Damp/mould in bedroom.

madman1981

Iv noticed some damp n mould in one of the  kids bedrooms an the damp patch always gets worse when it's raining - so there must be an issue with the guttering or roof. 

Also wallpaper is wet and is coming away from one of the walls, the wall was only skimmed an wall papered around a year ago but now there is mould under the paper (so obviously at some point going to need stripping and treating too) 

The council are saying they can't come out until 7th December to take a look. 

So was wondering if anyone has got any advice on managing the issue until council come out or is there any laws/rules I can quote to try and get them out sooner please 

jonnydeppiwish!

Have you cleaned the guttering out recently?
Also, how often is the room vented, and is it in the ground floor?

dimbo61

Well the first thing I would look at is the guttering outside and downpipes when it's raining hard.
Do you have ladders to check out the guttering for blockages.
Lots of trees nearby.
Old leaking or broken gutters and downpipes can cause water to leak into the roof and walls. 
Could you go into the loft when it rains to see if you can see any holes or water getting in ? 

LegallyLandlord

This sounds awful for you. Given the council is supposed to check landlords have housing fit for human habitation, it's not good!

I'm new on here, so I can't post a link. But do google homes fitness for human habitation guide for tenants.  It's a gov dot uk guide.

Damp and mould is one of the 29 health hazards listed. Your landlord, the council, has a duty to repair any problems in your home in a reasonable amount of time that they are responsible for. You could remind them of this (see Step 6 .

A lot will depend on the reason for the damp. As it's on the ceiling, and it comes after rain, it's likely to be a leaking roof. This is the landlord's responsibility to fix.

If it's because there's not enough ventilation from a bathroom or tumbler dryer, drying things on radiators etc, it's the tenant's responsibility. If it's another reason to do with the building, eg rising damp, it's the landlord's responsibility to sort out. 

In any event, the landlord should send someone to look as soon as possible. Given that it's mould, and a child is sleeping in there, I don't think 5 weeks is a reasonable time. They should give it a bigger priority. Write to them and make a complaint, saying this.

In the meantime, I'd use a bleach spray, and open the windows as much as possible. A dehumidifer might help.

Hope this helps.
Suzanne

Bendy_House

As said by others, this is a leak from the outside, almost certainly (actually, very certainly).

Madman, do you know what you are responsible for in your tenancy agreement? I suspect - but don't know - it includes to maintain things like gulleys, gutters, and drains, and keep them clean and clear and in working order. So, like others, I'd suggest that the 'obvious' is checked first, or else you might be waiting a month only to be told that, not only is it your responsibility, but you may even be liable for the resulting internal damage.

Is it easy to get to the guttering around that area? Do you ever have it cleaned out? Do you know of someone - often window cleaners - who will check it out for you?

If not, then perhaps wait until the next heavy downpour, and go outside to look for water overflowing and running down the wall.