Mumsnet Talk

Our last tenant didn't air the house leaving us with a big bill from a damp specialist to fix the damp caused by not opening windows etc.

The house is now vacant while we fix this, we want to put a clause in the next tenancy agreement to make sure the house is aired,

Is this being unreasonable , would it bother you when renting.

I dont want another massive job on my hands.

It depends on what you want done and how often you want it done really.

I've rented places with lists of things that must be done due to prior tenants misdeeds and frankly found a lot of them to be unreasonable and in some cases intrusive.

What do you have in mind?

I think you're being reasonable, particularly in light of the problems you''ve had. Perhaps you should also add in some additional property inspections too-not sure how you'd moni tor it otherwise.

Not really sure you can force
People
To keep their windows open, can you install extractors or vents especially in the bathroom and kitchen.

My friend was a tenant like you've just had - never opened the windows, ever! Things got so bad that the wooden front door swelled shut, it was terrible

I wouldn't have a problem with having that as a clause in it, you're only looking after your interests, and damp/mould is no good for anyone!

Not sure really. We rarely air our house and have no damp problem. I think you need to address the cause of the damp, eg provide a properly vented tumble dryer, extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchen and dehumidifiers if required. I don't think you can demand the flat is aired, though you can tell tenants of the previous problem, agree a report on the current condition of the property and charge for damage caused by tenants.

Some people run the heater rather than air the place in winter.

We are instaloing extractors as part of the damp dudes job. I lived there for three years and never had a problem

Just maybe if they see there is an issue, with condensation etc, open the windows for a bit

Its an old house with no wall cavities, when the damp company came they said the damp is not comming from outside only from not airing the home to stop extra moisture.

We can't keep the deposit if she wasnt aware of the issue in the first place can we?

She thinks its all our fault, I am just glad I can get in to fix it.

I lived in v damp houses and would have been furious if the landlord tried to pin the damage that caused on me.

You need to instlal proper ventilation and give them a tumble dryer. Do they have a tumble dryer? Are the windows easy to open?

"agree a report on the current condition of the property and charge for damage caused by tenants."

You can't do that as it would be impossible to prove. Deposits aren't there to cover normal wear and tear.

There is an intergrated dryer there. Windows are 5 years old and very easy to open, if she had told us before asking to leave we would have fixed it but nothing was said.

If there is appropriate means for airing, so wouldn't mean leaving the door open or a window at night that someone could easily get in, then I think you're reasonable. I've rented places that say for example you have to run the extractor fan after a shower.

I had a nightmare tenant once who reported me to the Environmental Health because the flat got so damp and mouldy. The inspector soon realised that there was a huge extractor fan that she wasn't using, and accepted that four-hour showers were something that it couldn't be.expected to cope with anyway.

four-hour showers? Jeez.

all you can do is to provide the facilities. Extractor fans that come on when the shower does and cannot be turned off, a cooker hood that vents to the outside, vented tumble dryer and outside drying space.

we also had a clause that the place must be heated to 15C between Nov and March, primarily to avoid burst pipes. No way of monitoring it but didn't get any burst pipes.

there's no defence against an idiot. Three monthly inspections are all you can do - no-one should object to these as they are to make sure all is working and to protect your property. Many tenants ignore leaks, dripping overflows, dripping taps etc, these are for the landlord to fix but it can't be done unless someone notices.

I don't think you can blame tenants unless they are actively doing damage. What are you doing to make sure the fabric of the building is doing the job properly, which it sounds like it isn't. If you aren't replacing windows can you retrofit vents like these m.handlestore.com/category/Window-Vents/0/
Is the roof properly ventilated does it need extra vents added?
Are there sufficient airbricks and are they clear? Are you sure there are no underfloor or behind plasterwork leaks that are contributing to excessive moisture within the house. This is not alway obvious until significant damage is done.
Is there adequate extract ventilation in bathrooms, kitchens and utility spaces, does it come on automatically and does it run for long enough
There should be enough background airchanges that opening the windows isn't needed on a day to day basis just on exceptional days, if this isn't the case then I think you need to look at a ventilation solution that doesn't rely on people otherwise this problem will keep reoccurring.

