To clarify exactly what a council house looks like

[Lifegoeson5]

So many posts about council housing and 'benefit scroungers' getting 'free' housing.
I pay £150 a week for this...

@CherryBathBomb I wasn't lucky one little bit, I came from an abusive family, I was given nothing, luck had nothing to do with it which is exactly why when I bought a house it was run down and in need of huge repairs.

It was not a brag it was a reminder that people that buy are often in the position where their own house needs a huge amount of repair but no one pays for it for them. Hardly a brag to say the house I bought was falling apart.

OP if you have £5,000 then why don't you privately rent?
You obviously don't care much for the secure tenancy and reduced rent. You can rent a fully furnished place.
I privately rent and I recently bought a tin of white paint for £4.99 and some brushes to go over some old discolored corners etc. And I pay 2k for the "luxury"
I don't have disposable income either but I would find £4.99 especially if I had reduced rent.

A paste made of borax and tea tree oil will deal with the mould. Opening all windows half an hour a day will make sure it stays away.

5k will install a shower and redecorate.

YANBU. This is 21st Century Britain. That is beyond shocking. No slur at all on you, op, obviously, but I wouldn’t let a rat live like that.

I used to pay £900 a month for a private rental house which looked similar due to condensation. We had to buy a tumble dryer on the end because it was caused by us drying washing inside. Had to pay for mould cleaner and the condensation catchers which we put in every wardrobe and every room. It sucks but it's just part and parcel of living in a modern property where the condensation cannot escape.

Really sorry that you have had a hard time, and I know it's an absolute pita to have to deal with this stuff in a house you rent. But that mould could happen to you in any property council or not.

OP, paint the black mould with bleach. Leave the bleach once it's painted on, and within a few hours the mould will have disappeared (considerably, if not completely). Good luck!

It's so hit-and-miss. I lived in a council flat where there was horrific mould and condensation(this is nothing in comparison), I couldn't even easily unlock the wet front door the mechanisms would get too stiff if it had been raining. Turns out they hadn't insulated it above the corridor. Never fixed that though, they eventually came out and said they'd install a thermal board but just cleaned it off and used anti-mould paint it of course came back after just a few instances of rain! But I know other people even within the same council had no problems.

Have you reported the hole in the door frame? I'd of thought they'd fix it. Would think you'd need to paint the windowsill yourself though.

5k to decorate?! Lucky you!! I'd either make the peace with uneven walls and paint or wallpaper the place.

There are 7 of you that have managed to get a low rent pretty secure tenancy from the council During a housing crisis.
Jeezus ungrateful or what?
Suck it up and get cleaning and decorating.
Both previous property's were big jobs to put right but I was still thankful that it was a council property.

I'm sorry but I can't feel sorry for people in council houses, I own my own home (mortgage) and have just been quoted thousands for work that needs doing, it's stressing me out and I'm worried about paying for it whereas council house dwellers get it done for free, I also paid top whack for my house whereas council tenants get a huge HUGE discount to buy theirs. I'd love to be able to moan about things and get them fixed for free. To be able to not worry about the next issue I can't afford to fix!

And I replaced all my windows and doors 2 years ago in the hope of sorting out the condensation and mould and it's come back. I'm so upset about it and now I need to pay thousands more to sort it.
At least when you rent you've got rights, when you've got a mortgage it's up to you to fix the shit as and when you've got the funds to so.

My windows get a bit manky this time of year with all the condensation but i also dry my clothes indoors and never have the heating on so how you have mould like that and i don't is weird poor housekeeping on your part maybe ? Keep the windows open a crack and wash them with hot soapy water for the mould

The bog standard, 1950s council houses I grew up in now change hands for over half a million pounds.

South East property prices are crazy, it’s a big reason why I moved up north. I’m an economic migrant!

At roughly 600 a month that's a bargain. And yes for mould you should let fresh air in. The inside state depends on you and what you make of it, we couldn't get on the council flat, both of us worked so we stayed in a studio flat with our child and paid a lot more than you do. Don't know what you were expecting showing your pbotos

@GobbyNorthernBird "This post has really got my back up."

Mine too! In fact I refuse to read the rest of the thread! My CH is 72 years old so, therefore, one of those built in great haste after WW11 ended. I have lived here for 32 of those years. Aesthetically it is not a pretty house but I have top grade insulation, cavity wall insulation, recently upgraded heating, a new kitchen and bathroom (sadly still no shower) double glazing which gets replaced if the seals leak. I also dry all my washing inside in winter and have zero mould. Why? Because I open the windows every bloody day and have the heating set to a sensible temperature. Not one person on this little estate of 15 houses has mould.

I realise not every council is as good as mine but I find if you are prepared to take their advice and to help yourself then they do their best for you. In 32 years I have only had one genuine problem and that was when my heating packed up during the freezing spell 2 winters ago. Even that wasn't the fault of the council but of the contractor who did nothing but lie to people.

