no ventilation and mould growth in rented property

moneyspendexpert

hello,

I've been living in a rented property for just over a year which was great for the first few months, until I started to notice a horrible musky smell. mould was growing in all corners of the walls and there was a very uncomfortable dampness in the whole property.

I informed the landlord that there was no extractor in the kitchen or bathrooms and of the mouldy walls. I was told to leave windows open and to the point, just put up with it.

anyway, I did for over a year and now after a had been quite ill, I return to the property after a few days away to find all of my clothing, bedding and furniture is covered in horrible smelly damp mould.

I contacted LL immediatley and had a surveyor visit who agreed that property is not ventillated. Now the problem is that the LL may increase the rent for major work to be carried out.

I have also had most of my clothing and furniture destroyed by the mould, not to mention the health problems affected me with dampness environment.

What would be the best solution for me to sort this out and get some kind of compensation for the damage caused?? I am bit concerned that the LL will want to recover damages to the property caused by mould from my deposit because I didn't open the windows enough.

thanks for reading.

anselld

Compensation - as you point out, you are more likely to be compensating the landlord unless you can prove that the L was negligent in not repairing a building defect.

There are plenty of properties where "ventilation" consists of opening windows regularly - did you do this?

Also you need to ...
maintain adequate heating, preferably at a steady temperature
not dry clothing indoors
open windows when showering, bathing and cooking
open all curtains daily
keep lids on pans when cooking
clean off mould with mild bleach solution or a proprietary mould killer

Extract fans will help to an extent and are not really expensive enough to be considered "major works" but they will not overcome other lifestyle choices.

moneyspendexpert

anselld wrote: »

There are plenty of properties where "ventilation" consists of opening windows regularly - did you do this?

yes, my neigbour's now know I'm not a true blonde.

anselld wrote: »

Extract fans will help to an extent and are not really expensive enough to be considered "major works" but they will not overcome other lifestyle choices.

thanks, but you make it sound like I'm running a sauna and cooking for a rugby team.

So I guess you would leave your windows open if you were away from home for a few days ? Mould growing on everything that is dark coloured with dampness in every room and cupboard is the result of my negligence ?

The problem had been raised with LL many months ago but not really taken that seriously. Rent was being paid on time and that's all that was concerned.

I'm not talking a little condensation and a few mould spots, I'm talking thick black mould in cupboards and clothing that has been folded in drawers totally covered in mould spores. There is absolutley no ventilation or extractor fans in kitchen, so leaving windows open 24/7 is not really a practical solution and the surveyor agreed.

Surely there is negligence on the LL's side for not providing adequate ventilation or means to remove the dampness throughout the property.

HappyMJ

moneyspendexpert wrote: »

yes, my neigbour's now know I'm not a true blonde.



thanks, but you make it sound like I'm running a sauna and cooking for a rugby team.

So I guess you would leave your windows open if you were away from home for a few days ? Mould growing on everything that is dark coloured with dampness in every room and cupboard is the result of my negligence ?

The problem had been raised with LL many months ago but not really taken that seriously. Rent was being paid on time and that's all that was concerned.

I'm not talking a little condensation and a few mould spots, I'm talking thick black mould in cupboards and clothing that has been folded in drawers totally covered in mould spores. There is absolutley no ventilation or extractor fans in kitchen, so leaving windows open 24/7 is not really a practical solution and the surveyor agreed.

Surely there is negligence on the LL's side for not providing adequate ventilation or means to remove the dampness throughout the property.

It is the LL's resposibility to have sufficient ventilation in the property....You also have to use it. If a fan is installed in the bathroom and kitchen they must also be used each time. I can't stand the noise so I never use them relying on the window instead.

Do the windows not have any ventilators in them? Can the winodow not be locked a little open. Maybe it's just my house..All my windows are open just a little and locked in that position. All the ventilators above the window are open too.

Cupboards are the worst areas for damp as there is no air movement. If you have a fan than you could direct into the cupboard on low just to get air moving then it would be a great help. If I were going away I'd leave the cupboard doors open.

Now...compensation. It really depends on how you brought this to the landlords attention. Just the once or more than once. Mould can be removed it doesn't destroy things..you just wash everything in a mould removing detergent and dry everything outside in the sun and they'll be fine. The furniture can also be cleaned. Unless you clothes have rotted and tear apart they should be fine but to let it get to that point you should have noticed much earlier. I'm not sure that one will hold up. Damage to the property. I wouldn't worry about. When you leave you do a deep clean...Lots of bleach and it'll all be clear. Professionally clean the carpets and I don't see why you won't get your deposit back.