Every tenancy contract I've signed had a condensation / damp clause that it is the tenants' responsibility to air out the house and if damages occur because the tenant does not take any steps, it is tenants' responsibility to fix those damages and return the property to same state as it was at start of tenancy. This doesn't include rising damp, leaky gutters which cause damp on inside walls, leaky pipes etc. But absolutely if I as tenant refuse to air out the place and dry my washing and towels on radiators, then cause mould on walls, carpets, kitchen units - yup, I'm liable. Most tenants never want to admit it is due to condensation and always assume something is faulty with the property. That said, what on earth is a damp specialist?! Sounds like you just made your property more airtight which in turn will cause more mould if windows aren't open.

I think you need to look at the stucture of the house. No house should need the windows open to ventilate it.

Venyilation bricks...trickle vents...you need to look at the house not the tenants

Or, what wonkylegs said, much better than me

I would be a bi bemused by a tenancy that didn't let me dry my washing on the radiator, especially if it was one that also didn't allow me to ceiling mount a drying rack. I would expect a house to be able to cope with that, or else how would washing get dry? Windows can't be left open in winter, if it is warm enough for open windows, it is warm enough for the washing line.

Of course it's reasonable to say Please don't let the house becaome a stinking mould fest you hopeless slatterns. <bitter>

Ime, damp is a common problem amongst me and my friends who rent. Very much more so with landlords who have attitude problems and don't do other repairs either. Get rich quick types.

The house is 120 years old, it never had airbricks to start with its structually sound no blocked gutters, no roofing issues, surveyor and damp company said the same thing, its from inside not out.

The windows already have vents there not being used.

My house is fine, the tenant caused tjis but we can't take action as is v v diff icalt to prove.

As most people seem to think that damp is caused by the house itself. And not drying clothes, cooking, etc.

I do do repairs, if I'm not informed, how can I fix this?

I lived in rental accommodation with clauses such as 'keeping the flat ventilated is tenants responsibility'. I also rent out a flat and a house with these terms and as both a tenant and landlord I think they are reasonable.
As wonkeylegs said, it's not the tenants fault if the property has a damp problem but it is their fault if they are allowing huge amounts of condensation to build up unnecessarily. I think tenants should be expected to use extractor fans provided, open windows when and where possible and not do things such as string up drying laundry indoors unless there is a window open or extractor fan on.

You can use the dryer for clothes.

As cosmosim says most tenancy agreements now have a condensation damage clause. Tenants are far more likely to open windows if they realise they are responsible for the financial costs of not doing so.

BrittaPerry, I rent out a flat, there is no way it could cope with the water generated from washing on the radiators, showers, and cooking if windows are not opened. It is only a small space - a large house does of course have a greater capacity for water. There are extractor fans, trickle vents, and air bricks, but I have had tenants in the past seal all of these with parcel tape. I lived in the flat for 10 years myself and never had a problem with condensation, so I think it is fair to make tenants liable where it is caused by their lifestyle. Obviously damp due to structural problems is a different matter.

Sounds like the house is not performing property. If it is an old house, but the windows (presumably double glazed UPVC?) are only 5 years old, it sounds like there is a ventilation issue, rather than a damp issue and it's caused by your alterations.

The replacement windows are probably sealing it tight shut, when once it breathed. Did the house have a damp issue before the windows were fitted? While it's not unreasonable for your tenants to avoid causing damp, if there is a problem with ventilation in winter, that is for the landlord to address. Power showed, washing drying inside, general living all causes water vapour to build up. If it can't escape, then it's going to cause damp and mould. It's not much fun keeping the windows open when it's 0c outside.

Extractor fans, ventilation bricks should be fitted and the tumble drier properly ventilated to the outside, rather than condensing.

You can add a clause to the tenancy agreement that the house should be aired, but to protect your property, I would make the alterations.

Use the ARLA standard AST. It contains this clause already.

