there don't seem to be any permanent ones.
I found advice like leave your windows open and make sure there is air around your furniture pretty useless tbh. We had a rubbish winter where we had to have windows open so we were freezing, we constantly use a dehumidifier and still have a major problem and I find it frustrating that I can't put any furniture against a wall in case it gets damp and mouldy. Not exactly a permanent solution is it?!

I'm moving out of a rent-free house as I value my children's health. A complete nightmare

sandsni

embob74 wrote: »

We have the same problem with mould and I would recommend Dettol mould and mildew remover. You just spray and wipe off and the walls I have done have stayed clear for a while now.
I would say the best thing to do is plan to move on somewhere else. I have searched for solutions and there don't seem to be any permanent ones.
I found advice like leave your windows open and make sure there is air around your furniture pretty useless tbh. We had a rubbish winter where we had to have windows open so we were freezing, we constantly use a dehumidifier and still have a major problem and I find it frustrating that I can't put any furniture against a wall in case it gets damp and mouldy. Not exactly a permanent solution is it?!

I'm moving out of a rent-free house as I value my children's health. A complete nightmare

Unfortunately embob, you will struggle to find any house that can cope with the amount of moisture a family will produce without some effort on your part. If you're not willing to ventilate properly then where do you expect the moisture to go? Newer houses are so well insulated and sealed there is little or no natural ventilation unless you open some windows or use extractor fans and dehumidifiers. Older and perhaps more drafty houses will allow a bit more natural ventilation but you might have to spend a little more on heating the place.
Adequate use of central heating will allow a larger portion of the moisture to remain as vapour in the air rather than condensing on colder surfaces. Other than that the only option is to quit breathing/washing/cooking inside :eek:

Fire_Fox

sandsni wrote: »

Unfortunately embob, you will struggle to find any house that can cope with the amount of moisture a family will produce without some effort on your part. If you're not willing to ventilate properly then where do you expect the moisture to go? Newer houses are so well insulated and sealed there is little or no natural ventilation unless you open some windows or use extractor fans and dehumidifiers. Older and perhaps more drafty houses will allow a bit more natural ventilation but you might have to spend a little more on heating the place.
Adequate use of central heating will allow a larger portion of the moisture to remain as vapour in the air rather than condensing on colder surfaces. Other than that the only option is to quit breathing/washing/cooking inside :eek:

Agree with this. Older houses especially are just not designed for everyone to shower or bathe daily and all the windows and chimney breasts to be sealed shut. Ventilation DOES work, I have the least mould in any flat in my block I have been in by a country mile - we all have issues because of the design (metal window frames, windowless kitchen and bathroom, extractors vented into ceiling voids).

The key with opening windows is to blast the place for a short period daily perhaps when you are doing moderate to vigorous housework so warm anyway, it soon warms up again. Otherwise use a powerful enough electric dehumidifier, even two dehumidifiers if it is a larger property.

Some houses cope better than others either due to natural ventilation/ layout or simply occupier lifestyle, some people use the back and/ or front doors regularly for kids and dogs coming and going, others (especially flats) don't have that.