AIBU thinking my sisters landlord should sort this? Pics included.

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Hey, sorry if this is not in the correct side of Mumsnet. Not the best at working this site.

My sister is renting a new build house, well it’s not brand new but it’s considered newish. She has lived there just over a year, ventilates all rooms really well, makes sure the heating is put on when necessary.

Anyway, she has had mould since the first few weeks/months of moving in appear. She got it sorted. It keeps coming back. I’ve said to her that the landlord should be fixing it. She got in touch with him, he’s said it’s her fault for not opening windows/putting heating on.

She does do both, she has my one year old niece there too so it’s not like she’d leave her house in complete coldness & she does crack the windows open. So the landlord got someone out who painted over this mould or whatever it is with mould paint.

The mould is specifically in two rooms. My sisters bedroom & her bathroom. The house is lovely inside, she keeps it really clean, it’s in a relatively nice area but this mould just keeps making an appearance.

The mould is back with a vengeance & the landlord came out last week & repeated to her that she needs to be opening windows & turning the heating on. She’s told him repeatedly now that she is, she’s not stupid. Thing is, is it his responsibility to get the mould fixed? It’s as if she’s being used as the scapegoat for the mould when it’s definitely been an issue long before she rented the place.

Does anyone know what her rights are as a tenant? & Does anyone know what kind of Mould this is?

Thank you x

Bleach it with a mask and gloves on

Bleach can actually make it worse.

www.greenhomesolutions.com/auburn-ma/why-you-should-never-use-bleach-for-mold-removal/

@HolibobsinApril No she has cleaned it since the five months. We both have. I’m saying when it first appeared she didn’t touch it in case it let off spores but now she cleans it. This is what it’s growing like again & very fast, she left it a little longer than usual to get a picture to show the Landlord because when he’s seen it it’s been smallish so he’s bypassing it. I really just wanted to know what rights she has as a tenant. Where Mould is concerned. Because she definitely is trying to get rid but it’s growing pretty quickly. It’s all getting cleaned again tomorrow morning but it’ll be back.

www.nea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/DEALING-WITH-DAMP-AND-CONDENSATION.pdf?fbclid=IwAR179wFBUYP6oXzuNZJWhr-PMbwGsDiEUGZh9DFNFb4skwB2m3yR2-PsYag

Is there a vent fan in the bathroom? It should be run during any bath/shower and for 15-20 minutes afterwards. Turning it off when you get out doesn’t give the moisture to escape.

i have had mould, clean it off using cilit baby mould remover spray, it’s fantastic. Definitely keep cleaning it off.

The CIF stuff for mould is SO much better than the Cillit Band one.

*cilit bang 🤣🤣

this is terrible. The government is on the ball on damp and mould, especially since the death of that sweet little boy.

Contact shelter and the council. Mould can be very dangerous for young children

Thank you everyone for your replies. They’ve been helpful 😊I will show her this thread & hopefully it gives her some much needed advice. Thanks again.

Was just going to say this! Far better than own brands or Dettol mould and mildew remover. Cillit Bang all the way (also available in Tescos and B&M).

Many houses get a bit of mould (mine gets loads everywhere as it's old and damp) but as PPs have said your sister should clean it away. Spray and wipe - job done. I have to do my bathroom regularly despite having a big airbrick in the wall. If she wipes it away every couple of weeks or so I don't think she'd have to worry about spores.

That said - I don't know if mine would ever look that bad, if I didn't do it. It does sound as though there is a problem with the gutters, which the landlord should investigate. Painting over it is never going to solve the problem! Get your sister to start cleaning regularly, but if it keeps coming back looking that bad, in a very short timeframe - she should take things further.

I would call environmental health and explain you have a young child and black mould in the house.
The landlord should be made to find the root cause.
Perhaps an independent survey to find out what’s causing it.
Unfortunately some landlords are totally stingey and won’t spend money unless they’re forced to.

Your comparison with mushrooms is making me think of dry rot. If it's mushroom-like that suggests fungus, not mould. I don't know a whole lot about it, but look up pictures of dry rot and compare.

The pics don’t show what it’s actually like.
(Which begs the question - what's the bloody point of them )

@LauraNicolaides to “bloody” give people an idea of what the mould looks like. I’m not claiming to be David Bailey & I’m not stretch Armstrong to reach all the way to the ceiling to get proper shots. I’ve had to zoom in which has made the pictures blurred.