DaftyDuck

It does sound more like a lifestyle problem than a structural problem for the house, from what you say. Extractor fans may help, but, if you have windows, they shouldn't really be necessary. They are not as effective as they are made out to be, and a couple of open windows will work better.

You say it was "great for the first few months", so wasn't mould-covered when you moved in. It built up as a result of your moving in. Condensation mould does, indeed, settle in the corners of the rooms when the air is still and uncirculated. The moisture must be coming from somewhere, and that somewhere is, in all likelihood, you.

It was much worse when you returned to the flat, having left it closed up for a while. Again, a well-aired flat doesn't go mouldy, neither does a shut-up flat that has been well aired before being shut up!

Not having extractor fans in a kitchen is certainly a bit of a problem, but they are a relatively recent invention, and an open window sufficed before then. A surveyor may well comment on their absence and recommend their being fitted; doesn't mean it'll sort the problem.

If (and I have no way of knowing this) the LL has rented the place before, and not had mould problems, he might be pretty peeved with the damp damage to his flat, and would quite rightly look to you to contribute to the repair. It sounds like he's a responsible LL, since he organised a surveyor, and is going to have "major works " carried out to try to rectify this.

As to compensation for damage to clothes and the like, well, you presumably could have chosen to move to another flat after six months, yet chose to stay despite the damp problems. Since, in all likelihood, the LL could argue that the cause of the damp was you, and the solution (windows) was also "open" to you, then it's nowt to do with him.

Sounds harsh, and I'm partly playing Devils Advocate, but in your (slightly mouldy) shoes I certainly wouldn't expect to get any compensation!

theGrinch

Sometimes its due to poor construction and design. Sometimes lifestyle and mostly a combo of the two. How to disentangle it is not straightforward.

moneyspendexpert

HappyMJ wrote: »

It is the LL's resposibility to have sufficient ventilation in the property....You also have to use it.

thanks :DMJ i'm really loving your avatar.

I would if I had it, there isn't any window vents either. I think the window seals are leaking too.

LL has only visited the property once in the year after I had complained about damp. An vent/fan was mentioned but nothing happened. I guess not that important, just the rent.

HappyMJ

moneyspendexpert wrote: »

thanks :DMJ i'm really loving your avatar.

I would if I had it, there isn't any window vents either. I think the window seals are leaking too.

LL has only visited the property once in the year after I had complained about damp. An vent/fan was mentioned but nothing happened. I guess not that important, just the rent.

Leaking is a good thing...that means some air is moving. My windows also have seals too but I really don't care if they work or not as every window is open...just a bit. It's a balance though too much air flow in the wrong place and ventilation turns into an unwanted draught...but at least the property will be well ventilated.

moneyspendexpert

DaftyDuck wrote: »

You say it was "great for the first few months", so wasn't mould-covered when you moved in. It built up as a result of your moving in.

obviously, no mould was to be seen when I viewed and moved in. The place had been redecorated totally, so that could have been because of previous mould, no idea.

If I was living in the pre-extractor fan era, then I probably wouldn't be conversing on this forum. But I'm not, extractor fans are invented now and I'm sat here in (slightly mouldy) shoes in a property without any.

LL is a very reasonable person but doesn't seem that bothered by the mould or dampness when shown. I guess it's the LL's lifestyle choice, not mine.

HappyMJ

moneyspendexpert wrote: »

obviously, no mould was to be seen when I viewed and moved in. The place had been redecorated totally, so that could have been because of previous mould, no idea.

If I was living in the pre-extractor fan era, then I probably wouldn't be conversing on this forum. But I'm not, extractor fans are invented now and I'm sat here in (slightly mouldy) shoes in a property without any.

LL is a very reasonable person but doesn't seem that bothered by the mould or dampness when shown.

Would you use them? I hate the noise they make and never use them.

DaftyDuck

I'd have thought the easiest solution for you would be to move to another flat (where you can bear in mind that ventilation might be important).

Again, playing Devil's Advocate (I keep wanting to write Devil's Apricot, which was a Private Eye Colemanballs from 25 years ago that's stuck in my mind!), are you a "wet person? Do you cook oodles of noodles and roast a goose at weekends, do you play sport and therefore have many a sweat-removing shower? Are you, in fact, an amphibian? Or, are you pretty average in that department? Difficult to judge, I know.

Are you currently on a long contract in that place and are ther any other flats available? I still feel that, if your belongings are getting ruined, heaving off to another well-aired flat (or pond, if you are amphibian ) would save you a fortune in the long-term. ESPECIALLY if your health is being affected.