Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU or is my landlord re damp and contacting him on a Sunday?

66 replies

WhiteTrash · 13/02/2012 12:57

I moved to a nicer area just over a year ago. It was a smaller house but the perks were the storage. Cupboard under the stairs, walk in shoe cupboard at the top of the stairs, a walk in cupboard in the single front bedroom and of course the loft.

I went into the front room cupboard last week to get DC1's baby clothes our for DC2, but they were damp, coveres in black. Some I washed and kept the others are ruined. I put my papasan chair in there too, the cover doesnt come off and that was totally covered in damp. We've had to chuck it it, it cost me £200 I know its just a chair but I bought it two years back as a pat on the back for getting through my degree. Ive since left the cupboard door open but stuff is still getting damp so now I just have to not use it. Same as under the stairs. My stuff was getting damp some stuff was saved some not.

Yesterday I went in the loft to check in there and everything is ruined. All my stuff that I kept for sentimental reasons, photos, memories all ruined damp and need to be chucked.

I didnt consider the fact its a Sunday and text my landlord to let him know, I explained where it was and that Ive had to throw a lot of things out. And also asked when the electrician was going to come by to check the lights that Id asked him about 3 times in the last month.

I didnt hear back from him until 10am this morning which is fine, said he'd pop over and see at 11.30am.

11.30 am and the agency manager turns up. Not sure why, Im told to go directly through my landlord for house hold problems. He said theres no reason why under the stairs should be damp, that the car seator quilt must have been damp when they went in. They werent.

That the front bedroom cupboard was a bit damp, he'd seen worse (me too, bit still) and didnt look in the loft just said I should never store stuff in a loft.

He goes and comes back 10 mins later with my landlord, he doesnt look at any of it. Says he cant believe I text him on a Sunday and it must be an emergancy for me to do that. So I was wrong to text him on a Sunday but I was upset and he didnt reply until this morning anyway.

He said its not his responsibility, what did I expect him to do? I said Im paying rent for the whole house but now for galf the year I cant use a lot of it. He just said I never should have used the loft space if I didnt want it getting damp (I genuinely had no idea Ive used lofts in all my properties with no problems before) and that the other cupboards simply arent his responsibilty. Just kept going on and on about my texting him on a sunday.

So, now its left with never contact him at a weekend unless its an emergancy and dont use any of the storage space, if I do its at my own peril.

AIBU? Or is he?

OP posts:
EdithWeston · 13/02/2012 13:03

You were unreasonabl to contact on a Sunday for a non-urgent problem

They are unreasonable for not sorting out the damp (as left unchecked it could cause structural damage over time).

I think you need to be apologetic for the timing, but keep pressing for a proper damp assessment.

DharmaCeutical · 13/02/2012 13:07

He is focussing on the text-on-a-Sunday issue because he knows that he is otherwise in the wrong.

Rental properties must be in a habitable condition; yours is not entirely so. Unfortunately, it's tricky as a tenant to have much recourse against damage from damp unless you can prove it's bad enough to cause health issues or significant reduction in your ability to use the house. Shelter have some good advice on this sort of thing.

I've got a council inspector round to assess the extent of damp and mould in a previous property I've rented, maybe you could try your local council and see what they can do?

LIZS · 13/02/2012 13:07

yabu to have contacted him on a Sunday about something which could have waited until today and they clearly have been prompt in their response. tbh damp/mould depends on non-ventilation to thrive so it depends how you store items (plastic would make it worse) and whetehr there is any ventilation to those cupboards. The recent drop in temperature and snow on an outside wall may well have triggered this. You could get a meter to assess the level of damp and use a dehumifiier but unless it is caused by the walls or a leak you probably have little recourse against ll.

VivaLeBeaver · 13/02/2012 13:09

We had problems in our house with damp in built in wardrobes, etc. We bought a dehumidifer which has helped a lot.

Doing things like not drying washing in the house, leaving wardrobe doors open to encourage good air flow, likewise not stuffing the wardrobe full to bursting has helped.

