Mould and a rental dilemma - opinions please

amfan

Pauper1 wrote: »

amfan thank you. Do you have to wipe it away after spraying?

Yes, you leave it sprayed on for half an hour and then clean it off

pinklady21

If the mould is behind the cistern and not accessible, can the cistern be removed from the wall temporarily to gain access to clean it off? this may of course require a plumber to disconnect and reconnect it, but not a major job. Agree with other posters, clean the mould with HG spray or foam and wait and see if the mould reappears. Wear a mask if you have concerns about breathing in spores or fumes. Take before and after photos. If there is a recurrence of mould growth, then you will know to undertake further investigations as to the cause at that point.

Pauper1

Davesnave patronising, much?!

warby68 yes, he probably could, he's just been working away a lot recently. You are right, I'm being stubborn and probably a bit hormonal.

G_M thank you. Yes, it does seem like the cause has been dealt with but you're right, I wouldn't know until it has been cleared. Thank you for the link, looks like there's a lot of helpful info on there. I will read it properly later.

pinklady21 good idea about the plumber. If I'm to deal with it myself and not move (which seems like the solution from most people) then I'd rather make sure it has all gone. Masks are also a good shout!

freeisgood

Pauper1 we have the same problem....especially in autumn....we just spray mound spray into all the cracks/gaps and it gets to where its needed. We just leave it and the mould disappears for a few weeks.

Pauper1

freeisgood thank you. That stuff is amazing really!

Dad came over to mine to look at the mould this afternoon and see what he thinks (ex-landlord). He said if it was his house, he'd want to get the mould sorted as it could be affecting the structure and would definitely come up in a survey if he were to ever sell. But regardless, he thinks he can take the cistern off (trained in plumbing and electrics - handy dad to have!) and then use the spray stuff to clean it. He thinks that as the house was empty for so long before we moved in that the landlord would be unlikely to just turf us out as he would possibly struggle to find anyone again.

I think this is probably the best option, cheapest and the least stressful. Thanks everyone for your advice.

Davesnave

Pauper1 wrote: »

Davesnave patronising, much?!

Suggesting that your husband should have taken on this job is something I'm definitely guilty of. I don't recall what stage of pregnancy you've reached, or even if you told us, but there will be times when climbing around the back of a toilet won't be sensible, or even practicable.

Others were also saying that you were over-dramatising a small area of mould . I said that super-cleanliness is a normal sort of behaviour for many parents expecting a first baby. I don't know what's patronising about that.

ViolaLass

So the house was in a state when you agreed to rent it? Why didn't you as for those things to be sorted before you moved in?

saajan_12

If there is still an ongoing cause of the mould unrelated to your lifestyle (e.g. building related) then the LL should rectify that. Write to report the issue and follow the Shelter process to enforce repairs, allowing reasonable time between each step.

However if its just remaining mould due to an old issue then that's just a cleaning issue and as you suggest was in place when you moved in.. that's how you agreed to take the place. The LL doesn't owe you any particular standard of cleanliness, the fact that you didn't see it when you viewed doesn't make it now the LL's problem.

FBaby

When you move into a rented house you expect it to be basically clean, especially considering the deductions that get taken off if you leave it unclean.

Absolutely, so it's then you should have kicked up a fuss not now. Surely you've made sure that the inventory specified that you moved in a dirty house and therefore you are free to leave it dirty when you go?

I don't understand why you would have accepted to take on a home that required 8 hours of cleaning yet make a fuss over an area that you can't access anyway. Surely anything you see can be accessed somehow?

[Deleted User]

Put small cleaning brushes into ebay and see if anything useful comes up. Used similar things myself to clean awkward places. I also have been known to use a child's toothbrush.., but this search will show up brushes that can get into even narrower spaces.

Or/and you can apply lots of mould cleaning spray (my use of Cillet Bang mould cleaner was a cheaper option and surprisingly effective) at top of cistern and wipe as it comes out the sides and bottom of the cistern. Or use brushes to help it.

Or drain cystern (with jug or flush it and stop floater thing from sinking - tape it high), unscrew carefully from wall and clean behind it. Just be careful.

Or get OH to do it if he's capable.

I've cleaned the impossible just from sheer determination lol. As long as you are careful I've never damaged anything.

Sorry I didn't read the 'remove cistern' posts above. Glad your Dad is helping.