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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:
OrmIrian · 13/02/2012 14:22

Of course he should deal with it but I don't blame him for being a bit pissed off about you texting him on a Sunday. Whatever needed to be done couldn't be done on a SUnday could it? Leaking pipes, gas leak, roof off in a gale, yes, damp loft, no.

VivaLaSativa · 13/02/2012 14:22

YANBU, Damp can be very dangerous, especially if you have small children.

It can also ruin your possesions.

Most private landlords are crap with things like this.
What flatbread said was spot on.

VivaLaSativa · 13/02/2012 14:25

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll
Do you rent out mouldy flats too? How would it be the op's fault that her loft is damp when it's not her property? Typical landlord.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:26

And if the LL doesn't want to deal with work related issues on the weekend, then he can choose not to look at emails/ texts from tenants or have a separate work phone.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:34

orm, many letting agents have two numbers, an emergency number and a regular number that tenants can call. You can leave a voicemail or text on the normal number anytime, and it will be picked up by the agents during their working hours. Why should OP interrupt her working day following up on personal issues?

fiorentina · 13/02/2012 14:35

As landlords our tenants can always text us with problems as we would rather get it sorted, although we do use managing agents too. He's trying to detract from the issue of problems at his property I feel.

If he didn't want you to use the cupboards he should have locked them and written into the contract the loft wasn't for use as we have in one property.

Push for the agents to look into the problem. Meanwhile have you tried bleaching out the cupboard to see if it goes mouldy again? Then you know there is definitely a damp problem.

OrmIrian · 13/02/2012 14:38

Fair enough then flatbread.

I just know how stressful it is when I get a work-related text or email at the weekends. I resent my free time being broken into if it isn't an absolute emergency.

Flatbread · 13/02/2012 14:49

I know what you mean, orm. I once had someone from work call at 7 am on a Sunday, to discuss something completely trivial Sad

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 15:10

Viva, no, I don't rent out mouldy properties. Hmm

You are really fucking rude implying that I am some kind of rogue landlord because I have enough intelligence to see that tennants are capable of damaging property and can be at fault for things.

Damp can be easily caused by leaving wet washing on radiators or by not ventilating a tumble dryer properly. If a tennant does either of those things then they are responsible for causing damage to the property and they should be responsible for paying for it to be repaired.

How can you be so sure that it's the landlords fault? Are tennants never responsible for anything in you opinion?

I agreed with the suggestion that they should get someone in to asses the cause of the damage, and agreed that if it appeared to be the landlords fault then he should pay. But if the damp appears to have been caused by something the tennant has done, then too right they should pay for it!

VivaLeBeaver · 13/02/2012 15:13

That's confused me, two vivas on the same thread. It's not me.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 15:26

Smile Sorry VivaLeBeaver!

Thingiebob · 13/02/2012 15:34

Sorry I don't see the problem with you texting him on a Sunday. He didn't respond until Monday anyway. He is LL seven days a week and you are a tenant seven days a week!

As for the damp, you shouldn't store stuff in the loft. virtually all the houses I have rented have told us not to use that space for storage, however the other cupboard should be useable. I would monitor the dampness, see if it is in the rest of the house as this isn't good for your health. If it is just in the cupboards, DEMAND the LL provides you with dehumidifiers to use in the cupboards and store all your possessions in plastic sealed boxes. You can still use the space provided you box items up first.

Good luck!

HappyCamel · 13/02/2012 15:37

Do you have the trickle vents open in the house? Most damp problems are caused by too little ventilation. It's frustrating, draughts put your heating bill up but they prevent damp too. My dad is a chartered surveyor and he goes on and on about lack of ventilation causing damp houses. Drying clothes in the house, not having a bathroom window open and not having a kitchen window open when cooking can all cause damp, often it's seen in the room above the kitchen.

mousymouseafraidofdogs · 13/02/2012 15:46

if you have the trickle vents closed, you need to air the house by opening the windows. preferably open all windows at the same time mornings and evenings for a few minutes and after cooking/showering.

WhiteTrash · 13/02/2012 16:18

We have vents above the windows, you cant close them but we cleaned them a few weeks back, they were blocked. But the damps been cleaned and been a problem since. Im pretty sure it is condensation reading about the different damps online.

Looks like it is all down to me if thats what it is. But it sucks massive bas if I cant use that space. But Im going to get some dehumidifyers and keep them open.

Damp is a bitch.

OP posts:
FlangelinaBallerina · 13/02/2012 17:01

Texting on a Sunday is fine, provided it was during the day. Obviously not if it was at 3am, but otherwise he hasn't a leg to stand on. Ringing him and/or going round in person at weekend for a non-emergency would be unacceptable. Emailing and texting are not.

If he doesn't want you using the loft, that's fine, but it ought to have been made clear to you.

JerichoStarQuilt · 13/02/2012 18:22

'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.'

Is this a joke?!

The LL should repair it, why the fuck should the OP pay to get her stuff ruined?

I think the texting was fine, but maybe you should have made it clearer it wasn't an emergency.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 18:33

Jericho, have you read the thread? OP has admitted in her last post that it could well be down to her!

FFS. Hmm

enjoyingscience · 13/02/2012 19:10

I see texts a bit like I see voicemails - they don't demand an immediate response unless explicitly stated. I'd be happy to get a text about work on a sunday, but wouldn't respond until Monday unless it was urgent. Your landlord WBU to go on about it.

Our house is very full of condensation - double glazing with no vents, and a dishwasher/washing drying/DP taking v. long showers! We bought a dehumidifier and it's like a different house now. They are pretty cheap to run and make the house feel warmer too.

Tildabewildered · 13/02/2012 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuePurblybilt · 13/02/2012 19:44

I don't see a text as intrusive at all. Ask the agent/LL, would they object to you emailing the LL directly at the weekend (as you've been told to contact LL, not Agent)? Cos if an email is OK, and most ping right through to phones now, why isn't a text? It's hardly a screaming call at 6am.

What is the point of an agent you don't contact, anyway?

Intrum · 13/02/2012 20:02

We had black mould in cupboards too, along with very obvious rising damp and slugs indoors. EA told us to open windows and keep hea

Intrum · 13/02/2012 20:04

*heating on at all times, which we were already doing. Idiots.

ThisIsNotMyLife · 13/02/2012 20:55

Funny how owner occupiers never seem to get damp problems from washing... Hmm

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 13/02/2012 21:01

Not really, owner occupiers tend to take good care of their homes because they know how much repairs cost. Some tennants don't care because they would rather not have the draughts from ventilation.

I nearly let my first property get damp because of drying washing on radiators, because I didnt know you weren't supposed to do that until my Mum told me.