damp&mould problems in private rent

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Hi im doing this on behalf of my sister

she is currently renting a two bedroom house private rent and in her bedroom there is a large amount of damp and mould on one wall, its on the same wall as the window, that wall is completely covered in it.
She has rung the agency up and told them,, to which they sent someone out, the man came and just gave her some spray to use on the wall, it hasnt done anything to the wall whats so ever.
She has rung the agency up again and nothing is getting done about, she is getting worried as she has her son in the room in his cot.
Is there anyone she can get help from to get it sorted out

Thanks

lighting_up_the_chalice

Her Local Authority will have a department, usually within Environmental Health. Tell her to give them a ring. They have the power to enforce repairs, if needed.

Werdnal

Damp and mould is often down to the tenant's lifestyle rather than anything wrong with the fabric of the building. As this is a bedroom, obviously on an outside wall as it contains the window, it is possible it is condensation caused by not ventilating the room adequately.

Will the mould wipe off with the spray and a cloth, or some weak bleach solution? If so, it is surface mould caused by condensation - this is particularly likely in the bedroom as humans exhale litres of water vapour overnight, and this will condense on the colder outside water, creating moisture and encouraging mould to grow.

If the tenant does not ventilate - which means opening the window and another in an opposite room or downstairs to create a "blow-through" for a few hours a day, this moisture has no chance to escape or dry up.

A dehumidifyer may help.

If the mould is allowed to stain and permanently mark the paintwork, the tenant can be blamed and money taken from their deposit for allowing the damage to occur.

Sorry, probably not what you want to hear, but if this is the cause, the LL has no obligation to do anything about it.

The alternative is to speak to the Council and ask EHO for advice, but if they cannot find anything wrong with the fabric of the building, the tenant may need to deal with this themselves. LL may also take exception at EHO involvement, and issue notice at the earliest opportunity, even if he is not actually to blame for the problem.

sandsni

Is there anything to suggest the damp is due to a structural problem with the house? eg. faulty or clogged guttering outside, cracks in the outer wall or damage around the windows/window seals? If there is then your sister should inform the LL directly, don't wait for the LA to do it (they don't always know what they're talking about and don't always inform the LL in a timely manner, even if they lead your sister to believe they have). It's the LL's responsibility and in their own interests to make repairs if this is the case.

Otherwise, as Werdnal says, it's likely to be a lifestyle issue which is down to whoever is living in the house (ie your sister). Does she heat/ventilate the house adequately, avoid drying clothes over radiators, vent tumble dryer (if used) to the outside and not into the same room, use extractor fans (if available) when cooking, showering etc.? If your sister is creating or exacerbating the problem she could have problems getting back her deposit later.