This isn't a aibu personally but are they (housing related)

[roseannaleeXo]

Didn't really know what category to put this in it's not really a ME Aibu more the other party in this.... anyways to the point!

Under housing association through the council in "temporary accommodation" as they say.
We have been here for a good while, every since we have moved in mould started growing everywhere, I have horrendous pictures but it is some how our fault that it is happened. I have complained three times to the HA the first response/blame was it is our fault for drying washing in our home etc
The second we was told to put our heating on it is electric heater/radiators no gas here! And to open the windows at the same time... are they mad ?
The third was oh we can paint it for you thy come round to look I said no because of children fumes etc to much hassle so we done our selfs. But it has come back yet again, all our stuff gets ruined my sofa has mould over it from the walls, our bedroom is the worst it goes from the bottom of the wal slanting upwards behind our chest of drawers clothes inside now all mouldy basically the whole place is mouldy we are in a one bedroom flat with four of us sharing, my little one now has a inhaler only a few months old it is a joke we are constantly ill coughing sick colds all the time, the place is always freezing it's all electric so can't have heating on 24/7 bill would be ridiculous I don't know what to do anymore every time I complain they shun it off with some excuse. In our tenancy before they changed and merged with another HA it never said mould was our problem to sort and since this new company taken over it magically says it is our problem, My other child's bed and mattress is mouldy but it is all our fault. All my furniture and belongings were brand new when we moved in they are ruined now, the other day I changed the beds and our pillows had mould growing on it and people wonder why we are always ill. I am sick of being blamed an shun'd on because there lazy arses can't be bothered to come and sort out THEIR buildings. The windows are constantly wet water comes in from outside they are damp on the ceilings part were the windows are we have people above etc.

Fed right up don't really know what I came here to ask but I am fuming. Has any else had this and if so what did you do?

Unfortunately thy are probably right. Unless water is coming in from outside it's probably caused by lack of ventilation/heating.

Can you afford a dehumidifier? They're cheaper to run than heating and suck an amazing amount of moisture out of the air. You need an electric one though, don't waste your money on those little plastic things with silica beads inside.

You do need to open the windows to ventilate the house for a good part of everyday.

Well, ARE you drying washing inside the flat?

Yes, in any house you will get mold if you dry washing indoors and don't ventilate.

We had a private landlord try this shit with us. It was a poorly ventilated damp house and it got mouldy. They told me to have the windows open whenever I had the heat on and I told them to fit better windows. Neither happened, I wiped the mould when it appeared and When I moved out they threatened to take my deposit because of the mould. I told them I'd see them in the small claims court. I got my deposit back in full (without going to the small claims court).
My house doesn't get mouldy when I have the heating on and if it did I would fix the problem not open the windows.

Also, giving washing an extra spin and using a dehumidifier helps reduce drying time if you have to dry washing indoors.

If you are drying the washing indoors without opening windows, then yes.. you will have mould.

If you don't have an outdoor option for it, and you don't have a dryer (with a proper installation), you need to leave your heating on - even on low - keep a window slightly open but never put the wet laundry on radiators. A dehumidifier will help too.
Don't you open windows in the bathroom during or after bath and showers?

Sorry guys I forgot to put that top of the windows have vents so they stay open all the time, I have not tried a humidifier. yet to find a decent one! Yes of course I open my windows with 4 of us in a stuffy little flat it drives me mad not too. Just at my end with what to do.

The only windows are at the front our kitchen bathroom don't have windows it is ridiculous.

And no I'm in flats high up so no garden or out house type thing not even a patch of grass to let the kids play let alone put washing out, I always open windows when drying I can't bear to be all hot!

It sounds like the combination of overcrowding and hanging up wet washing is certainly making the problem worse. I’m sorry though because it sounds awful. Hopefully someone on here will recommend a decent humidifier for you.

I'm going to try and find a humidifier to buy start then and then see from there if makes it any better it has been from day one, all the flats have mould here!

I put clothes in dryer no where to hang clothes in here radiators are electric so that would be looking for disaster

Yes we have tumble dryer

Does your kitchen and bathroom have extractor fans if they don’t have windows? I’d suggest running constantly if you do to help draw out moisture from showers / cooking etc.
Get a Dehumidifier it will help a lot just leave it running constantly and empty when full. After a week or so of constant use you will notice the difference and will only need to run it for a few hrs a day. It also takes the chill out the air I’ve found so you may find it warmer. Unfortunately drying clothes indoors is one of the worst things you can do. Most damp and mould are caused by the things we do unfortunately, and it sounds like this is the case. Pull your furniture slightly away from the walls to allow air flow and start heating the place as much as you can.

Cross post re drying clothes indoors

Is your dryer a condenser or a vented one? If it’s vented do you run the vent out of a window? If you can’t run it out of a window you can buy kits that attach to the vent pipe to make a condenser box to collect the moisture.

Could you take your laundry & dry it at the laundrette? I know it's a faff, but it would save a lot of the humidity. use paper towel & dry all the condensation on the windows after a shower, & take a shower in the morning & air the place properly, as opposed to the evening when you want to be warm a can't open the windows
buy some dehumidifier blocks.
Try & move

Yes we have the noisy exctrator fans guess we all get used to them keep going off all time! I'm going to try's some of the ideas here an hope for the best it Gets better x

My house is draughty and extremely well ventilated, but we still get mould forming inside cupboards and against walls. So it might not be a ventilation issue... do the outside drainpipes let water run down the outside of the walls or gutters overflow? This is a major problem with my house.

OP that sounds very difficult, espcially if you are all stuck with one bedroom :(

Have you got a halogen heater? I believe they heat quite quickly and are one of the cheapest type to run and not desperately expensive to buy in the first place. Make sure you open bathroom window for 15-20 minutes after showers or baths and kitchen window the same after cooking

If you could pair that with a dehumidifier and a couple of days with rubber gloves, cloths and mould killing spray you may be able to make a bit of difference - at least that's what I did years ago when living in a flat with similar problems (though thankfully not with one bedroom between 4) - apparently it was MY fault because I had furniture against a North facing wall!

Other than that not sure what to suggest? Could you afford to take washing or at least some of it to launderette to use tumble driers?

I'm sorry, its miserable for you. I hope they find you somewhere better sooner rather than later.

You need a Meaco dd8l dehumidifier. I got mine from Appliances Direct as it was cheapest from there. I'm in a ground floor flat so don't like opening windows. Would wake up every morning to the windows running with moisture and black mould around the windows and walls. Now there is nothing.
I leave it on constantly but it only runs itself when it detects moisture so won't use too much electricity. I only need to empty the tank each morning, more if I'm drying washing.
Also, if you can afford one, get a Drysoon heated airer (from Lakeland) to help dry the washing. I don't have a tumble dryer so this has made a massive difference.
Use bleach, boiling water (With rubber gloves on!) And elbow grease to scrub away the black marks.with the dehumidifier they won't come back.

Sorry OP got distracted half way through posting and then cross posted lots - see you don't have bathroom / kitchen window!! That's ridiculous

I suspect the OP is trying to move. Shes already in temporary accomodation.

My DM dries clothes indoors in the winter and barely has the windows open. No dehumidifier either No mould though.