Rental Problems, please help!

Definitely get a window vac alongside a dehumidifier. We use our window vac daily and it's brilliant.

Dry air is also easier to heat. Our thermostat is usually set at 17.5 and we have no damp/mould because I run a dehumidifier when I dry washing.

This is nonsense! My windows are only ever open in the summer and it's not an old house. I don't have any mould or condensation

What temperature do you have your heating set at? If your house isn't warm enough you will increase condensation.

A single decent dehumidifier should be fine, leave it on in the room with the washing in, and move it around as necessary. Ask landlord if they'd be happy to contribute.

@Applefruitcake how big is your flat? My new dehumidifier is apparently big enough for a 3-4 bedroom house!

So you probably won't need two.

We never had any mould problems in our previous place, and that had only one window and we didn't have any outdoor space so would always dry clothes indoors.

you may not have had mold issues but drying clothing inside is not good for health, one load of washing can produce 9 pints of moisture and that’s not good to be breathing in, especially for a baby who don’t have fully developed lungs

We do try to dry clothes outside, but not always possible if it's raining

if you dry clothes inside, you are putting moisture into the air in your home. It’s a big cause of damp and mold

the other big cause is not shutting the bathroom door and having a shower with the window closed- open the window and close the door

Also not answering the question of how to get out of your contract but don't just paint over mould.
You need to clean it off and then use a mould block treatment before repainting.
I was advised to do this by the council about 40 years ago in a flat with hot air heating.
It definitely seemed to work!

I always feel it's a little unfair to blame the occupants for mould issues. I live in a new build and can leave all the windows closed including the trickle vents, dry clothes indoors etc and it never gets damp or mouldy (I am good about leaving the window open/fan on after showering). It seems mental to me that houses get mouldy just from normal living, and that people are expected to freeze in winter with all the windows open.
Clearly a lot of places are horrendously badly constructed.

When does your fixed term end?

Sounds like it is partly your own fault if you were more opening windows and drying washing inside.
the moisture catchers won’t cut the mustard. I suggest a mini silent dehumidifier for your bedroom and a larger one for downstairs where you dry the washing.

Have a look at different electric dehumidifiers - the one I have is fine for the whole of my two bed flat (as long as I leave doors open). They do cost to run, but they make the place feel warmer as it's drier.

You can buy dehumidifiers and spread the cost over 12+ months though. Invest in a good one or ask your landlord to. You should treat it the same way as if your fridge or washing machine broke. It's necessary for your home. Some are also marketed as being cheap to run. So you could look at those if it's a concern.

Things will improve in the spring/ summer when it warms up. If you look after your home now through the advice given, it's unlikely that mould should be that big an issue before you move house.

I know it's not advice on how to get out of your contract, but you will end up living in houses like this again. It would also be better to look at your next home at around this time of year, so you can check how damp/ mouldy the house is. Summer isn't the time to get a good idea of this.

We never had a mould problem in our old house but tenants did, lack of proper ventilation and not heating the house properly was the problem .

Those moisture trap boxes are a waste of time. You need a proper dehumidifier, especially if you are drying clothes inside. Get a Karcher for window condensation too. I dry my shower glass/ tray/ tiles off after every shower, leave the window open and we have no mould in the house at all.

We have original windows in our property that have bad condensation in winter. We have a karcher window cleaner that vacuums the water off the windows. We use it every morning, run a dehumidifier and have good ventilation. If it's an older Victorian property, one of the problems is the houses are designed to have constant ventilation from open fireplaces and floor boards but the fires are often sealed up or replaced with wood burners and the boards carpeted over. This creates a need for ventilation by another means. However if you are in a basement I would move. We had a basement flat and no matter how much ventilation, the mould always came back and you don't want to be using toxic anti mould sprays around a baby.

It's a massive issue in rented places - especially converted flats and isn't always just because you don't air your place out! We have this and air out every day/ wipe down windows and walls and run a dehumidifier every day! There's no way of really getting rid of it but we've learnt to just stay on tip of it. For example today we've treated the walls with mould spray (did last week too) and we're airing it out now as quite strong.
Landlord may be unhelpful so best to take photos. We've regularly re painted also and no had a challenge from landlord. If we ever did we would show images to explain how we've mitigated and looked after the property! But yes it's a massive pain and isn't your fault!

I agree it could just be the type of house annoyingly. Lived multiple places drying washing indoors etc with no issues until we moved to this latest house which is awful for it despite us doing our best to reduce humidity. Maybe ask landlord if they would consider an Envirovent unit - seen various threads on here suggesting they work well to solve mould.

As PP have said you need a dehumidifier. Don't underestimate how often and long you need to have it on - everyday for a good number of hours kind of thing.

Also a window vac might help.

Then, if possible, I'd move before next winter.

I live in a small 2 bed flat (1990s), no window in bathroom and 4 people living here. This time of year is the worst for condensation/ mould. You have to dry the windows every morning, run a good dehumidifier every day after showers and clean mould off when you see it. Avoid drying clothes inside as much as possible. Keep the house warm so that towel radiators dry towels off quickly. Don't leave wet anything in laundry baskets. Keep under beds and around furniture as clear of stuff as possible to allow air flow.

Take photos of any mouldy areas and request that they sort redecorating regularly in the spring/ summer to keep on top of it. I have to repaint rooms every two years at the moment to keep it in check.

I agree with @Spirallingdownwards that disposable moisture collectors aren't going to be sufficient. You need a dehumidifier.