Repairs and mould, us or LL?

dod929

We rent a 1 bed ground floor flat and are having problems with the LL doing repairs.

The bathroom is in the centre with no windows and the sealant round the bath has started to go mouldy and peel away, they are saying mould is our responsibility and due to not ventilating, we never shut the bathroom door and the mirror never steams up so Im not convinced, has anyone else had this, have googled a lot and seems to be dependant on house to house state?

The boiler was replaced and moved to an outside wall in Dec '15 because the flue wasn't at a steep enough angle through the ceiling so water was puddling in the middle preventing fumes from getting out.
The house was built in 2007 and only failed the gas safety inspection on this occasion, they have not made good the exposed breeze blocks, hole in the ceiling and pipes in the kitchen where it used to be, or the holes in the ceiling where the new boiler is.

The patio doors have a blown seal in the bottom, we noticed and informed LL in Nov 15 which is causing water to get through and has caused the skirting board and blinds to go mouldy.
Can mould spread from this to other windows? i am having to anti mould spray the windows in the bedroom every couple of weeks but can't find where this could be coming from.

I like this house, it is in a good area and I still have a year of uni left so don't have the funds to stump up another deposit and agency fees to move until then.

I have refused to pay a rent increase until the repairs are done and worried if I start stamping my feet they will just get rid of us as I haven't signed the new tenancy agreement because they wouldn't change the rent amount or add the condition in as I don't want it deducted from deposit or be taken to court for rent arrears.

The issues aren't deal breakers but just annoying to get a reply to every email asking when they are going to be done, saying yes they are coming tomorrow/next week but never materialising !
Has anyone had this or know anyway to give them a kick up the bum?

AdrianC

dod929 wrote: »

they are saying mould is our responsibility and due to not ventilating

They're right, because it's not going to be coming from anywhere external. Is the bathroom heated in the cooler, damper months? Is there an extractor fan?

dod929

Yes the bathroom has a radiator, it doesn't feel 'damp' anywhere and if it gets colder than 17 then the heating comes on automatically at any time of day all year round. I spoke to my dad and he said its quite common that the seals go. The mould has only come where it peeled away so not sure if that makes any difference?

tlc678910

Hi,
Are you describing that the bathroom is in the middle with no window to open? Is there an extractor fan? If you are showering/bathing and ventilating the bathroom by leaving the door open this will help the bathroom but make the rest of the flat damper.

You could do with an extractor fan that continues for a while after you turn the light off (some have humidity sensor and stay on until the humidity is low)

Have the windows open as much as possible (which I appreciate is difficult on the ground floor). If it is safe to leave them in night vent position (locked slightly open) or any trickle vents that can be left open all the time? You need to heat and ventilate but the ground floor makes it more difficult for you.

Avoiding drying clothes on radiators will help. Open windows and use extractors when you are cooking or using a tumble dryer.

I'm not saying you are causing the problems as the property (ground floor with bathroom in the middle) makes it harder but these actions will minimise problems.

Removing and replacing bath seal is something you can do yourself or ask anyone you know that is half handy to do. For a good sealant you will be paying less than a tenner.

In a ground floor flat I lived in where the bathroom ceiling would go mouldy we stopped the problem by leaving the window in night vent position but not ideal for security.

Good luck
Tlc

Mr.Generous

Ask the landlord to buy a dehumidifier, that would help a lot. You would be paying the running costs but it would protect landlords property investment. Comments about ventilation are spot on. An inside bathroom with no window must have a fan, check its working by holding a piece of paper up to it. Silicone goes moldy in everyone's home eventually, not so much anyone's fault as a fact of life.

AdrianC

dod929 wrote: »

I spoke to my dad and he said its quite common that the seals go. The mould has only come where it peeled away so not sure if that makes any difference?

Ah, that's a VERY different kettle of fish.

That's water that's getting/got behind the silicone sealant, and been trapped there. Quick, easy and cheap job to remove the old sealant, clean it all up, then re-seal. But it really is only cosmetic, so long as water isn't getting between the bath and the wall.