Its a condensation issue rather than rising damp problem. Wiping condensation off the windows in the morning will help as well. Keep bathroom door closed when having a shower,bath. Use extractor fans if you have them. If not leave bathroom window open after a shower or bath. Have windows in bedroom open for 30 mins in the morning.

WhiteTrash · 13/02/2012 13:09

The damp on the walls really arent that bad. Its like my stuff just sucked it all up. Although it is on the walls and ceiling Im not worried about health. Just annoyed we cant use the space now.

And perplexed that we should've never used the loft is that usual?

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 13/02/2012 13:10

You can also get mini dehumidifers which are non electric but have the moisture soaking crystals in, these are ideal for wardrobes and cupboards. You plug them in just to recharge them when the crystals are full.

Would be nice if your landlord would provide some of this but they probably won't.

lottiegb · 13/02/2012 13:11

Check your contract to see how it describes the house and what exactly you are renting. Probably best go through the agent who will be more accustomed to standard wording, meanings and obligations.

Do apologise for the non-urgent Sunday call (though a text can be ignored, I wouldn't be bothered, just might not respond instantly).

Damp is not ok, the landlord should have been aware, warned you or acted on it as soon as he knew (pity you didn't spot it earlier perhaps), if he was offering those cupboards and loft space as part of the house.

WhiteTrash · 13/02/2012 13:11

Thanks for those tips Viva.

OP posts:
georgethecat · 13/02/2012 13:14

A text is hardly intrusive though, turn your work phone off at the weekend if you get really offended by it?

Shelter could support you with this too.

YANBU

VivaLeBeaver · 13/02/2012 13:14

No probs.

The other thing DH eventually did was to line the wardrobes. He got sheets of thick polysterene stuff. Cut them to size and glued them on the external wall at the back of the wardrobe and then put plywood over this.

Obviously thats a fairly big DIY type job.

He says the condensation is caused by warm, damp air hitting a cold surface, especially one where there isn't much air flow. So if you can insulate hte surface a bit so it isn't as cold then that helps.

FutureNannyOgg · 13/02/2012 13:17

I think he's being a bit U about the text. If you had rung him repeatedly, or insisted he came out maybe, but a text is just a heads up.
I'm a landlady and I would rather deal with my tenants on the weekend as I'm not taken up with my job.

FutureNannyOgg · 13/02/2012 13:20

Oh, and make sure you keep a record of your calls, photos of the state of the damp etc. I once had a letting agent withhold my deposit (not sure if they could now with the escrow thing) for the "damage I caused" from the house being damp. We had brought it up at every 3 monthly inspection, the bedroom wall was black, and they just told us to scrub the wall with bleach and open the window, which made no difference, it was actually a clogged gutter (maintenance was their job) leaking down the wall.

NorthernWreck · 13/02/2012 13:37

Nanny Ogg-I have this exact same problem in my house r.e leaking guttering and mold, and the contractor they sent round said it was due to condensation in the hallway! It bleeding well isn't.
OP YANBU about any of it, including the text.
Of course you should be able to store stuff in the loft-a basement maybe not, but a loft? Yes!
Agree, get pics, keep records.

PopcornMouse · 13/02/2012 13:44

I would never store paper/fragile items in a loft, as they do tend to get damp. (not having a go - you asked :) )

Fwiw I don't think you were U for sending a text on a Sunday Hmm it's not like you demanded he reply right away.

breatheslowly · 13/02/2012 13:44

I agree with Dharma. I also think that texting is a bit like emailing, it is written but can be ignored until they want to read it. Would he have had a go at you for emailing him on a Sunday?

silverten · 13/02/2012 13:45

(I'm a landlord.) Sorry to hear about your stuff being spoilt.

The text on a Sunday sounds entirely reasonable to me: you're not shouting down his ear in the middle of church, you've given him (am assuming it's a he) a chance to read it at his convenience and decide on his response at his leisure. Neither are you jumping up and down demanding that it all be fixed immediately, which is quite reasonable too.

