Mould in leashold flat (I am new)

KateC78

I am new here. I am also a first time buyer. I bought my first flat in september. I have since discovered there is mould problem in the flat. I I started putting the heating on long time ago and my windows are often open. I have dealt with mould in the past so I know it definitely is not my fault. I called the management company (who deal with the building on behalf of the freeholder) but they told me they have never been made aware of it. They also said I can arrange a surveyor to check the walls etc but it would be at my own cost.
I have since spoken to some of my neighbours and most flats have got the same issue. The part of the building where my flat is seems to be the worst.
Do you know what I can do about it ?
I have had a look online but didn't get much info.
Thank you

societys_child

It can be caused by a number of reasons. What's going mouldy, window frames, walls, furniture, carpets, ceilings ?
Is the flat damp, is it of standard construction, does it have insulation, ground floor or higher?

Would a dehumidifier help, have the neighbours suggested what the cause is or any remedy they've tried?

Sorry about all the questions, but more info is needed.

always_sunny

hmmm it depends what you mean by a mould problem. I would think that pretty much 100% of properties in the UK (and many other countries) have some sort of mould. In the UK many property seem to have insulation that prevents proper ventilation.

If you haven't yet, buy yourself a hygrometer so that you can see the humidity level around the flat.

Where is the mould? On windows/doors? Walls? Bathroom or living room?
As you recently bought the flat, I assume it was all clean when you inspected? So how long before it turned mouldy?

Assuming you did have a survey done, what was the humidity reported?
Honestly, I don't think there's much the freeholder can do beside cleaning through a partner company of theirs that will charge you twice as much.

KateC78

Thank you for your replies.
The flat is on the ground floor. It is on a little hill. I viewed the flat twice and it looked very clean and modern. I think it was freshly redecorated and there were no signs of mould etc. The neighbours are tenants and have notified their landlords but nothing was done. They all use dehumidifier. I also have one. I also use the hanging bags in my wardrobes that collect water. When I turned the dehumidifier on it showed 74%. The people that leave above me have mould in exactly the same places. There is no issues with windows. The mould is on the walls and in the corners. Top and bottom.I moved in just under 4 months. It started to appear around october. First in the bathroom is it is the coldest. And then in the bedroom and the living room. The only room that doesn't seem to have any mould is the smaller bedroom. The room has got a little vent and the heater is underneath the window. I have moved the furniture away from the walls to help air circulation.

always_sunny

How bad is it? Like this?

Take a photo of one of the walls and share it.

Part of my flat is also on the ground floor (converted house) and was also I was worried about mould and the only place (so far) getting mouldy is the window frames because of condensation if I don't clean up. Having bags in the wardrobe collecting moisture it's something very normal because of the climate in most of the UK.

Also, have a look at the http://www.dpcalc.org/index.php to understand how temperature and humidity impact mould growth. Mould needs certain conditions to thrive and after cleaning it, you need to remove those conditions as much as possible.
For example if your flat is at 21C and humidity is 74%, 49 days is all it takes for mould to show up.

People above you may have mould in the same place cause of design issue of the flat; i.e. even if you open the window, air does not circulate and that wall is perennially cold. You can overcame that with a fan or cross ventilation. Do you have trickle vents on your windows?

Buy couple of hygrometers off amazon/ebay (they're few pounds) and put them in different rooms; What's the temperature and humidity in the smaller bedroom?
Opening windows may not always help, for example where I live today the humidity outside is 97% (google your location weather and you will see the humidity)!

Sorry for the long post but knowing your conditions can assist you to resolve them because mould will not go away on its own I doubt there's an easy loophole you can use to get out of the flat or have someone else resolving it long term.

G_M

Have you looked at the outside walls where the mould is? During rain?

If upstairs flat has mould on the same wall it could be as simple as a blocked/leaking gutter causing rainwater to run down that wall. Or if there is a ownpipe there rom the gutter, that could be blocked/leaking.

teddysmum

We had some mould behind a headboard in our box room. The problem was caused by a leaking drainpipe (since replaced) that was causing extra wetness on that exterior corner of the house.


A new pipe and DIY mould treatment have solved the problem. You can also buy mould retardant paint, which would have been our next course of action.