AIBU re Estate agent and 'condensation'

[StudentMumArghh]

Morning all,

I had an inspection carried out the other day in the house I'm currently renting.
The EA noticed the damp/'condensation' on the bathroom ceiling, particularly in the corners. I pointed out that the specks of mould were there upon moving into the property and have been recorded on the inventory by an inspector.
EA agent said to me that I need to keep my bathroom window open at all times and to get some bleach and clean the ceiling.
I pointed out that keeping the bathroom window open all the time isn't an options a) it's too bloody cold b) it's a security issue. I also said I wouldn't be scrubbing any ceiling and if they want it cleaned they need to get someone else to do it as a) it was a problem that should have been dealt with prior to me moving in and b) at 5"2 there's no way I could reach the ceiling anyway!

WIBU?

YABU.

Building regs say you only need an extractor fan in a bathroom with no openable window. If you have a window you are expected to OPEN IT.

You would look after you home if you owned it, I assure you. We have our bathroom window open when we're showering and until the steam has cleared afterwards.

Agree with pp that Dettol mould remover is the best. Just spray and leave. Mould should disappear with one or two sprays. Then keep on top of it by opening the window after a bath or shower. I find opening it just as I'm leaving the bathroom and closing it after I get dressed is just enough time to clear the air on a cold day.

If people didn't whine for absolutes and understood basic science there would be lot fewer problems.

Exactly this! I'm not sure why properties are still built this poorly when we've got all this science.

Yes, making lifestyle changes can help massively if you live in a property prone to damp and mould. BUT it is also the landlords responsibility both for his and the tenants sake, to make sure the ventilation is adequate and that it is well insulated.

“Being told to leave your window open is ridiculous, it’s frosty here today”

So you open the window and close the door. We do this all the time.

OP just buy some mould remover spray and stand on a chair to spray it on the ceiling. It is your responsibility to try and keep the bathroom mould free if the problem is caused by condensation from within your house. Breathing in mould spores is bad for you, and it only takes seconds to spray the ceiling with mould remover. If you ask the landlord to do it he will think you are taking the piss.

“For some reason I have humongous amounts of condensation this morning,”

And you haven’t worked out why Firesuit?

Every house or flat needs ventilation. Modern housing with draft excluders and double glazing will be prone to damp if there is nowhere for it to go. It is basic science. The windows in our house have trickle vents so we don’t have a damp problem at all. Both bathrooms have extractor fans, as does the kitchen, and if I want to dry washing indoors I put the airer in the bathroom with a dehumidifier and close the door.

Most people seem to underestimate how much water is in wet washing. I usually tumble dry if it isn’t dry enough to hang out on the line, and when I empty the condenser there are several pints of water in the tank. If you dry the washing indoors with windows closed where do you imagine the water goes?

Just to clarify the window is open most of the time, but not overnight. So that clearly isn't enough!

I use a sponge mop to do our bathroom ceiling. No window to open!

Unfortunately houses that have had cavatity wall insulation added (on the advice of government/EPC reports) do tend to suffer with a worse mould problem - as the condensation cannot get out if you don't open windows etc.

It is worth adding that in ye olden days before vinyl paint, most paint was lime based and therefore breathable AND very alkaline in pH which naturally is excellent at inhibiting mould growth. So I think the change in paint formulas since the 1980s is part of the reason that we seem to more condensation-type mould nowadays.

Using lime-based or eco paint in any house but also newer builds would really help deter mould, and is much less polluting than vinyl based paint and paints with fungicide. Letting old houses breath is essential too.

No it’s not enough.

You’ve had good advice on here.
You can use it and have a clean happy home or you can stamp your feet and let the mould grow. Because no one is coming out to clean your ceiling.

If you dry the washing indoors with windows closed where do you imagine the water goes?

I don't, I have a tumble dryer in the garage.

Because no one is coming out to clean your ceiling

That's fine, but I'm not spending my time trying to fix a problem that existed prior to me moving in and has even been recorded (with pictures) on the inventory.

I'm a tenant, our house was mouldy treated, freshly painted & a new extractor fan was fitted before we moved in... mould comes back and needs managing (hopefully one day it will be gone) and I see keeping it invisible as part of the weekly bathroom cleaning & reasonable upkeep of the property. It's not out of control & mostly isn't there!

Buy some mould killing spray (HG Mould killer is noxious but good but I'm sure there are more eco friendly products out there) when I clean the bathroom (not as often as I probably should) I have a quick look UP... if I see mould, I spray.

I also open the bathroom window a crack as I leave for work (bought a stopper thing that locks the window, cheap) and close the bathroom door.

No mould. None that's hard to tackle.

OP YABU but only because it's appears you haven't taken reasonable steps to manage the issue. Had you a serious mould problem I'd be the first to say YANBU & it's a landlord task.

