Delicate situation with tenant

RHemmings

Just my personal experience here. I've moved into a house that felt damp on entry. I want to work on the damp over time. As a sticking plaster, I bought a good sized (for domestic) dehumidifier, which I have set to not too low, about 65% target. Every few days I need to empty out its 5 litre tank. 

It seems to be doing a good job of the whole house. Even if I don't have a window open at night, I wake up with no condensation on the windows etc. My previous partner in a previous house used to have a thing about blocking off all the air bricks and not opening windows. We would wake up with all the windows soaking and water on the windowsills etc. 

I'm not considering the dehumidifier to be the permanent solution. But, it appears to be doing a good job at the moment. 

markin

Automatic vents in the bathroom and kitchen seems the obvious answer, And is the a dryer? Are you saying you instaled a dehumidifier and they arn't using it?

You could also get a drain survey, a cracked drain can leads to damp and eventually subsidence.

Giraffe76

Veteransaver said:

It has been an exceptionally damp winter so far, ie ground is very damp so it's not out of the question there is a damp issue and something is wrong with the property.
If so it might be seen as pretty unreasonable to try to insist the tenants use a dehumidifier which they will pay for via their electric bill (dehumidifiers can use a serious amount of electric). Equally installing tamper proof trickle vents or air circulation systems also increase their energy bill would be pretty unreasonable if it's a problem with the property.
Also, if skirting boards are mouldy it suggests its more likely a rising damp issue, is the bedroom on the ground floor?

We had a new damp course fitted only last month along with a new PIV unit. The property is a bungalow and as I've said before when we lived there we didn't get any of these problems. I've also been told by several different workmen that they are cooking with all the windows closed, drying clothes on the radiators and not opening windows even slightly during the day when they are at work how we have requested.
It wasy mistake earlier in the post when I said that we got a dehumidifier installed as it was a PIV unit. There is also a extractor in the bathroom and kitchen.

Giraffe76

jonnydeppiwish! said:

Giraffe76 said:

The reason why I think it's the tenants that are causing the mould issue is because we lived at the property for a few years and didn't have any issues plus several workmen have said to me that they have seen the tenants cooking without no ventilation used or windows open.
I will check what you have suggested tacpot12

What dpc did you have fitted? Really important question op. Chemical dpc aren’t know for very much except for wasting a lot of money.

I will have to check what type of dpc was fitted and get back to you on that.

markin

Its not normal to have to open windows when cooking! Is the kitchen hood actually connected to an external vent and working?

As you only just had the DPC done expect it to take 6 months to dry out, Its usually normal to actually need to remove the plaster below 1m as its usually soaked and damaged, If the was actually raising damp.

You should at this stage probably buy a dehumidifier to aid in drying it out and then maintain it.

theartfullodger

Evict: 

Then with a bit of background heating and all trickle vents open see if it dries out within 2 weeks:  (Worked for me).

markin

With no dryer and high heating costs, the next tenant could be just the same.

Damp surveyors are often just salesman making a sale, The bottom of the walls could simply be cold spots and attracting the damp air, Fitting window vents and using a dehumidifier for washing drying and using the piv in the long term should take car of it, no mater what tenants do.

Many tenants will close vents, not use extractors and shut off pivs, so they need to be automated and tamper proof.

RHemmings

markin said:

With no dryer and high heating costs, the next tenant could be just the same.

Damp surveyors are often just salesman making a sale, The bottom of the walls could simply be cold spots and attracting the damp air, Fitting window vents and using a dehumidifier for washing drying and using the piv in the long term should take car of it, no mater what tenants do.

Many tenants will close vents, not use extractors and shut off pivs, so they need to be automated and tamper proof.

I wouldn't dream of drying clothes inside the house. In winter I take it all to a laundrette. 

MattMattMattUK

RHemmings said:

markin said:

With no dryer and high heating costs, the next tenant could be just the same.

Damp surveyors are often just salesman making a sale, The bottom of the walls could simply be cold spots and attracting the damp air, Fitting window vents and using a dehumidifier for washing drying and using the piv in the long term should take car of it, no mater what tenants do.

Many tenants will close vents, not use extractors and shut off pivs, so they need to be automated and tamper proof.

I wouldn't dream of drying clothes inside the house. In winter I take it all to a laundrette. 

Most people I know have a dehumidifier these days, far cheaper than a tumble dryer and has benefits for the property overall, also cheaper than taking clothes to a laundrette. 

RHemmings

MattMattMattUK said:

RHemmings said:

markin said:

With no dryer and high heating costs, the next tenant could be just the same.

Damp surveyors are often just salesman making a sale, The bottom of the walls could simply be cold spots and attracting the damp air, Fitting window vents and using a dehumidifier for washing drying and using the piv in the long term should take car of it, no mater what tenants do.

Many tenants will close vents, not use extractors and shut off pivs, so they need to be automated and tamper proof.

I wouldn't dream of drying clothes inside the house. In winter I take it all to a laundrette. 

Most people I know have a dehumidifier these days, far cheaper than a tumble dryer and has benefits for the property overall, also cheaper than taking clothes to a laundrette. 

Thanks. I'm going to ask a question in the Energy sub-forum.