Definitely report to environmental health and I would call citizens advice and see what the legal position is if she withholds rent or pays it into a solicitors escrow account or something. Is there a legal clinic nearby she could access for advice? I think it looks shocking and it can’t be good for her little one either. If the landlord is already blaming her I would be wary about trying to fix it in case anything goes wrong and it comes back on her. She could get a damp specialist out to give a quote and advice perhaps so she has something concrete to show LL. Just make sure it’s a reputable company.

And make sure contact with LL is in writing, cc’d to the estate agency she got the tenancy through or management company if there is one. If it’s a very new build might be worth contacting the building company in case they can help at all.
Would also consider writing to MP or attending their clinic for help.

My best advice would be for her to move. Hopefully she would get a better LL..if she stays she will need to be wiping the mould off every three days to keep it away.

I think she may find she has to move, too.

the mould problem sounds really bad and if it was me, I’d move to another room with my young child to sleep etc. until it’s resolved. And then I would send an email to landlord/real estate agents to tell them I had moved out of that room and request a rent reduction until you can reinhabit bedroom. Take bedding/clothes out of there to.

If you can, ask someone with a ladder to climb up and get close images/ take closer pics of the mould. If it looks as awful close up as you say (mushroom like), chances are no one would have the gall to suggest this is not a big problem. send them to all relevant people.

Document everything - every contact with landlord, visits from tradesmen to eradicate mould etc. the mould itself. (Closer images - although ones you have posted look v bad).

Also your sister should make mention that she keeps a tidy, clean house & that this is not a problem she has caused. That, indeed, she has done everything she can to prevent it.

honestly, you’d have to be mad to let damp and humidity build up, set off mould growth and then complain about it and have to put up with repeated visits from tradesmen/landlord. That would make no sense. Landlord is being a ridiculous dick in suggesting it.

Mould is fungus? …

Black moulds can present a significant health hazard, so I would take this very seriously indeed. Species like Aspergillus are a recognised health risk and can lead to asthma and other respiratory conditions, including Aspergillosis. Shelter have some good advice about a landlord's responsibilities and how to ask them the right questions:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housingadvice/repairs/damppandmoulddinrenteddhomes?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4dzfhryGQIVk-3tCh16hAXLEAAYASAAEgJt4fDDBwE

Cleaning is not always a reliable way to remove active mould growth and it can sometimes provide a food source for further growth. Painting over it is a cosmetic solution only and does not address the root cause. Be aware that when you agitate active mould growth, you will cause it it release and distribute spores. This can cause respiratory problems for you and also create further areas of growth.

She needs a guttering check and a bathroom extractor fan

definitely report to environmental health. Black mould is unsafe

I think she needs to have the heating on for more than a few hours a day. She needs a dehumidifier in the bedroom where she is sleeping or trickle vents open at night. Opening the window in the morning is not enough.
We had a similar problem … dehumidifier solved it. Poor lady… very stressful

I'm a landlord renting to students and so have spent a lot of time investigating and dealing with the causes of mould.
From what I can see in your photos that does not look like mould caused by lifestyle and condensation, especially in the first shot where it is in a very straight line. That looks more like cold bridging in the wall or ceiling.
I agree with asking Environmental Health to come and have a look, they are happy to come out to private rentals - it's part of their job.

Okay I have an MSc and worked in historic properties and with objects covered in mould.

Most advice to remove mould is incorrect, especially from shitty estate agents and landlords (such as your sisters). This used to drive me nuts when we were renting and being given 'advice' (told off really). This is my fucking job.

You can't remove mould with bleach. Mould is incredibly difficult to get rid off - and even if you wipe it off the spores will remain. The actual cause of the mould needs to be sorted - from your description sounds like damp/water ingress, and the landlord needs to sort this and provide a dehumidifier.

With historic objects we remove mould spores by freezing the absolute tits off them (commercial deep freeze facilities) or using solutions that could not be used in domestic situations given their toxicity. Even then it's not a sure thing!!

Ignore PPs - find the source of the problem.

This is ridiculous! I get your your job may involve mould.

Firstly - a lot of mould inside properties does not involve water ingress or rising damp or similar bit a lifestyle that causes condensation.

Secondly- how the heck do you expect to freeze a ceiling?

Have you tried HG mould remover? I swear to God, it's like sorcery how it works!
Sorry your sister is having such a bad mould issue. Those pics are actually pretty shocking.