Warn tenants that there's has been a problem, that you've spent a lot of time & money sorting it out, but that they should ventilate & keep an eye on corners, windows etc. Leaving a bit of room behind furniture for air to circulate is important. Keep trickle vents open. Run a dehumidifier if necessary, particularly in the room where they dry clothes.

Airing doesn't take long. It's not a question of keeping windows open for hours. Open 2 windows at different ends of the flat, make a cup of tea or find some other way of spending 5 minutes, close. That's it.

Give them a copy of this

And while you're at it a copy othe Thames Water guide of what not to put down the loo, including 'flushable' wipes

we have a clause that says we have to keep windows wiped down of condensation to avoid mould growing, which i assume has been a problem in the past. i would have done this anyway, but if they want to have it in the contract i don't object

however, we do have a job keeping damp to a minimum as there is no extractor fan in either the kitchen or bathroom . the kitchen cupboards can be especially bad with condensation as there is no radiator in the kitchen and three external walls

i make sure that the house is properly aired, especially when i have to dry washing indoors (no tumble dryer and no space for one), but given the lack of extractor fans i would be VERY unhappy with any damp damage being charged to us

but it sounds as though you are making an effort to install everything necessary anyway

Completely reasonable to have that in the contract. I always put that in.

The windows where put in when I lived thete abd there wasn't an issue at all.

Ill have a look at the arla thing, thanks

Our current rented place is awful for damp in the bathrooms, despite an (insufficient) extractor in each room. We use the dryer primarily, and have the windows open whenever showering (excluding the last couple of weeks) but it is still a mould-fest.
However, the owner does nothing to address it despite frequent inspections.
Mind you he spends nothing on maintaining the house full-stop. It's a bit tragic watching it gradually go to waste. And yes, he's yet another 'accidental landlord' who couldn't sell the place and begrudges spending on maintenance.

By, the way, I wasn't implying that you (the OP) are reluctant to spend on maintenance, but rather that's it's common amongst accidental landlords.

The problem with accidental landlord is that having lived in the property, they are more reluctant when tenants start a list of complaints when there was no issue before - like damp. One of my friends lived in her flat for 2 years. Never had any damp / mould. Rented it out and 1 month in, new tenants are complaining of the mould growing everywhere. Friend points out they need to ventilate more. Nope, they don't want to open their windows and let heat out. Also don't want to buy dehumidifier and insist friend's place must have rising damp and she needs to sort it now.

This is more like an AIBU set of replies! If anyone posts in here about a damp problem with a house they own, they're told it's a lifestyle problem and they need to make changes like using extractor fans, not drying clothes on radiators etc.! But if someone else owns it, it's not a lifestyle problem apparently. I think it's totally reasonable.

I'm a bit upset really, the tenant never said anything, then out of the blue. I'm leaving its damp, didn't get chance even to sort it,

Its ended up we are having a damp, system installed replastered, extractors fitted, and fitting a new bathroom (nothing to do with damp)

The tenant is adamant its our fault.

Could you buy a dehumidifier, add it onto the inventory and insert a clause that it must be used? When I lived in a place with bad condensation the dehumidifier was the only thing that worked. It wasn't a matter of keeping it aired by opening the windows. It wasn't a lifestyle thing as I live in a similar house now and don't have the same problem.

How has tenant proved it's not condensation? As he's insisting it's your fault. Most damp is either condensation or blocked gutters resulting in penetrating damp (which can also be caused by leaky pipes etc). Last type is rising damp which is easy to rule out as mould only grows to certain height, then gravity takes over (and you get tide mark on a wall). If there wasn't anything leaking /rising - then it is condensation. I hate it when common sense flies out the door when some people rent

I've taken a short poll of a few friends who are in rental properties. Not one of them airs their house regularly. Two of them were surprised at the idea that they'd have to. They've owned or lived in newer houses almost exclusively, and the idea that they'd have to open windows regularly during the winter time had never occurred to them.

Which I'm glad of, because it had never occurred to me. I took the poll (of English people) because I'm not from this country, have always lived in newish build homes, and this has never been an issue.

