Odd problem with drying clothes in our rented house

Larac

eddddy wrote: »

You could try using an 'over the bath' dryer - maybe keeping the window open or extractor fan on:

Made me smile -when I saw this. I persuaded my late Mum to have one of these in her retirement flat. Proved very useful - she reckoned that items dried overnight!

Murphybear

conradmum wrote: »

Thanks. Looks like we're going to have to live with sitting in our living room with a clothes horse covered in sheets and a dehumdifier running! I won't be leaving windows open and freezing during winter, as well as sending our heating bills through the roof.
We'll definitely be out of this property the minute the lease is up.

We bought a heated airer from Lakeland. It wasn’t particularly cheap but was big enough to take sheets and quilt covers. It dried things very quickly and we never had condensation problems. It folded up for storage and was fairly cheap to run as well. The cat loved to curl up beneath it as well

Another vote for a washer dryer as well. We had one which lasted 20 years (it was a Miele, they do last long). The only problem with them is that the driers have small capacity and the washing gets creased. We bought the electric airer because it was cheaper to run and cut down the ironing.

AliceBanned

I too have a clause in the lease to my flat that I can't hang out washing, but it is a communal garden. It doesn't sound necessary in your garden and maybe you could raise this with the landlord and ask why/whether it can be changed? Surely no harm in standing the clothes horse outside even. See what they say.


I have always used an airer indoors and never thought of adding a humidifier. I can't see signs of damp anywhere but this thread has made me wonder if in winter in particular this isn't healthy.


I agree it is a pain and I constantly seem to have the clothes horse out in the living room..but my rooms are spacious so it is not too bad - though still not ideal. I do think about getting a washer dryer just for sheets and towels as I know they can shrink clothes..but I have heard washer dryers aren't as good as separate washing machine and dryer. If my current washing machine broke down I'd probably opt for one anyway just to see for myself.

suki1964

You can take them to the launderette to dry, invest in one of these

https://www.argos.co.uk/browse/sports-and-leisure/bags-luggage-and-travel/shopping-trolleys/c:30497/

I used one for 20 years until I got my own house with garden and a washing machine

sheramber

In one house my tumble drier sat on top of a chest of drawers inside a fitted wardrobe which was along the bedroom wall. A hose went out the window when it was in use.

SmashedAvacado

Just hang your clothes outside

On the basis that you’re in an established Victorian house and not a flat Then clause is almost certainly an unreasonable clause and probably unenforceable under UCTA

eddddy

SmashedAvacado wrote: »

Just hang your clothes outside

On the basis that you’re in an established Victorian house and not a flat Then clause is almost certainly an unreasonable clause and probably unenforceable under UCTA

Just because a clause is unreasonable/ unenforceable, it isn't necessarily a good idea to annoy your landlord by doing something they've asked you not to do.

And I'm not sure the OP would take much comfort from knowing that if this went to court, he/she would probably win. (I doubt that the OP wants a court case.)


More pragmatic approaches to start with might include...

• Finding out why the LL has made that rule
• Finding out whether neighbours are subject to the same rule, and whether they obey it
• Having a friendly discussion with the LL about it
• "Testing the water" by hanging out a few clothes, and seeing if anyone complains.

... and take things from there.


Edit to add...

It may be something simple, like the LL has re-used the AST they use for a flat, (or used agent's standard AST), without realising about that particular clause.

SmashedAvacado

eddddy wrote: »

Just because a clause is unreasonable/ unenforceable, it isn't necessarily a good idea to annoy your landlord by doing something they've asked you not to do.

And I'm not sure the OP would take much comfort from knowing that if this went to court, he/she would probably win. (I doubt that the OP wants a court case.)


More pragmatic approaches to start with might include...

• Finding out why the LL has made that rule
• Finding out whether neighbours are subject to the same rule, and whether they obey it
• Having a friendly discussion with the LL about it
• "Testing the water" by hanging out a few clothes, and seeing if anyone complains.

... and take things from there.


Edit to add...

It may be something simple, like the LL has re-used the AST they use for a flat, (or used agent's standard AST), without realising about that particular clause.

You're assuming a landlord won't be prgamatic also. The chances are that the landlord does not even know that this clause is in the tenancy. The chances are also that the landlord would never know that the tenant was doing this if its their back garden. Even if they were doing this, its not a once and for all breach, so the landlord would need to ask them not to before issuing any notice under the lease. Even if the landlord asked them not to, its almost certainly the case, that the clause is unreasonable - its not impacting the landlord in any way, and is probably better for the property than any of the options indoors.

The reality is almost certainly that the clause comes from the letting agent who use the same lease for flsts with balconies as houses. I would just ignore it and carry on.

tighteningthebelt

Got me thinking how the victorians must have done it...
take action to generate less washing (aprons, repeat wearings)
indoor rack (the old fashioned pulley racks didn't take up any floor space)

I have ditched creating a lot of washing and drying.
I can dry outside, but it doesn't work all of the year.

-i have a 'frost' airer from ikea, which i can just about fit in my bathroom, inch to wall both sides! I like it because there's no overlap of clothes, stores very neatly, and it has a large capacity, and costs £10.
*i wear clothes repeatedly. I always change underclothes but get half a week out of an outfit. so when I wash colours it's two outfits and undies once a week. that's easy to dry. (accept there might be more people at yours). I don't wear pale colours in the winter.
*i wear a pinny in the house, one that covers all my front, i take it off when i go out and put it on when i come in, keeping it by the door. Napkins at mealtimes help too.
*re. white washes eg bedding and towels, tea towels, dishcloths, flannels (i don't buy coloured versions of any of these) Hottest wash, fast spin. I rotate fortnightly in the winter.
*My towels last 2 weeks by; spreading them out between uses so they don't get musty mostly hang over shower rail til dry, drying 'pits and bits' with a dry flannel because it's small then the big towel feels cleaner for longer - again i would dry the flannel in the bathroom before putting it in the wash so germs don't breed on damp stuff, i also have quite thin towels just ordinary towels but thin, though you can also get microfibre or waffle weave cotton towels which are super easy to dry.
*My sheets last 2 weeks by airing the bed every morning, windows open, covers completely off then back on again an hour or so later.
*in total i do 2 washes a week in the winter, and i limit because of drying. one wash colours, one wash whites - always dishcloths, flannels, tea towels, with either towels OR bedding. (i could wash them together with a dye catcher sheet but i think the whites need the hot treatment esp as they all go in together)
There's hardly any ironing to do without creases from a dryer, and clothes last much longer.

I'm sure you'll get a routine, there's lots of helpful suggestions on here. good luck!

SallyDucati

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

We did exactly that in the flat we rent out. Our logic was, seeing as there is nowhere outside to dry washing, we will get the tenant a washer dryer to encourage them to dry washing that way.Obviously we can't enforce this, but we can at least point out that they had no need to dry washing in the flat.

In the OP's case, I too would suggest a dehumidifier.

Not everything can be tumble dried though.

I also use a dehumidifier in my small bedroom for he clothes that can't be tumbled when the weather won't allow drying outside.