When you look at the general state of housing offered by some private landlords and remember the number of homeless currently on our streets then I consider myself very very fortunate to have this house.

To the OP: I suggest you do as most posters have pointed out and clean the place, then air it thoroughly before putting the heating back on.

My house is an ex council and I paid so much more for it than the council price, unfortunately the previous owners bought it and left it to rot so I've not even had the benefit of a decent house from the start. To be honest I think I regret buying it as the upkeep is so expensive but I fell in love with the village its in!

you have no idea how lucky you are getting subsidised housing.
I'm too have fled an abusive husband and my country doesn't have any housing support .
I would be so thankful to have such a cheap place to live.

You sound like a spoilt little brat.
Clean your house.
Heat and ventilate your house.

If you don’t like it, let someone else have it and go and rent privately.

Being argumentative to PPs and saying not everyone has disposable income. You’ve got a bloody cheek when you’re sitting there with £5k that you’ve managed to come by.

You’ve got council housing, which from what I understand is quite limited. You pay £150/week and it houses 7 people. You’ve got a bloody nerve to have such an attitude.

@BusterGonad

I'm sorry but I can't feel sorry for people in council houses, I own my own home (mortgage) and have just been quoted thousands for work that needs doing, it's stressing me out and I'm worried about paying for it whereas council house dwellers get it done for free, I also paid top whack for my house whereas council tenants get a huge HUGE discount to buy theirs. I'd love to be able to moan about things and get them fixed for free. To be able to not worry about the next issue I can't afford to fix!

You're overlooking the point that you have an asset, or will have when you have paid the mortgage. Any tenants do not, the LL has the asset at the end of the day don't they. I pay more now in SH rent than my DSis does on her mortgage. In 25 years she'll have paid less and have an asset to show for it. I will have paid more and won't. I had someone say that at least I didn't have to pay for my roof being fixed (roof is a loose term btw, sieve would have been a better description!) They're right, I didn't, but I don't own the roof, or the house, so any increase in value due to the new roof is the LLs, sure I don't get wet cooking dinner if it's raining any more, see that as a bonus. I pay to use it as somewhere to live, and as such certain standards need to be met to ensure I'm getting what I pay for. I pay for the service of repair of major things in my rent, so it's not for free. And while we talk about rent, that's rent paid from wages, from a job.

If you hired a car and the wheels fell off through no fault of yours would you expect to pay for it to be fixed or take it back to the hire company to deal with?
Tenants pay for a service effectively, whether that's private or SH/council. It's pretty ridiculous that most people don't think they should receive that service at a decent level because of some outdated stigma attached to "council 'ouses" and because home owners are seen as morally superior.

All that said, I think you're being a bit precious @Lifegoeson5, my windows were like that when I moved in and I bought some resealant when I couldn't get it off, I keep the windows on vent and use the damp traps, do all the window frames etc once a month or so, works for me. Mine was a state because of previous tenants, deep cleaned it a room at a time when I moved in and gradually sorted the windows, now starting to decorate. Takes time, but I have that because I'm not living in fear of being kicked out at someone else's whim. Would much rather deal with a bit of muck and mould than another house move! Again!

No, that's what your council house looks like.

Doodoo true but also if you have an asset you don't get full benefits at your time of need, you still need to pay that mortgage, regardless of how much tax you've paid over the years, and also when the time comes and you need care they'll swipe away your assets quick enough to pay for it. Sometimes I wonder if having such an asset is worth the hassle.

It's pretty ridiculous that most people don't think they should receive that service at a decent level because of some outdated stigma attached to "council 'ouses" and because home owners are seen as morally superior.

I don’t think that’s the issue to be honest. The OP sounds entitled. We all have to heat and ventilate our houses to avoid mould and damp etc, no matter our circumstances

@Lifegoeson5 we've borrowed 5k from family. It will only cover plastering and decorating of half the house. That I don't own.

But you do live in. You should have seen the council flat we got when my mum was heavily pregnant, kicked in doors and walls, out dated everything, broken cupboards. She got family round the weekend we moved kn and it was livable. The pretty stuff happened over a period of weeks, with the aid of handy family members.

All she had to do was keep them in food and drink, her speciality She made it our home and it was never as pretty outside as it was on the inside. Secured tenancy means it's your job to fix it.

I pay double what you pay, to a private landlady who not only won’t sort out that shit, but won’t let me do it either, she could serve me notice any time and keep my deposit.
I think you need to remember you’ve a home for life and you can sort this out in time

What do you expect? The Ritz?
It’s filthy, a bit of elbow grease and even just some hot soapy water would really help!

You’re bloody lucky to get a council house. However, if this house does not reach your standards, I’m sure there are many people in private housing who would be only too happy to do you a swap!

Can’t believe you’re complaining about being told to put the heating on and open window to combat mould. That’s what everyone does, heats their house and makes sure it’s ventilated... do you expect councils to provide perfect houses that don’t need this ? It great you’ve got away from an abusive ex but you obviously have a new partner now living with you so can they not contribute in some way ?