So yes, if you expect people to have to open windows throughout the winter, you need to tell them. Don't just bury it in their letting agreement either, because we all know how closely people read those (some do, some don't). Get the extractors put in, get the dehumidifier and tell them they need to use it regularly, because it is in an issue in that house.

I currently rent, have rented a couple of properties in this country (have now purchased a house, thankfully) and have had any number of experiences with poor ventilation and ancient, inefficient boilers. I lived in a Victorian terrace where we'd have to ventilate daily, then heat the place back up again at our expense with the old-fashioned boiler provided. It wasn't nice, and we moved on quickly.

There are two sides to every story, I wouldn't tell you you are being U, but that yes if you expect people to do something in particular, you need to be very clear about that when they move in.

I think people's ideas of acceptable compromises differ.

I've lived in 4 different houses (1930s to modern), dry all my clothes on radiators, never had an extractor fan in a bathroom and have never had a problem with damp. If I now moved somewhere and had a damp problem that to me seems like a problem with the house as my lifestyle hasn't changed. In my mind houses should be able to cope with normal day to day living. Others clearly feel that constantly having to take measures to mitigate against damp is acceptable.

OP, it sounds like you were reasonable and the tenent was int he wrong. However, I think that what you really need is a clause that states they have to tell you about a problem occuring or they will be charged. That is fairly standard in my tenency agreements and hasn't been abused by either party in my experience.

A lot of houses that are 120 yrs old have airbricks this is because they usually have a ventilated sub floor with solid wall rather than a solid concrete floor with a cavity wall. I would suggest if you don't have them that it would be worth checking if you should have them, modern 'improvements' often disturb natural ventilation that was part of the design of older houses and these systems no longer work when they are 'improved' by people who although well meaning don't understand how these systems work.
Did you get your damp assessed by an independent damp specialist or just by a company that sells damp treatments? If it was the latter I would be careful about their advice as many give incorrect or incomplete advice.

A surveyor and a damp company suggested by the first.

Cosmo, I really didn't want to upset her too much, she said it was making her ill, which leaves us liable.

She thinks that any damp is our issue to hers, thays why I want to add this clause.

If you expect a tenant to always use a dryer, I hope you reduce the rent to cover the cost of running it. We have two children who are not fully toilet trained - if we even had a dryer (we had one that broke under the strain of washable nappies) we would not be able to afford to run it for everything. If we had that kind of money we would buy a house, not rent...

YABU - why are you letting a damp house? It's not wildly healthy. You are liable, too - sort the damp out.

Even with a law that favours property owners over property dwellers, the law takes a much dimmer view of unsanitary housing than it does of tenant's deposits. Constantly taking action to make the property habitable is not acceptable to be honest.

Talk to your local council - they may give you a grant.

I'm a tenant and I'm pretty sure there's a clause in the contract about keeping the house aired. I often have windows open so hopefully am OK. Tbh I'm sure if I were doing something wrong it would have been picked up in the regular inspections.

Have you read the thread Corygal, she has had lots of work done most of which probably wasn't necessary?

I have a property that has never suffered from damp or condensation, in the last 35 years I've owned it. Last tenants in for just under 2 years, and every window frame was mouldy, marks on walls from running water off skylight, curtains living all marked. Why? She never opened the windows, & had the heating on far too low. It's nothing major, but I'm surprised at how she failed to notice. Every time I was there the water was running down the widow panes & I felt cold.

I've had this problem as a landlord and TBH you can rarely rely on tenants to air houses properly. If a house is inherently prone to damp because of how it is constructed it's probably not suitable for renting.

But the measures you have taken may have resolved this.

This is the standard clause in my asts - To take all reasonable precautions to prevent condensation by keeping the Property adequately ventilated and heated and to wipe down any surfaces affected by condensation to prevent mould growth.

My friend rents a house that is over 100 years old (as are most houses in the area - think rows and rows of small terraces) and there is an original drying rack winding mechanism installed. You're not telling me that was installed along with an extractor fan in 1902. We're talking terry nappies, linen and clothes for the large families that were around then in a town where it rains almost constantly and there would have been huge mills pumping out smoke.

