Stingy landlord?

I lived on a modern 1 bed flat in the 1990s - it had one storage heater in the lounge and that was it! I bought a plug in oil filled radiator for my bedroom, because otherwise it was freezing. Luckily electricity was cheaper in those days.

@TwigletsAndRadishes well that sup to an independent plumber to find out. Not the op or the landlord.

As for poo blocking the loo, was it just poo or a mix of solids (poo plus wipes etc)? Either way you should also be trying to prevent this.

How is OP to try to prevent faeces from blocking the toilet if that's what's causing the blockage? Did you mean to suggest she cannot use her own toilet for its intended purpose and that this would be in some way a reasonable outcome?

You need to heat and ventilate a home in order to keep the mould at bay. So both things.
Re the blockages when our loo was blocked, I went outside lifted the manhole cover and rodded back to the house. If you can see a manhole cover outside try that first in future. Most loos block due to excess loo roll, or tissues, so be careful how much you chuck down. And don't use those loo fresheners as they really do cause problems. Keep the shower drain free from hair, soap etc. It will block if you don't check, what comes off you and the soap will form a very nice blockage if you don't.
Look at it this way, if you own a home these are useful skills to have.

Is the shower pipework leaking though? Or is the shower just overflowing because the OP has allowed a blockage to build up? Two entirely different things.

It's up to you, and anyone else who lived there previously, to regularly clean and remove hair from drains. You can also get special solutions to pour down pipes to dissolve hair. Have you been doing these things.
As for poo blocking the loo, was it just poo or a mix of solids (poo plus wipes etc)? Either way you should also be trying to prevent this.

External mould is unusual and may indicate water ingress. Give the council's environmental health department a call.

How do you suppose it's your landlord's problem that your shower drain is blocked? He doesn't use it, does he? When was the last time you cleared out your shower drain of hair and a build up of soap scum that cause blockages? This should be done regularly, as soon as you start to notice it draining slowly.

Are you drying wet washing by draping it around the house? Are you airing the house by opening windows pretty regularly? Do you open the curtains and get rid of condensation on windows every morning? Do you throw greasy fatty stuff down your kitchen sink? Do you flush condoms or tampons down the loo? Do you flush wet wipes or use excessive amounts of very thick loo roll?

Because if you are being lazy and irresponsible about the way you live then you will be causing all these problems. If I'd handed over a perfectly clean and fully functioning home to you and you called me to complain about mould and blockages that were not there when you moved in, I'd not be wanting to pay for it either.

Is that your legally qualified opinion?

Have you only one storage heater to heat the whole flat? That doesn't sound right. Open windows has to go alongside heating the rooms in cold water to avoid damp and mould.
Your landlord should also have shown you an Energy Efficiency Certificate which has to be above a certain level.

Shower leak is landlords responsibility. The rest is you, if true. But how bad is the plumbing that poo has blocked the toilet? Actual poo? Is that what the plumber said? I'd be getting a neutral plumber to have a look instead of trusting what your landlords appointed plumber has said. I'd also find somewhere else to live, it sounds awful with the damp and lack of heating.

P.s. As a tenant, you will never win on here OP, so don't worry about trying to defend why you can't heat the house without the existence of central heating.

If I were your landlord, I would be fuming and would not be renewing your contract. Be aware that this is a real possibility; prepare yourself.

• Mould on the outside sounds like there are issues…this is LL’s responsibility.

However, your responsibilities as a tenant include:

• Keeping the flat warm in the winter and allowing for ventilation.
• Running a dehumidifier if you’re drying laundry in the flat, or if you notice lots of damp, eg on the insides of the windows. Dry the insides of the windows daily with a towel.
• Once you notice that a sink is slowly draining, buy some sink unblocker and use it per the instructions on the pack. DO NOT ALLOW A SHOWER TO RUN OVER THE EDGES AND ONTO THE FLOOR.
• Do not flush lots of loo roll down the toilet; do a flush mid-poo if you need it.

This is pretty basic, common-sense stuff, OP. You cannot destroy someone else’s property, even if they are a “stingy landlord”. I voted YABU because your negligence caused this.

If I was your landlord after this I'd be seriously concerned about how you are maintaining my property and ask for an inspection ASAP.

I think you should pay for plumber for loo and shower and make good any damage caused by leaking shower. I don't understand how you've let it overflow, it would have been obvious. A hidden leak would be landlord responsibility.

As far as damp goes that needs sorting too. I'd expect my tenant to let me know if there was mold and then for us to sort it out together. I'd never allow my property to be devalued by damp / mold issues. If landlord won't work with you on this report them to council. Mold is terrible for your health.

My flat is really prone to condensation, I got a dehumidifier that runs overnight, absolute game changer, really is worth it.

TBH you are supposed to clear hair out of the drain and avoid blocking the loo as part of general care of the property, so I understand that LL would want you to cover the cost of fixing a build up in the drain and loo. Sanitary products are the worst offenders in sewage pipes. But he should have landlord's insurance to cover the damage to the downstairs flat so don't agree to pay for that.
As tenants you are required to heat and air the house to a reasonable level to avoid damp and mould, but you can't possibly be responsible for the mould on the outside of the building, and it could be a sign that the whole building is damp in which case there isn't much you can do by opening windows and putting the heating on.
It sounds a miserable place to live; is it possible to find an alternative place to rent locally? I agree with PP that going via an estate agent is safer.

Ok you need to get heaters, fan, electric, whatever, but the lack of heat is likely causing the mould.

haven't you got your own heaters you use? oil filled radiators etc?

You need warm air in the flat and fresh air ventilation, it needs warming up.

I'd invest in portable oil filled radiators if you can afford it, exterior and interior mold is for landlord to sort out, take photos and ask what action he will take, speak to shelter and the council. Shower and toilet block is yours to sort out.

Then you need to pay.

Both of those are tenants responsibility part of weekly cleaning really. I skoosh the toilet with the bucket of water from mopping the floors every time and the shower trap and timescale are regular weekly bathroom jobs. I'm a tenant too.

Are you putting the heating on enough? If not, that can cause mould and damp.

For future poops there is like a gas canister type plunger you can buy from b&q works everytime. Hair obviously clean out the trap regularly.

cant believe you actually called the landlord because you blocked the toilet lol

Ok reading more….the shower leak to downstairs should be the landlord.

Blocked toilet and hair in the drain should be you - how is that even happening? You should using those drain hair catcher things and tbh I have never had a toilet get blocked because of poo. If you’re flushing pads or wipes or anything else then that’s for you to solve.

Mould - if you’re heating the property and airing it out (which you should be) and it’s mouldy then its the landlord but if you’re not doing those things then you’ve caused the mould yourself.