Tenancy dispute- mould, any advice?

But because there is no way to enforce ways of living, you would not be able to claim for mould you think they have caused.

As above, you could charge a cleaning fee to get it cleaned off- of course it’s likely to come back.

So what are you talking about? - this mythical “wipe it off mould” - which is surely no problem- or the mould that comes from damp, which will have penetrated the building fabric to varying degrees?

the first- yes, charge for a clean. The second, no you can’t charge.

And that's not the kind of mould we're talking about here - we're talking about user-error a tenant who apparently was never taught that you can't fill a house with water and expect there not to be mould.

Fair wear and tear isn't reclaimable. If a tenant is filing the house with moisture and ruins fresh wallpaper and soft furnishings (especially if a dehumidifier is provided that they still don't use), then potentially it is though - it will depend on the length of the tenancy, and also if it's worth the landlord reclaiming.

I had a tenant paint the kitchen worktops - sure, I suppose that's something they can do when in custody of the house, but I absolutely got money from their deposit for replacing them (reduced proportionally by the age of the work surface) as quiet enjoyment isn't without limits. If (for example) they are attracting vermin then something obviously must be done.

You’re missing the point. Their attitudes don’t matter. They’re customers. You don’t get to control them by putting expectations on the way they should live .

and as above, you won’t be able to deduct from their deposit.

you keep referring to mould you can wash off- this isn’t really a thing, as it comes back (indicating an underlying fabric / damp problem) but if you genuinely think it’s just case of washing what’s the big deal? No different to a tenant who doesn’t get the windows cleaned, or stains the carpets. All cosmetic, dealt with by a clean at the end.

that’s not the kind of mould that has led to Aawabs law.

Christ. That's a terrible attitude. Of course if you want to live in a damp, mouldy house that's up to you, but fuck me, you're not going to be getting a reference from me if you do it, and it's absolutley your own fault when the required remediations at the end are taken out of your deposit. You have a right to quiet enjoyment, not quiet destruction!

Yep, it really does.

@Sashavelour65, exact same situation. Had to rent my flat out as I moved for work and couldn’t sell it. Had lived there ten years, no issue.

4 months of the tenants living there… black mould everywhere. They weren’t heating or ventilating the flat, wet washing hanging around for days.

I had an expert come in to prove that it wasn’t an issue with the flat and shared this with a solicitor. Told them that it har
to be sorted before their next inspection.

My flat was beautiful. Newly decorated. All new appliances. New carpet. They ruined it.

When they left i had to spend thousands sorting it out.

I sold as soon as I could.

i was a good landlord, maintained the property to a high standard, charged a competitive rent. But the tenants didn’t a shit. Didn’t report things when they were broken,
disnt clean…. And before anyone comes for me that they couldn’t afford to heat it, I had financial checks done. Two professionals in good salaried jobs.

Not all landlords are bastards and this is why a lot of them are selling up as their tenants are awful.

Our 1920s house suffered from condensation badly. We installed a positive intake ventilation system and it completely solved the problem - they're amazing (and not-very-expensive).

I'd also thoroughly recommend this dehumidifier: I got rid of our expensive-to-run tumble dryer and now dry our clothes throughout the colder months using the dehumidifier on the clothes drying setting - it's MUCH cheaper:

So as a tenant I have the right to enjoy my house. I don’t need to adapt the way I live to what the landlord wants me to do, or what protects the building fabric

and clearly our examples demonstrate why many people don’t think they need to open windows and can’t dry clothes indoors. They are used to doing so.

Tenants remove batteries from smoke alarms as they dont like the noise when they burn toast.
Tenants were given a dehumidifer for a flat and didnt use it, even when drying laundry on racks inside. (And despite havjng a condensing dryer to use). Same tenant complained about a draft, which is going untreated as at least some fresh air is getting in.

Maybe they want to burn to death in a mouldy flat? It beggars belief.

i had the same - owned and lived in a basement flat for about two years before renting it out while I moved for work. Within about 6 - 8 months the tenants started having problems with mould. I put one of these in the main bedroom and bathroom - https://www.i-sells.co.uk/product/kair-heat-recovery-extractor-fan-12vac-selv-humidistat/
the humidistat runs when there’s moisture in the air and you can set them up so they can’t be switched off. The good thing is that as they are heat exchanging they also don’t just suck the heat out. Not as effective as a full positive pressure vent system, but much less costly, esp in a flat where you may not have loft space. Sorted the problem out. I’d suggest at least putting one in the bathroom. The filters do need cleaning every six months or so though.