Hold on, actually. When I was a little girl, we lived in a terrace of the same kind of age that had been built over a little stream for some reason. My dad had to replace all the floorboards bit by bit because of the damp, but then we didn't have double glazing or central heating so it was a cold house anyway. Still, it was a house problem, and they bought it cheaply because it needed work.

(I do air my house quite a lot, because otherwise it would stink of wee and I like a bit of fresh air, but I resent being told where I can dry my washing by someone I pay £600 a month to, who must only pay £300 in mortgage at the most)

I also agree with the accidental landlords thing. I have had 8 landlords, two professionals were great, another professional was ok repair wise but kept letting himself into our house, one was trying to get rich quick, buy to let, and was awful - rain coming in and refusing to mend it etc. One brilliant accidental landlord (the one I have now) and four accidental landlords who were nothing but trouble.

what sort of dryer ? - make sure you have an extractor near it or it may add to the problem

In 1902 there was no double glazing.
Or non breathable renders
The open fireplace breathed for the house, as did the gaps between the floorboards, & those around the windows.

Things change, not always for the better.

OP, just put the clause in & explain first.

Maybe I've been lucky (or maybe it's my non UK accent) but most landlords who have double glazing point out they insulate well but cause condensation and specifically ask if I have an issue with wiping down windows and airing. Similarly, agents have pointed out to me Victorian converted flats are noisier than I might expect and floors do creak etc. Perhaps if you grew up here, people assume by adult age this has become common sense?

And what an idiotic suggestion that rent should be lowered because you will use more electricity for a dryer. With that mindset, it will be considerably raised if the mould damage has to be taken into account as "wear and tear". Unbelievable entitlement. And then the same person will complain that LL wants to charge more for a family than two professionals who get most of their suits laundered.

The rent should be lowered for using electricity to run the drier, & then raised again for providing the drier, & the sunsequent lower heating bills from not having wet washing on every rad, & damp walls from doing so. Evens it out to no change

The dryer is vented outside.

Its also got a glass roofed lean too at yhe back which is a bit of a greenhouse, but its not part if the main building, clothes could be dried there.

I would never reduce the rent its low enough as it is, whoever thought a buy to ket mortgage is 300 a month fir a three bed detached in a good area is kidding themselves.

The last house we rented had really bad mould in the bedrooms, which the landlord said was caused by condensation. And yes, the windows were completed covered with water in the mornings. But I wasn't prepared to freeze to death by leaving them open all night long, and the little vent things at the top of the windows made no difference whatsoever. We didn't have a tumbel dryer or kitchen extractor fan either.

In our new house, we only get a little bit of condensation in the morning, so clearly there is something different with the structure of this place that makes it less prone to mould/condensation.

I think it's very easy for landlords to blame tenants for condensation when there is nothing they can do about it. IMO it is unreasonable to expect people to have windows open all the time in winter, and just quickly opening them every day isn't going to help if the problem is really bad.

Hopefully the new damp system will address some of these issues in the worst places,

I dont think its too much to ask for really.

You do NOT have to leave e windows open all night or all the time.

Either open 2 windows for cross flow for 5 minutes.

Or wipe condensation off, & put wet cloth OUT to dry, not on radiator where it will go back into the air & resettle on cold places like windows.

From the very good LLzone article which I linked above

The moisture in the air comes from a number of sources within the house. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from normal day to day activities - a 5 person household puts about 10 kg of water into the air every day (without taking into account any heating) - i.e.
• breathing (asleep) 0.3 kg
• breathing (awake) 0.85 kg
• cooking 3 kg
• personal washing 1.0 kg
• washing and drying clothes 5.5 kg
• heating - especially paraffin and flueless gas heaters. For every litre of paraffin burnt over one litre of moisture vaporises into air. Every carbon fuel produces some amount of water from combustion.
• (1 kg of water equates to about 1 litre)

If in current house you are not opening windows & it's not very wet on them, you will find the moisture has settled somewhere else. Check behind your wardrobe ;)

I have a clause in my tenancy to air mine, think its under general care of the property. But I would do it anyway, I also Window vac the windows at least once a day. Still doesn't stop it being a big mould filled house though.

