Mould problem and heating costs

lucas20042004

Hello,

I’m renting and have had damp issues since moving in about a year ago.

The letting agent has tried to repair the problem but the damp persists.

Dehumidifiers are running constantly and the heating has to be on 24/7 in the living room to stop the damp.

The problem is that we have costly storage heaters costing around £500 a month to run at the moment.

The agent has refused to assist with the cost and blames it on recent weather conditions although these issues have been recorded several months ago.

If the heating is turned off then damp and mould appears so I have no choice other than leaving it running.

Anything I can do here?

Thanks

Exodi

I'm by no means an expert, but having successfully tackled a mould problem at the house I bought a few years ago, I found by far the biggest issue was ventilation and mitigating sources of excess humidity.

I now keep the trickle vents open on all the windows in the house to counter excess humidity, stopped drying clothes indoors on dryers (and swapped for a vented tumble dryer) and ensured the bathroom extractor fans were correctly venting through the roof tiles.

I haven't seen mould in the house since, even letting the rooms regularly bounce between 15 - 19 every day.

Obviously I understand that in rented accomodation you may not have the option to install a vented tumble dryer, or start messing around with the extractor fans - but trying to find any creative ways to counter humidity in the house would be a great start... even considering opening windows when you shower for example (as counterproductive as it seems)...

Though as I said, I'm certainly not a mould expert!

Alderbank

You have not mentioned ventilation.
Moisture is constantly produced by everyday activities such as cooking and drying clothes, and human beings put moisture in the air just by being alive.
How many people live in your home?
Do you always use the kitchen extractor fan or open the window during and after cooking?
Do you ever dry clothes indoors?
Does everyone always use extractor fan or open bathroom window after showering or bathing?
Do all your windows have trickle vents and do you use them?

pinkshoes

Assuming you're doing everything possible not to cause mould by lifestyle (no clothes drying indoors, cooking with extractor, venting bathroom after using hot water/shower, vents on windows open etc...) and you are sure the mould is ONLY being caused by a damp problem within the house, then the LL needs to do something to fix it.

What did the letting agent do to try and fix it? Do they know what is causing the damp? Is it a case of they have no idea or they just don't want to pay to get it fixed or investigated?

If the LL is not cooperating then personally I'd be tempted to let it get really bad then call environmental health in. Or perhaps even look for somewhere else to rent??

ProDave

Did you read and understand the EPC on the property before you decided to rent it?  What does the EPC say?

There is no magic pot of money for landlords to spend £ many thousands to seriously upgrade old properties, they are what they are, poorly insulated so need a lot of heating and ventilating.

Serious suggestion, look for a better rental with a better EPC.

EssexHebridean

ProDave said:

Did you read and understand the EPC on the property before you decided to rent it?  What does the EPC say?

There is no magic pot of money for landlords to spend £ many thousands to seriously upgrade old properties, they are what they are, poorly insulated so need a lot of heating and ventilating.

Serious suggestion, look for a better rental with a better EPC.

They also shouldn't be full of mould unless the heating is on full blast, though! 

tripled

ProDave said:

Did you read and understand the EPC on the property before you decided to rent it?  What does the EPC say?

There is no magic pot of money for landlords to spend £ many thousands to seriously upgrade old properties, they are what they are, poorly insulated so need a lot of heating and ventilating.

Serious suggestion, look for a better rental with a better EPC.

If a landlord cannot afford to keep a property in a habitable condition, perhaps they should consider selling that property and investing in a different property that doesn't require a magic pot of money.

diystarter7

Hi OP

Did you move in with the mould, ie saw it and moved in?

If there are no damp probs, leaks, etc then most common reasons for mould are

Drying clothing indoors, not sufficient ventilation and heat.  This is why you often see mould on walls that on the back are on the outside, by windows and corners where it remains cooler

Thanks

youth_leader

I've had a positive ventilation unit put in my bungalow loft this week, could you ask your landlord to consider this? 

It's worked from day one here, I haven't had the usual dripping condensation on the windows.

I've been using a dehumidifier for washing in a closed room, extractor in the bathroom and kitchen but humidity was still very high.  I'm in a bungalow where the two chimney breasts have been blocked and capped - and only one has a ventilation grille.  The damp specialist that came said I shouldn't worry as the tiny top bay window has trickle vents, but even with the windows left cracked open at night, I'd have dripping windows. 

propertyrental

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/damp_and_mould_in_rented_homes

https://www.landlordvision.co.uk/blog/guide-to-mould-in-rental-properties/

and here are some cheap (£5 ish) hacks:

fill a jar with silica gel, cover it with a perforated lid (you can do this by piercing the lid with a screwdriver), and leave it by your window.
"Replace the gel once every two weeks for best results.

Alternatively, you can also use charcoal in the same way as it absorbs moisture from the air."

The experts have also shared other cheap hacks that could help prevent condensation, including placing rock salt in a small bowl by the window.
Because the rock salt is so absorbent, it will draw moisture to it.

 This can also be done with baking soda. Both these should be replaced regularly.

A stranger hack is to fill some old socks with cat litter and place this near your window. This is also a product created to absorb moisture, which is great when you're trying to prevent condensation.