ROFL exactly - large, new house.

I also have a large house and in lockdown I had a hottub in the kitchen. I had a large volume of air to share the humidity around

When I lived in a cramped little flat, I would find damp in the bedrooms if I hadn't been keeping the extractor on when showering and cooking. Small spaces can't handle drying humidity without ventilation.

Lots of houses (most in fact) don’t get damp or mould. Dependant on all sorts of factors. It’s not enviable by any means. As I say my 20 year old house doesn’t get any. Modern ventilation is excellent.

I live in a large Victorian house. I have chimneys that are open and can be used in every room. I have never had mould. I've also lived in houses built in the 1800s, the oldest house I lived in was built in the early 1700s. None had mould, they all had chimneys, we opened windows to change the air. The worst ones I visited were 1970s houses, no chimney, windows never opened.

I have lived in all kinds of properties including council flats on run down estates. I have never experienced damp or mould in any of my homes. One council maisonette had no windows in the bathroom and even there there was nod amp or mould. I keep my home well hearted and open a window when I shower or cook.

As a former landlord, I’d probably take the hit, give them a dehumidifier and tell them id it happens again, they willL ba w to pay.

Old draughty houses are the worst for mould 😂

it is perfectly normal to dry clothes indoors. Haven’t you been to clients who have neither outdoor space or space for a tumble drier? Very common in flats.

as above, I am able to dry clothes in doors constantly with no ill effect. I have a large, new house. It’s perfectly normal to do so

It's not totally normal behaviour to dry clothes inside. Totally normal behaviour is to tumble dry clothes because common sense says that water from the clothes will settle on the walls and cause damp and mould. If you must dry clothes inside then the drying should be done in a closed room with the window open. I've been in many homes when I was visiting clients to find every radiator covered in damp clothes and not a window open. The tenant would be complaining of mould. Old, draughty houses don't get mould.
Edited to say, I was a housing professional.

24 hours Only relates to make good repairs and there is no time limit on the solution to damp and mould problems - specifically because, it can be really hard to fix (potentially stripping the house back to brick)

if it’s complex the landlord will has to rehouse while they do the works

Well presumably if they can simply wash the mould off they either do so or don’t, and you charge for cleaning at the end.

I’m not a tenant of any sort. I’m a housing professional.

My landlord provided a very good dehumidifier. It was probreeze and about £200. He had someone come clean and paint the offending wall with anti mould paint. The wall was north facing. The window was single glazed. It had no insulation and water dripped of the ceiling at night. Instead of trying to recoup money he provided a solution.

When I moved out my landlord cried. We paid our rent on time. Never gave him a days problem . The property was it was cleaner when we left thab when we arrived. I repainted all the walls and cleaned all the appliances. He gave us back our full deposit and card with a gift voucher in it wishing us good luck in out new home. If you've got good tenants work with them.

My dad rented his flat and got tenants that didn't pay rent for a year abd he had to evict them.

Combined washer-dryers are notoriously poor at drying clothes, so I don't think it is sufficient.

I personally would offer a good dehumidifier with laundry mode (Ecoair or Meaco are good brands), and a product/ cleaner/ handyperson to clean the existing mould, with or without painting the affected area with specialist mould paint.

I don't think a survey is warranted yet, but of course haven't seen the property.

And this is where Awaab's law will be interesting to watch.

With inspections needed within 10 working days and emergency repairs within 24 hours.

Then they can expect to get mould that they'll have to clean up!

If I don't clean the fluff out of my tumble dryer, then it will eventually break. If I don't clean the filter of my dishwasher, then it will stop washing the dishes properly. If you fill house with damp, it will be damp.

You sound like the tenant who expected me to come round and change light bulbs for her! As if that was part of a landlord's duties

They’re not expecting anything. They don’t need to expect anything. It is, unfortunately , your problem. If you rent a place out you need to realise you can’t demand people open windows or turn extractor fans on.

Are there trickle vents in the windows?

Sure - it's fine to do so - as long as you ventilate the house - you can't put stuff on the radiators, keep all the doors and windows shut, and expect the house to just absorb all the moisture.