Whoever had the clause for 15 degrees - I wish I could get my house that warm!

I always wait for the slating of renters on these sort of posts, yes there's alot who don't care / know how to care for a property. But the majority I'd say are people like me, would love to buy but are stuck renting so we care for a property as its our home

I rent a 150yr old cottage we struggle to keep the damp at bay in the winter, we have to keep the front bedroom window slightly ajar at all times or the side wall gets really wet, the back bedroom is fine as that's our room and the window is always open anyway, lounge we keep an oil filled radiator on which works, kitchen is fine and bathroom has to have a radiator on and window ajar, shower with extractor fan on and leave door open for 10mins after to let steam escape.

We have something in our contract about regularly airing the house and reporting damp to landlord asap.

The last tenant left it a damp mouldy mess because she had the heating on all the time and never opened a window.

We DO open windows and wipe them down, but we did the same in the mouldy house. Trust me, I'd much rather live in a mould-free house! (And you could tell by the way that the mould had been there a long time and just painted over when the last tenants moved out...)

I've certainly found that this is a very common problem in the UK, whereas in my home country not so much. But then everyone there has tumble dryers...

as several have pointed out -when old houses had open fires and no double glazing, they were draughty enough to keep the condensation at bay. Speak to your parents or grandparents about chilblains.

I get mould in my bedroom if I don't dry off the old wall concerned, don't heat it enough and don't ventilate it for a few minutes each morning. But I own the place so I just get on with it, I don't expect the vendor to come back and sort it out..

Planning some kind of insulation on the wall, the document on mould is very much worth reading.

I didn't say you have a £300 mortgage, I said that my landlords do. Maybe slightly more. Not £600. They bought it five years ago for £70,000 and have done about £100 of work to it over the two and a half years we have been here. They are really nice, and that is a relatively low rent fir four beds and two gardens, so we are happy too. I just don't think they get to make money off me AND tell me how to live my life.

I care for my home as if I owned it. If I owned a house that got damp I would mend it, or maybe do a bodge of opening windows while we were out in the day. By using a home as a money maker, you forfeit the right to do bodge jobs.

I have not read all messages but my tenancy agreement does have a clause in it about airing the flat. Windowless ensuite and bathroom with open plan kitchen/dining/living but with extractor fans in all. It is common sense that all homes should be aired frequently. I don't think you are being unreasonable.

Britta, how much they paid and how much they invested in renovations are frankly none of your business. Just like your finances are none of anyone else's. Your LL doesn't get to tell you how to live your life but he does get a say in how you treat HIS property. The one he spent his money buying.

If you don't like it, you get to give him a notice and choose to pay rent elsewhere.

I dont understand that it makes no sense to bodge anything it will only bite you back twice as hard anyway.

I feel for you and I think is reasonable to put a clause in the tenancy to air the house regularly to maintain it in the condition they've rented it in.

We are in a similar position. We rent our house out and when the last tenant moved out we discovered she'd closed all the window vents and had put cling film over the extractor fans in the bathroom and en-suite.

The new tenant claims the house has damp and we have to get a survey done to find out. Hopefully as it's a new build house and the other tenant was only in for 2 years, she hasn't caused lots of damage.

I don't think it's unreasonable to require someone to look after the house if they're renting it. Yes, tenants have to be able to live in it comfortably, but a LL should be able to ensure that the house isn't damaged while they're doing it.

'They've owned or lived in newer houses almost exclusively, and the idea that they'd have to open windows regularly during the winter time had never occurred to them.'

GreenEggs it's a very English thing, IME, too. I've rented nearly all my life in some very cold climates and never heard of 'airing' a house because I've always lived in decently built newish homes that had been upgraded to have efficient heating systems. Just used extractor fans and ran the heat to a decent level and never had a problem. So many old, manky, horrid, crumbling hovel excuses for homes in this county because people accept that. I mean, opening up windows when it's below freezing out? Something's wrong with such horrible excuse for a pile! Tear it down and build something more energy efficient! There seems to be this idea, too, that it's a virtue to be freezing cold in your own home, too, something that astonishes people from cold climates as in Scandanavia.

