Rented flat - problems with cold and damp

HarrietM

Hi all. I recently moved into a one bed rented flat with my boyfriend. The bedroom is awful - it is absolutely freezing all the time and there is a horrible damp musty smell.

The room is on a slightly lower level than the rest of the flat (down a few steps as the back of the house is lower than the front) and there is a window and the door into the garden, neither of which are very well-sealed. We often go outside (it's usually warmer there!) and have the back door open so I don't think there are any problems with ventilation. There is no mould growing from what we can see, (though it was repainted in April just before we moved in) but the musty smell is truly disgusting. There is a tiny radiator in the room which we have on as much as possible, but we 're terrified the gas bill will be huge.

We've been coping since we moved in by wearing jumpers in bed and having an electric blanket (even now in June!), and have a plug-in air freshener to mask the smell, but I'm worried about how much worse its going to get in the winter and whether we'll actually be able to sleep there.

None of this was obvious when we viewed it. The landlord took the 6 month break clause out of our contract as she was apparently "sick of high turnover of tenants" (should have rung alarm bells but we were just so grateful to find somewhere), so we're stuck here until next April. We don't even really want to move as we need to be in this part of London, but the rent is so huge (£300/week).

We've told the landlord about the smell and she hasn't responded. Sorry for the huge post - I'd like to know:
- whether the landlord is obliged to fix the problem; and
- whether there is any scope to reduce the rent?

Thanks all for reading! H

martinsurrey

if the only problem is its cold and smelly, she’s not obliged to do anything(since there is a working form of space heating, even though it’s not great).



If the smell is due to something that could affect your health, environmental health could make her do something, but it would have to be pretty serious for them to get involved.



Sorry, butfrom what you’ve said, you’re on your own.

HarrietM

It is damp as well as cold and smelly (sorry if that wasn't clear), and the smell is (I think) as a result of the damp. As I said, there is no mould but the carpets feel damp and there is moisture in the air as it warps the pages of any books we leave there. I've done a bit of Internet research and it seems that rising damp is the most likely cause, but I've seen conflicting statements as to whether the landlord has to remedy it.

embob74

Have you thought about getting a dehumidifier? It will suck any moisture out of the air and hopefully make the room feel less damp.
It is annoying that you will have the expense of buying and running it yourself but a small price to pay if it stops your clothes ending up mouldy.

CharlieRabbit01

I unfortunately have no solution but can sympathise with you.

why is it that those of us living in rented have to just deal with these kinds of issues.

Damp seems to be so common amongst rented places, with landlords taking little responsibility and tenants not willing/able to spend money on it.

kyana

i would definitely look into a dehumidifier. might be worth asking your landlord if they'd pay for it, though i wouldn't hold your breath.

are you slightly sub-ground level? i live in a flat like this and it is always cooler than outside, it doesn't get enough sun to warm up.

my landlord provided a dehumidifier and it makes a huge difference. if i go away for a week and it hasn't been running i can really tell. not only can you sense the damp/moisture but it's harder to feel warm too. so having a dehumidifier might reduce your need for heating and would probably be cheaper than running a space heater for the same amount of time. also, it would be worth doing sooner rather than later to get it properly dry before autumn/winter.

cattie

The dehumidifier would seem the best option for you. It's possible that your bedroom is north facing & north facing rooms are always much colder than those with different orientations.

Unfortunately, It really is quite normal for it to be warmer outside than inside with British houses by the way. I often have to put a fleece or a cardigan on when I come home, even on very warm days & I have a few friends who have to do the same.

My current bedroom is south facing, but in my previous house, which was quite old, I would still need my electric blanket on during the summer months unless we were having a heatwave. Older houses struggle to retain heat, unlike the much better insulated modern properties.

If your windows & doors don't have double glazing, & it doesn't sound as if they do, then invest in some thick lined curtains which will go a long way towards helping to keep the warmth in & draughts out. You might be lucky enough to pick some up in a charity shop if you don't want the expense of buying new, or try good old ebay.

BitterAndTwisted

What does the outside look like? Any bust downpipes or blocked guttering causing rain to run down the external wall?

If it is rising damp and not caused by water penetration your only recourse will be heating and dehumidifying. Running a dehumidifier isn't as expensive as you'd think.


Getting rid of the break-clause and the comment about high turnover of tenants signifies that your landlady is perfectly aware of the problem but without that break-clause you are scuppered if you can't get Environmental Health interested.

Get a dehumidifier and run it 24/7 or you'll be in absolute misery by the autumn if you're not now. Winter doesn't bear thinking about.

RAS

Check outside for:

Any downpipes that are leaking
The damp proof course (often a thin line of black "treacle")
Any soil or even plants or paving slabs that are higher than damp proof course. Remove these and the damp will start to reduce.
Any airbricks? remove anything covering these.

A dehumidifier will help much more than heating.
Also get some cheap draught excluding material and a door excluder and fit those (maybe send the LL a letter asking for permisison and wait for the response on that).

Speak to Environmental Health as well, just in case.

HarrietM

Thanks so much for all the helpful suggestions everyone - I'll definitely suggest a dehumidifier to our landlady and see what happens. If it's this bad now we really need to get it sorted before winter!