no ventilation and mould growth in rented property

anselld

moneyspendexpert wrote: »

so you are saying, that when you go on holiday you leave your draughty leaky windows open (just a bit) and come back home to a mould free but empty house.

you are also saying, that a leaking window with water dripping down onto the carpet is a good thing as air is moving as apposed to being still.

It is a cumulative effect.
If you stay on top of it whilst living there you will be able to go away without things deteriorating as no new moisture is generated when nobody is living there.

Having said that, to get such problems in the warmest driest summer for ages does seem a bit odd.

moromir

You're going to struggle to get sympathy whilst not ventilating the property to be frank.

Windows lock 'on the catch' which means that they are open a tiny bit and locked, and you normally can't tell from the outside. So no security issue.

I leave my upstairs windows like this permenantly and my downstairs windows like it when I'm at home (if they arn't open fully which they usually are).

When I get up, all the upstairs windows are open wide until I go to work (approx 1 hr), along with the kitchen window while I'm having breakfast.

When I get home, all the upstairs windows are opened wide, along with the all the downstairs windows on the catch and the window wide open in whatever room I'm sat in.

I'm compromise when its freezing obviously but at the very minimum they all stay on the catch.

Unless you're doing something similar, I'd personally feel that the lack of ventilation is significantly contributing to the mould.

moneyspendexpert

Arthien wrote: »

Sorry for the rant OP, but just wanted to say that you're not alone, and I feel your pain! Good luck with your LL. I doubt you'll get any recompense, but I recommend looking at the Old Style board for suggestions on how to reclaim your clothes and furniture from the black stuff

it's exactly as you worded it Arthien, bleach only acts as a mask to the underlying problem, which I think is the shoddy window frames.

personally, I don't think the property is fit for it's purpose with the damp problem. My partner won't come near the place because of the stench and mould spores.

I should of moved out at the first opportunity but I'm looking to buy now, when I can get myself out of this mess.

anyway, enough ranting and thanks for all feedback guys and girls!

BerniceSaldana

Rented flats are more prone to this condition as there is no hygiene maintained by the previous tenants. Its better to shift to another home for few days and spray disinfectant and pesticides sprayed to house and then shift all belongings.

catflapuk

We do not know what caused the mould. Just because it was not visible when OP moved it does not mean it was not there. Lets assume the flat was covered in mould while the last tenant lived there and then got redecorated... it does not change anything. You cannot remove mould completely, especially if the problem is that bad. It is very likely that the landlord knew about the problem.

I myself do not understand why so many people have mould in their homes. I have never lived like that. I open all windows in the morning for a short while and again when I return from work. Sometimes also before I go to bed if I feel I need fresh air. And now guess what.... I dry my laundry inside, always. Never had a problem in the numerous flats I have lived in.

Propertyfan

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.

This would be the easiest solution:

http://www.dulux.co.uk/products/bathroom-plus-soft-sheen

Prevents and covers mould. Lasts up to five years. Can be used around the property, not just in the bathroom. You could fork out the cash to buy the paint and ask for a deduction on your rent or try and persuade your landlord to buy the paint and you'll paint the mouldy areas free of charge.

If the mould is really bad and posing a serious risk to your health, contact your local council. This dept:

Local Authority Environmental Health Department

Link:

http://adlib.everysite.co.uk/adlib/defra/content.aspx?id=000IL3890W.16NTBYC4N021T4

Inform them that your property is a health-risk and let them come down to assess the problem. Inform them that your landlord is not doing anything to resolve the problem.

Beachview_2

My granny uses a gas heater in the house, one of the Calor Superser ones, so that gives off a lot of moisture. She opens the windows all the time in summer, but in the winter she keeps the windows closed as she's afraid in case mice run up the wall and come in the window. She can't afford to keep background heat on in the house and only heats the room she's in. So while her living room is warm, the kitchen is freezing, and the bedrooms too. Unsurprisingly she has a lot of damp, even wallpaper peeling off and black.

Rebellious2013

moneyspendexpert wrote: »

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.

Hi there!
I usually never engage in any forum posting, rather read. I have come to this forum to look for reviews and advice on humidifiers. Did not expect myself to create login and start posting. My nick name reflects my nature, I believe. I could not stir away from the topic. Sorry for long introduction and hope I am not breaching the forum rules.
I share the grief of a person living in damp flat. I would be furious to find my ruined clothes and disturbed life due to mould issue along with a bad smell. Plus one can gain lots of previously concealed health issues.
I am a foreigner moved to UK 10 years ago. I come from a relatively cold weathered country and we do not have windows in our bathrooms at all. Hence, we do not have anything to open and still we do not have any mould issues even if do take non -stop hot showers. We also cook on every day basis and open our windows more for smell, rather than humidity.
For 10 years in UK I moved 7 times and saw good places and bad places to live in. I also saw good landlords and not so good ones. I have my very own opinion, that if block of flats is built up to the high standards, very mild measures would keep you humidity free. Unfortunately, one cannot find out if accommodation has any problems until living in it for a while. My last accommodation, I had enormous deposit and in order to get it back, I did open a bathroom window after every shower, made my young child do the same, I had fan on and I wiped the condensate after EVERY shower.... I still got the black mould grown on the bathroom walls and damp bed in the bedroom sharing the wall. Land lords will not usually care as long as rent comes and pretend they never had issues before annoying you came in to the picture.
You really should involve environmental health service to look at your place. To pay the rent and move away will be costly and as the least, you probably could get little justice involving environmental health. Not much of advice, but my sympathies.

Kayleigh28

Hi, this thread seems to be the best place for this post. I am having a similar problem to the user who originally posted this. I've been living in a one bed flat since January and have had trouble with black mould growing. The upstairs flat has the same problem and they moved out in May.

I have reported this numerous times and was told that the outside brickwork needs to be fixed and gas Central heating needs to be put in.

The letting agent have commented that I ventilate the property well by having windows open and the vents throughout the flat are open. I have economy 7 heating which is now in use but I and they are aware that this is not effective heating.

I am moving out in two weeks but the mould around the place now, even after I clean it with the proper chemicals, is atrocious and I was wondering whether I had any rights to claim compensation for ruined belongings and for health reasons. I've had a nasty cough for a couple weeks now and it's awful going to bed at night and just smelling mould while you try to sleep.

Is there anything I could do or should do about this, or just put it down to bad experience and move on in two weeks?

Thanks

argomatt

I live in a basement flat so can't keep the windows open because they are at ground level and do not lock open.
Don't get problems with damp because I dry clothes on the line supplied or take them to the laundrette to dry in the winter.
I keep the extraction fans running in the kitchen and bathroom whenever these rooms are occupied.