AIBU to expect the tenants to turn the heating up?

[LadyMaine]

I've owned my 3 bed Victorian house for 7 years. There was a little bit of damp in the downstairs bay window but nothing serious.

I moved for work at end of August this year and rented it out. Within a few weeks the tenants (3 adults & dog) started complaining of damp and mould. When I went to inspect the house was very cold.
They said they are worried about high heating bills. I do understand this but have told them they really need to turn the heating up.

The boiler is in full working order as are the extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom.
I installed new double glazed windows throughout when I bought the house. It also has a damp course installed.

Now they are complaining that there is black mould and that one of the tenants' asthma is getting worse.
What can I do to get them to turn the heating up?

Op lived in the house herself for years with no mould. It’s quite clear mould is caused by tenants actions (it usually is caused by lifestyle of occupants whether you like it or not).

Any house with insufficient heating will get damp

You can't assume it's the landlord fault if they heating isn't being used

Well the tenants can leave a "crap house" of course and find a home to rent that doesn't get mouldy in damp conditions without putting any heating on!

Best of luck with that search.

Have you had the pointing checked op? We've just had to have our upstairs bay repointed because damp was getting in when there was driving rain

Sorry, but that is irrelevant. An untreated damp issue will eventually cause mould. That’s a fact. The OP was lucky to have no mould while she was there.

In my council house I have the heating on daily, windows open most of the day, furniture away from the walls and still the black mould is coming through thick and fast this year. Been here 4 years and never had mould till this year 🤷‍♀️

There are lots of tips on youtube about this (Chalie DIYte did a good one about this). Ventilation is key and just putting the heating on is not enough, thats a bit of a myth. The water still circulates indoors, but does collect less on walls while the heating is not on. You will still get issues if ventilation is poor and moisture can't escape.

I would ensure extractors are working properly and the air vents are clear. Do they have outdoor space to dry clothes? Lids for pans while cooking? Windows in bathrooms that could be opened while showering?

There isn't really much that can be done unfortunately. You can't force them to put the heating on, but you can ensure the property is well ventilated.

Serve them notice and then get in the house sort the mould and rent it to people who can afford it. Write into the contract that mould had been an issue and that new tenants must heat and ventilate it

there is absolutely nothing on here to suggest it is not the tenants causing mould.

Other than a pre-existing damp issue that has been neglected for almost a decade…,

Most houses in uk have some damp issue.
No they don’t as a whole. In the rental sector many do have damp issues 100% due to neglectful landlords not doing repairs or maintenance. 1 in 5 homes in the private rental sector do not even meet minimum standards to be fit for human habitation. These are homes like the one Awaab Ishak died in.

Are you the tenant fgs?

You are very much making some bits up.
There was no mould - tenants moved in mid September, mould within weeks.

I mean like, it couldn't be clearer

Also we literally had environmental officer here saying it is often the lifestyle not the landlord.

Open the windows, heat, like anyone else everywhere and that's it. If people do that AND still get mould, then it is down to property and landlord.

Yes sure, it's truth universally acknowledged that tenants never ever heat their homes.

there is absolutely nothing on here to suggest it is not the tenants causing mould.

Oh, except the fact that mould and increased damp managed to appear in the few weeks following August. That's when it was first reported.

Too early to have the heating on then, no? Especially given the above average temps at that time of year, and this year.

Does anyone have the heating on end of August and September 🤔

They appear to have it on, but not high enough for the OP's liking.

September.
They moved in mid September

If they kept their windows shut during that time they could have made a small damp near a window into a large mould problem

Exactly. While it was warm-ish if you don't ventilate anyway, it's causing issues.

there is absolutely nothing on here to suggest it is not the tenants causing mould.

Oh, except the fact that mould and increased damp managed to appear in the few weeks following August. That's when it was first reported.

Too early to have the heating on then, no? Especially given the above average temps at that time of year, and this year.

Does anyone have the heating on end of August and September 🤔

They appear to have it on, but not high enough for the OP's liking.

I don't understand why people don't understand that they need to ventilate and hear homes otherwise they get mouldy. I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. You've had some odd responses IMO.

This thread is so funny. Some people genuinely believe that it's the tenants job make sure a damp patch doesn't get worse. Some tenants will and some won't but it's the owner's job to fix the problem.

If they kept their windows shut during that time they could have made a small damp near a window into a large mould problem

So now you've decided they're keeping their windows firmly closed in hot weather? A silly idea surely . You couldn't make this stuff up. Though entertaining in a way, I suppose.

In any case OP claims it's a heating (not off but too low) issue.

Do you not have a clause in the tenancy agreement about minimum heating temperatures?

You need to fix the damp in the window, I’d assume caused by water ingress in the bay window from rot or something similar. Otherwise I’d serve them notice if you able, they are going to cause long term damage to the house if they aren’t heating it.

I think people do understand and agree that homes need to be ventilated and heated. It's just not fair to expect more than that. Bit unrealistic to expect tenants to crank up the heating big time in the current climate, just because someone wants to save money on repairs.

Unless there is some requirement in the contract for min heating and ventilation I don't think you can do anything.

On another mold thread - someone mentioned Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) - units - if it's a long term rental you may need to spend some money and put in some form of ventilation that doesn't require any real input from tenants.

You probably need homes around 15 as a minimum as well as ventilation to prevent mould

It's realistic and expected in country often cited on MN for tenant rights...
It just seems to be mega issue in UK