Dehumidifyers - had never heard of those, either, until our first and only experience living, thankfully not for long, in a dank hovel.

They cost a bomb to run.

Any home that has to be 'aired' has something very, very wrong with it, IMO.

So lets fill the country with bland new build boxes with no sole or character.

I really hope I never have you as a tenant. Old houses need treating differently. Thats all.

@MrsBucketxx I think that though it sounds like you are doing lots to prevent mould, I also think that if the house is that hard to maintain and you are that upset when it is not maintained properly then you might need to reconsider if it is suitable for renting out.

No, let's instead leave crumbling holes up that require more of our rapidly-depleting sources of fuel for the sake of chacter and soul. Freezing to death is ever so lovely.

I will never rent an old house again and never rent from anything other than a professional landlord again, because IME they're all dumps full of damp and I'd rather do something else with my money than open windows in winter and basically throw money out of it.

Old houses need treating differently.

I understand that to some people this may be obvious but not to all. If the house needs special treatment then you need to tell the tenant up front.

I would be extremely annoyed if nothing was said and I moved in, had a problem and was then told "you must open the windows at x time regardless of the external temperature and you must dry your laundry in the lean two out the back."

At least if you are up front about it the tenant can make a choice as to whether this property is for them or not.

lean two ????

Fair enough, High.

@expat @MrsBucketxx tbf I like houses with character but as a tenant I tend to not go for them as rental properties due to the reasons outlined above.

A 'bland new build box' is actually quite a good place to be as a tenent as it means fewer problems that the landlaord may chose to ingore.

(Not that you are a crap landlord but the ignorence of some landlords about the rest of the industry does shock me a little on MN sometimes)

I just don't get this idea that new homes are bland and old properties have character.

Maybe I have no soul

I don't think you are being unreasonable asking a tenant to air the place, and I would explain about the previous problems.

I think though, you are being unreasonable assuming the tenant has caused the damp. How do you know it was caused by not opening windows? We have airbricks, extractor in the bathroom, open windows daily but still have damp. It was thought to be dodgy guttering, but I don't believe it is that. It seems to be coming through worse from where our house is joined to the neighbours and I have no idea why. I would deeply resent it if my LL told me it was my fault!

I don't, either, High, but I prefer plenty of sockets, modern bathrooms and being warm and dry.

On the point that 'it's never happened before' - we've just had one of the wettest years ever. I know friends who have had damp problems this year who have never had any issues before.

Chops I have had two independent people come in and tell me the same thing,

At great cost to myself.

Lean too like this but brick not wood

My rented house has lots of sockets and will have a new bathroom very soon, and the kitchen is new too.

Its not a hovel

As a tenant I think you should include the clause. However a house should be able to cope with so e drying of clothes on airers, not all clothes can be can be dried, it wears clothes out faster and are expensive to run.

Aargh, tumble dried

I think you should include a clause that the tenant advises you immediately if there is condensation, or damp, so that you can maintain your property.
I don't think it's very acceptable to insist the tenant lives his life with the heat on and windows open, or that she has to use a tumble dryer or can't dry clothes inside.

Wiping down windows? Maybe offer to have a monthly cleaner come in for free, if you want to interfere at that level.

It sounds like you need to look after your property more carefully yourself - installing humidifiers and extractor fans are the way to go, not interfering with a tenants right to have peaceful enjoyment of their home.

The minute I saw a contract with codicils like I must wipe down windows, can't dry clothes indoors (I don't anyway, we own a dryer), have to air it and that we may be liable for damp, I'd be off like a shot! That's just a red flag to a tenant that a) there's something wrong with the house b) the landlord will make it the tenant's fault.

But again, as a tenant, I don't rent old houses/homes - they are always a problem, IME, haven't been in a one that doesn't have damp and yy, with the weather getting wetter, I neither want it nor want the blame pinned on me for it.

