Mould in homes - if it's THAT bad, sort it yourself?

[Anonynamo]

NC for this.

I want to start by offering my deepest condolences to those who have suffered losses and health implications as a result of mould in their homes. No one should have to suffer in such terrible conditions in their own homes.

My question though is this - AIBU to think that if mould is that bad in a rented property then rather than just waiting for a landlord to sort, you can do things yourself to help?

OBVIOUSLY I know its a land Lords responsibility but to let it get to such a point that you are ill or God forbid someone dies, why won't you just get rid of it yourself?

People who own their own homes regularly de-mould. Why can't relatives or parents etc in rented properties do the same?

I'm not in anyway saying a landlord shouldnt be responsible - they 100% are. They're doing a shit job as we all know. I just can't shake the idea that people are digging their feet in hoping, sometimes fruitlessly that some one else will fix it, whilst their relatives or others are suffering! It baffles me.

I don't mean people who have no one to help or who cant because of already ill health. I mean those who are fully capable of putting on a pair of marigolds and a mask once a month.

If it's structural, due to poorly maintained property, tenants should pay for builders to come in inspect and do works should they?

Never heard such nonsense in my life

As if people renting these homes wouldn't already have tried bleaching and scrubbing and anti mould treatment and re painting.

I can't believe what you've just said tbh

Agree. Fgs the vast majority have tried everything to get rid of mould. Completely ridiculous and ignorant thing to say.

YANBU. I can’t understand why rented homes struggle so much worse than owner lived in, apart from the tenants just don’t care and it’s “someone else’s responsibility”.

I understand where you're coming from OP. I get the impression that the tenants often thinks it's all about the landlord. The fact is there needs to be ventilation not drying clothes and having showers in an enclosed environment with no opening of windows no matter how cold it is.

However expect to get flamed.

Such nonsense. No amount of wiping it down, sterilising the area and mould block will deal with inherent structural issues. It’s costly too as well as futile.

I am glad there is a finally a focus on this issue and extremely saddened it took a little boys death to make it happen.

I'm in council accommodation and it is 110% their responsibility and the mould in our case isn't only skin deep its to do with external influences which is 110% the councils priority and responsibility. I am classed as 'vulnerable' so wtf should it be my responsibility to sort the mould out when I'm a paying tenant.

No im not saying fix the structure obviously. I mean, keep it at bay until your landlord fixes the problem. I wouldn't expect someone to do that. I think youre missing the point. But like I said in my post, I'd expect someone to try and keep it at bay.

It literally is someone else's responsibility! The person the tenant is paying to provide a safe and habitable home! FFS

Don't worry OP it's always some one elses fault.
Ventilation, not stacking shit against walls drying clothes indoors with no ventilation. Not paying for cleaning products.

You see it all the time.

The things the LLs need to fix to prevent the mould aren’t fixed by marigolds and a mask and some scrubbing. That’s the point.

OP

Your ignorance is genuinely shocking.

Pictures like this show the sort of mould people are having to deal with. With water running down walls.

Continuous, penetrating, due to serious structural defects. As soon as removed, comes back immediately.

Not because they're drying washing or not opening windows.

Jeez.

You serious

For too long tenants have been told it’s lifestyle when actually it’s not.

Perhaps because rentals tend to be poorly maintained and the owner doesn’t have to live with the consequences of their neglect.

Because they’re not as well maintained?

Stupid, victim-blaming nonsense.

Children have died. Show some respect.

Or there are structural problems. Have you ever lived in a rented house with damp, inadequate heating? I have. I did all the maintenance, painting, etc and the house was left 100% improved on how I found it. I was still out with the black mould killer spray on the regular.

Arrogant, privileged, ignorant bullshit.

Yes, 24 year old me should have replaced the roof on the townhouse I rented, definitely not the problem of the freeholders 🙄

So they should pay out for structural repairs to roofing, pointing, damp proof courses? When their rent will already be much higher than the landlord's mortgage payments? And the landlord owns the property not them?
Are you also of the "if you're poor just earn more money" and " eat turnips" brigade?
Are you a landlord perchance?
FFS.

The fact is that no amount of open windows will resolve structural issues letting in the rain to roof spaces, or resolve rising damp issues.
JHC!

Are you really this ignorant?

FFS.

It isn't a little bit of mould caused by having the windows shut.

The mould that is KILLING people is caused by structural/disrepair issues. Wiping it off makes no difference.

You realise tenants are NOT ALLOWED to do that sort of work on the property they rent?
They would have to ask & receive permission (which would be refused) to do it.

The sort that would fix the property that has fallen into disrepair due to landlord neglect & requires more than opening the window & cleaning away the mould while running a dehumidifier every day can fix?

Because that is the sort of mould problem that is common in poorly maintained rental properties owned by 'don't give a damn' landlords, which include councils & housing associations as well as others.

Not if it's structural issues as pps said.

However, I found lots of people don't air property enough, don't leave space behind the furniture etc. It's humid climate, it needs proactivity. I had mould only once in rented and I lived in some shitholes, which remained mould free. The one was due to issue with extractor, so landlord's responsibility. I have no mould in my house I shock air in a morning and then heat, or in the evening if I am out early. Every day. Use extractors properly. You can feel the difference if I am away few days and house wasn't aired.

But if the gutter is broken etc, airing won't help.

You'll get flamed because what you believe has been shown to be untrue.

Your ignorance of the science is why you'll get flamed.

I'm a landlord and I voted yabu.

I agree that tenants should do all they can to keep mold out. It is often frustrating to be called to a property that has a slight amount of mold to find out the tenant has never opened a single window whilst drying all their laundry inside.

We have vented windows and have fitted a variety of solutions to the property to combat mould that's caused by "user error". (Example, I loved in a flat for 8 years without any mould, tenant moved in when I moved out and within 6 months was complaining of mould......this was entirely down to them not ventilating).

HOWEVER, in cases of structural issues, pervasive mould, older properties etc then it's 100% landlord responsibility to be on top of it.

Even when my tenant complained of mould that was due entirely to their misuse, we stepped in, fitted more powerful extraction in the bathroom, changed some of the vents and provided some education on ventilating and the causes of mould.

When mould is more serious it's almost always due to something the tenant isn't in charge of.