To contact my estate agents and ask if the landlord would consider putting a new door on?

[boredandrestless]

I live in a private rented house, been here nearly 18 months. All of the house has UPVC windows, and a UPVC front door, but the back door to the house is wooden with 10 small panes of single glass.

This door doesn't fit the frame properly and you can see daylight through the gap in one corner, the wood is warped in several places where it has rotted under the paint, and in some places where the paint is cracked (I assume from the door swelling and contracting repeatedly), mould is growing around the paint cracks - a fetching brown pattern that won't scrub off.

The downstairs of my house is unsurprisingly much colder than the upstairs and my heating last winter cost me a fortune.

I took some pictures of the door with my camera this morning, then gave it a really good scrub! I was thinking of emailing the pics and politely asking if the landlord would consider replacing it but am unsure if this is his responsibility or not?

If anyone landlords are about I'd appreciate your replies?

It doesn't sound like he would have to replace it. He may do so to keep you happy as a tennant, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Assuming it's a small scale landlord (couple of properties) I'd also try and set up a relationship with the landlord directly, agents generally aren't helpful.

Why did you scrub the door after taking the pictures?

I'm not sure how many properties he has, but I know it's more than a couple. My estate agent only deals with landlords with several properties and I think most are linked in some way to the estate agent. I assume he pays the estate agents so he doesn't have to field calls and emails from tenants, and I have always found them efficient and helpful.

I wanted to give the door a good clean, but wanted to be able to show the mould and how it's spreading. I'm cleaning the mould off regularly - they can see it clean obviously but wanted to be able to show it if that makes sense. The rest of the house is spotless and I hate that there is mould growing on it!

Perhaps I shouldn't ask then, I don't want them to think I am taking the mick!

Surely if you don't ask you don't get.

If it growing mould it could mean mould could go other places and would be more costly.

I would ask, are you in a position to get a new door if this was allowed?

you can get a roll of draft excluder tape from a dyi store.
pretty effective.
yes, do report the mold, but against the draft the tape is pretty effective and cheap.

As a LL I would be more worried about why the door has mould on it.

Is there mould/damp anywhere else?

I am a LL and much as I wouldnt want to replace the door, if it wasnt going to cost too much and I really rate you as tenants then I probably would to keep good relations. You may as well ask, they can only say no.

As for building a relationship with the LL - from a personal point of view I dont want any sort of relationship with my tenants. That is what the agency is for and in the past in my early days of being a LL (some 20 years ago) I did exactly that and they started taking liberties.

How much is a new external door?? It would depend on the cost whether I could pay or contribute and I've no clue of the costs.

stoke - my friend has just had to move out of her rented house for 2 weeks after her landlord let it fall into disrepair due to damp so badly that she eventually called environmental health who ordered him to make improvements. I think this is why I am edgy about the mould, like you say I don't want the damp spreading. I think it is just the wood in the door though.

If the door is wooden you need to bear in mind wood swells and shrinks thoughout the year according to the weather.

Betty no there is no mould anywhere else in the house just on the inside of this door, it's strange! I air the house everyday so no condensation type damp.

I would like to think I am a good tenant. Rent is always paid on time, never bother them (have had them in once for a repair that wasn't sorted before me moving in). Keep the house painted fresh (and neutral colours), and clean.

I rent a property. The backdoor is very old
fashioned wooden one and is draughty. It needs replacing and Id love to do it but am not in a position to change it yet. Just remember a no might not be because he is mean. The mould should be sorted.

Worth asking though. I have tried to be fair and provide items where possible.

I will get some of the draught excluder foam tape for the frame for now.

Still unsure whether to ask, may sleep on it and decide tomorrow.

I agree the landlord may not be able to afford it. I don't know him personally and have no idea of his financial situation. Betty - I agree that I have no reason to build up a relationship with my landlord, I see renting as a transaction, and if I were him I wouldn't want to be paying an estate agent and then getting bothered all the time.

Sounds like because the door is wooden it just holds in the damp then, hence it is warped.

You may as well ask but dont expect him to replace it with a fancy UPVC one as they can be quite expensive - I dont see why he wouldnt replace it with a new wooden one though but like I said, bear in mind the wood will shrink and then swell throughout the year.

Is the door rotten? If not is it painted on the outside? As a good paint job should protect the wood? Can you get some of that stuff that comes in a strip and you stick to the door frame to stop the gap around the sides? Am sure you can also get stuff to stick to the window panes to provide greater insulation too.

Imo it is worth asking but not sure on your rights - also if the door is so poor that it would provide no protection from potential intruders would that not mean he has to sort it?

Speak to the cab - if you have no rights and 'LL says no then it's either put up with it/bodge it so it's a bit better or move really.

Ps have you tried dettol mould and mildew remover?

I'd ask, the worst they can do is say no! Just be polite and explain that it's mouldy and draughty and it'd be better for the house if it were replaced. If they say no, get some quotes as to how much it'd cost, and if that's an amount you can afford, ask them if it's alright for you to do it yourself. I did this with my landlord re: decor when I moved into my current place, I hated the house's paint scheme and it was in bad nick but the landlord didn't want to decorate (fair enough) so I asked him if I could paint the place myself. He specified which colours were ok, I stuck to that and all was well.

I'm a landlady, and would hate if my tenants felt they couldn't ask me something like this.

Ask, explain about the damp and draughts, and see where you get to.

Had the exact same situation, landlord changed the door as i pointed out it was loose in frame so possibly a danger, if you dont ask you dont get!

I would tape it up just now and inform them about the mould. They might offer to do something, If not a door can range from about £40- any amount. depends on what type of door you want. But as a LL I would see what happens when you tape it up, and then i would probably get a new door put on.

Do ask. They might not replace it straight away but may budget for it for later on. I plan to get mine done in the spring.