I think on the loft thing you might have to accept that this is sometimes what happens to stuff in lofts. As long as the roof isn't actively leaking (which is clearly your landlord's problem) it may well be that condensation is the culprit. Perhaps this house is better insulated, so the roof is colder and condensation forms more readily than in your previous houses?

The cupboards are a bit trickier. If there is some active damp problem (eg, leaking downpipe, leaking plumbing pipe) that is obviously an issue for the landlord to address. If however the house is not leaking and the damp comes from storing 'wet' articles (eg, washing that wasn't bone dry when you put it away) without much air circulation in fairly well sealed cupboards, then unfortunately that is more the fault of the laws of physics than anything else. I suppose you could ask the landlord to install some vents in the cupboard doors. I think that would be a fairly reasonable request, after all, what else is one supposed to do with cupboards other than store stuff in them?

Jackstini · 13/02/2012 13:49

I am a LL and don't think YWBU for 1 text on a Sunday.
I would probably have texted back saying I would be round the day after.

He should be sorting the damp out though; part of the reason you chose to rent his house was the storage space. If you can't use it then either the rent should be reduced in line with the amount of non-useable space, or he should sort it out.
You can't just withhold the rent but I would put this scenario to him.

Grr - can't you tell I hate lazy imcompetent LL that give the rest of us a bad name!

mousymouseafraidofdogs · 13/02/2012 13:53

yanbu for sending a text. it is not as if you have been calling him at 6am on sunday morning!
have a look at the shelter website, they have lots of usefull information regarding damp.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 14:02

I think YABU about the loft. I store things in my loft in the house I own, but I know that is a loft and therefore it's risky. I wouldn't store anything that is vitally important up there, and I do think you took a risk using a loft to store important things in. Your ll should not be liable for that.

You shouldn't have contacted him on a Sunday for a non emergency, but you have admitted that.

As for the damp in the cupboard, that's a hard one to judge, the damp could just as easily be from something you have done. After all, you didn't see any problems when you put stuff in there. Im really not sure that the ll should be responsible for that, maybe you could go halves on getting the cupboard repaired.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:09

I also think it is perfectly fine to text or email on a Sunday. I would NOT apologise for it. If he is bringing it up as an issue, he is clearly a dick, and is trying to browbeat you into staying quiet.

I would try to get a builder in to give you a free quote for the damp work required. Send a copy to your ll and ask him to get the work done within four weeks or that you would get the work done yourself and deduct it from rent.

Also talk with Shelter, as someone else suggested.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 14:13

Flatbread, that is a ridiculous suggestion. The tennant could be at fault for causing the damp, why should the landlord have to pay for that?

I wouldn't mind being contacted on a Sunday if I were a ll that had asked for any problems to come directly to me, but Sunday means different things to different people. Just because some people wouldn't mind that does not mean that everyone should find it acceptable.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:14

When I used to rent, I would text, email or leave a voicemail for the letting agents on a Sunday, regarding any problems to sort out in the coming week. I had a demanding job and didn't want to interrupt my working time on these things.

Never had a problem with agents or ll regarding this. They knew that i would respond to their voicemails/texts/emails during my off-work hours or weekends and they would respond to me during their working hours.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:18

kitchenroll A builder would be able to assess the cause of the damp problem, and OP can see if it is something she has done. Usually these things are caused by problem with guttering or poorly fitted insulation.

Sandalwood · 13/02/2012 14:19

I don't think that stipulating that you don't use the loft is unusual.
I'm pretty sure that council housing tenants in our area aren't supposed to be using the lofts - not sure why - safety?

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 14:21

Having someone in to asses the cause of the damp is a good idea, but that's not the same as having someone fix it then deducting it from your rent, or insisting that the ll does it just because the tennant has provided a quote.

I agree that having the cause f the damp assessed would be a good idea, for both the tennant and the ll. Then whoever is at fault can be made responsible for the repair.