HG mould spray... I felt caught not reading the whole thread, which is true. Apologies. It is good though!

"I don't, I have a tumble dryer in the garage."

So do I, but many posters can only dry washing indoors.

"but I'm not spending my time trying to fix a problem that existed prior to me moving in and has even been recorded (with pictures) on the inventory."

I don't understand why you are being so stubborn over a 5 minute (if that) job

I’m just surprised you have lived there for so long and never even attempted to just wipe it, OP?!

I'm afraid black spot mould damp is your last lifestyle problem, as pointed out by a damp specialist to me recently. You do need to open the windows and bleach the affected areas. It's a self caused health hazard. I'm dealing with it by putting in an extractor fan linked to the light in the bathroom and I put in a bigger rad. I don't see why being 5'2 is relevant: don't you own a chair you could stand on or a stepladder?

How stubborn. Mouldy is risky to your own health. Why wouldn’t you just clean it?
I’m a landlord. When we bought the property (from owner occupiers) we found mould partly due to inadequate ventilation and also a leaking radiator. We took great care in cleaning and fixing everything. Our tenants have two dcs. I told them thoroughly about the importance of ventilation etc. I even purchased a dehumidifier from Robert Dyas. When I drive past the house I see condensation in the windows and when I’ve entered the property for repairs etc I haven’t seen the dehumidifier. There’s no sign of mould thank goodness but the attitude of the tenants pisses me off.

MissEliza unless you lived in that very property with 2dc then how can you judge?

As you said before my Flat suffers very badly with condensation and I take many measures to fix it.

But if my landlord were to drive past in the morning before 10 then she will likely see condensation. And windows will most likely be shut.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t had the windows open all the time I was in the place and it doesn’t mean I didn’t get rid of every bit of water on the windows before I left for work, but the cycle begins again until the sun rises.

If there is no mould in the property that you rent, then it’s brcause your tenants are keeping ontop of the condensation whether you happen to drive past at the perfect moment or not.....

Yabu re wiping the ceiling. Yabu re the window. ive rented for 8 years prior to escaping the rent trap. Abit shocked you dont open windows and dont wipe down the ceiling. Have you rented or owned a house before. Every house in uk has mould and this is managed by the owners or renters.

Abit shocked you dont open windows Where have I said that I don't open windows?

I’m sure you’re not one to cut your nose off to spite your face OP and will do what you need to. But we owned and lived in a basement flat for 6 years. We had light mould appear on some cushions against one of the external walls early on and we decided to address it straight away. We had a dehumidifier in the bedroom and another in the open plan sitting room/diner. And we kept the heating on regularly. We never had a problem again. The bathroom had a fan but never had a mould issue.

We rented it out when we moved and my God I have never been so cross. The tenant seemed to think Victorian basement flats should miraculously look after themselves and we spent a fortune on damp surveys and experts going in. All for them to tell her the same things - open the windows, put heating on and don’t put all your wet clothes on the radiators with no ventilation and use the dehumidifiers provided. She refused and said she didn’t want to use the heating or electric. I was beyond livid as she continued to blame us for something she could prevent.

Anyway the long and short of it is, it’s often fairly simple to avoid mould issues and why live in a less than nice environment just because you refuse to take the necessary steps to mitigate/prevent it. A decent fan and plenty of ventilation should help.

Turn down inspections in the future - they have no legal basis.

Why is some cunty stranger Letting Agent telling you what to do in the flat you are paying rent for. Just ignore and give it a clean when you move out if you feel so inclined but if it is on the inventory you don't have to worry although mould might not be great for your own health.

She refused and said she didn’t want to use the heating or electric. I was beyond livid as she continued to blame us for something she could prevent.

The problem is that a lot of landlords charge market rent for damp prone properties. If a landlord goes "this property is prone to damp so he rent is £100 under market rent so that you can keep heating on and dehumidifiers going" then I'm sure it would be less than a problem.
But if a landlord lets a property out with substandard insulation and ventilation, charges market rent and give the tenant a pattionising leaflet about covering pans and not to dry washing indoors, then I think they're a bit unfair to later on complain and say it's a "lifestyle issue".

Ventilation is key. Openning the window is the obvious way to ventilate the room. If you don't want to keep the window open all the time, make sure it's open as you have a shower or bath, and keep it open to allow the steam and damp air to clear properly before closing it. Also leaving the door open will help keep the bedroom dry, as will not doing things like drying laundry on screens or over radiators.

I understand your point Tsunami but this was a recently converted fairly luxury listed Victorian building. And a basement flat. I think unless it was a new build you’re going to have to do something to avoid damp because that’s the nature of those type of flats. I think what could be construed as patronising is actually basic advice for caring for and living in a fairly unique older property. Don’t like it, go find a different property.