In the last house we rented we watched the mould climbing up the walls. Did we open the windows regularly? Yes. Did we inform the landlord? Of course we did. Did the landlord want to know? Absolutely not. Did they then blame us when we moved out? Naturally. And they told us we should have told them sooner. We had. On numerous occasions. Did we get our deposit back? No chance.

OP, you do sound like you're trying to maintain your house. But many landlords just don't want to know about problems, won't come out to sort out general maintenance during the tenancy, and then blame the tenants for not telling them about problems.

A 120 yr house that has been maintained and hasn't got problems somewhere in the fabric is not the kind of property that should special treatment as a "old house" - it's a pretty standard housing type in this country and
" old " houses of the type that requires special consideration are those of specialist construction or pre Victorian which shouldn't be rented out without consideration to the particular issues that these properties bring.
If you have the correct background and extract ventilation installed and working heating and no problems with the fabric you should not need to open windows to "air a house" - opening windows should only be necessary for extreme events to supplement correctly installed ventilation (in this house that usually follows the boys having a curry). A proper damp specialist would be able to tell you this and recommend courses of action to prevent damp not just an expensive damp proof treatment (which if incorrectly installed may nit only not work but make the problem worse) This year due to the high moisture content of the air and ground saturation (it's pissed it down with rain all year) more damp problems have come to light than usual. However if it is a wide spread problem rather than isolated small patches a solution that looks at the building fabrics performance must be considered. A 'professional' that tells you to open the windows more isn't giving you very good advice on how to solve the problem just how to reduce its consequences. I speak as both a building professional and the owner of an 'old' house.

I don't live in the`UK, we have to air our house. All our neighbours do it to. We also need to keep it warm to prevent damp, airing your house briefly every day doesn't make it cold. Unaired houses always smell a bit fusty too.

How can you be sure that the issue was caused by the tenant?

I know that you have had experts in who say that it was caused by the property not being aired but how do you know she didn't open the windows?

You can usually tell from the water marks.
In the flat just vacated, it's the water marks on the windows, on the curtain linings, on external walls & under the skylights.
And the mould where the ceiling meets an external wall, & the mould that starts to grow on the bottom of the window frame.
I live in a modern house now, but have lived in Georgian, Edwardian & Victorian. In any type, when I boil a pan or pans, even with the extractor on, the double glazed windows start to steam up. Same when I have a shower.
So I open a window. Just for a few minutes, until it has cleared.

You don't have to tumble dry all clothes. You don't even have to tumble dry any.
It is simply a question of knowing enough condensation to know where water comes from & where it goes.

Boil a pan without a lid, the water evaporates. Into the air. It will then settle on the coldest surface it finds.

Really really simple things help.

Run cold water in the bath first, before hot. Even just a little, & the room won't get so steamy.
If you want a steamy bathroom, fine, just open the window afterwards.
Put lids on pans when cooking. It will cook faster, & you won't release moisture into the air.
Don't like sleeping with the window slightly open, fine, open it for 5 minutes in the morning helps to get rid of that dead badger sleep smell too, or if you think it's too cold & like a fusty room, wipe the condensation off the window & put the wet cloth outside.
Rather than dry clothes on a radiator, releasing water into the air quickly, put them on an airer in a cooler room, & open the window a crack & shut the door. The water from the drying clothes will go outside, rather than settle behind your wardrobe.
Don't tape over air vents,they are there for a reason & likewise keep trickle vents open.
Low level constant heating is both more effective & cheaper than having the heating on full in short bursts, and stops the hot/cold cycle which condensation loves.

And if you find any mould, use an anti mould spray on it rather than bleach. Anti mould spray kills it, bleach just masks it.

The clause the OP suggests is standard. Very standard. Check any well written AST & it will be there along with don't invite vermin in & don't pour fat down drains.

Can I suggest googling "condensation council" - a lot of hits from all over the country. I assume this applies to all council housing not just the odd Victorian flats/houses. Start wiping those windows rather than waiting for the council to send a cleaner!