Mould on ceiling rented house

amalis

Hi all,
We are letting out our flat. In bathroom when we left, we noticed a small yellow spot on the ceiling, asked tenants to keep an eye on it as this was a brand new ceiling and a designed bathroom. Tenants never complained and now receiving a check out report I am shocked to see that half of the ceiling is in heavy mould. I wouldn’t just paint it over, it seems we need to change the ceiling. Is that something tenants would be responsible?

xylophone

There is an excess humidity /condensation problem.
Is there a window?
Is there a fan with humidistat? If not, why not?
It is very surprising that the tenants did not report the problem - I would have thought that it was their responsibility to do so?

Hoploz

Is there an extractor fan? Have the tenants been using it?

I would suggest that since you pointed it out they didn't bother informing you it was getting worse. Which I understand is very annoying as you would have attended to it if you'd realised it had got so much worse. But they probably don't feel responsible for it as you were aware in the beginning.

How long were they there for? Shame they couldn't at least wipe the mould off to keep it down, for themselves as much as anything.

Are you planning to go back to the bathroom company about it?

It could very well be coming from above so it might be worth asking your upstairs neighbour (if you have one) to check for leaks.

xylophone

As it is already there you will need to paint on a mould killer/sterilising solution and then clean the ceiling?

You can then paint it with a barrier solution followed by a paint with fungicide (which can be coloured to choice).

amalis

There is a new fan extractor, turning on automatically when the level of humidity is high. And also a huge window. The tennants were there for 12 month only and we lived in this flat for 5 years without hte mould problem.
We asked hte neibgour from upstair to check for leask (its her kitchen above) and she said no.
We also asked tennantsa to open the window as much as possible to prevent humidity (that's what we did), but wether they we done it or not I have no idea.

Hoploz

As long as the dampness is caused from within the bathroom itself then it's unlikely you'll need to replace the ceiling. Just do as described, make sure its dry first of course, then get it painted (might need a few coats) and forget about it.

Are you letting it again, or moving back in? You could leave instructions for the next tenant, but seeing as there's a fan and a window it might be ok.

I am wondering about this automated fan system though. I had one in my utility room in another house, and despite having the washer and tumble dryer on regularly, often at the same time, I never actually had it come on! So even if it was a bit steamy it didn't. So perhaps you might consider changing it to a fan which comes on every time someone walks in the door, or turns the light on etc. That way at least you know it is coming on!

bobbymotors

Get some HG mould spray from Amazon, about £5, it is staggeringly good, no need to paint afterwards and keeps mould away for at least 6 months.


And no I don't work for HG!

amalis

Thank you all for replies. If we will need to repaint, is it somethign I should charge previous tennants or it is all my expense?

Stevie_Palimo

amalis wrote: »

Thank you all for replies. If we will need to repaint, is it somethign I should charge previous tennants or it is all my expense?

By rights you pay this.

HappyMJ

amalis wrote: »

Thank you all for replies. If we will need to repaint, is it somethign I should charge previous tennants or it is all my expense?

Usually the LL's responsibility. You could try and claim it from the tenant's deposit and no harm in trying but if they defend then it's likely you might have to pay.

Tenant may have to contribute something especially if you repainted using paint suitable for the purpose only 12 months ago. It's debatable how long paintwork should last but I would expect to repaint a wall using cheap paint after 3 years of normal wear and tear.

Saying that though many of the anti-mould paints have an expected life span of 6 years so 5/6th's of the cost could be recovered from the tenants if you painted just before they started the tenancy. Do you have all the receipts and invoices from the time the bathroom was renovated? That would help your case.

xylophone

If you lived in the flat with no problem for five years and this problem has developed over a short period then is the neighbour certain that there is not a leak from her pipes above your ceiling?

Leaks can be very slight, and not that easy to spot if mains pressure is not involved.
A tiny amount of water escapes from the connection to a tap say, and runs down the flexible hose to the floor, seeps into the boards and after a while, the area underneath becomes damp and stays that way.

Is there any odour of damp in the room?