Landlord ignoring me

[NotAllowed]

I’m about to lose it with my landlord and need a sounding board to see if my anger is justified.

I moved into this property since June. The garage, a major selling point, has an old roof which is leaking badly. I did not know this when I viewed and took on the property as it was early summer. It’s been a very wet year as we all know and my belongings in the garage are soaked, so much so that I’ve had to cover everything with tarp. I reported this as soon as I noticed it back in July. A roofer has been out to try and fix the issue on two occasions, which has only made things worse. It needs a new roof. There’s been no progress and it’s only getting worse, despite being reported 6 months ago. I call and text and largely get ignored.

The chimney breast is also leaking, there is a stream of water now pouring down one of the bedroom walls inside. There’s mould on all the windows and in the bathroom, and bad condensations for which I have requested a dehumidifier and been ignored. I open the windows and ventilate the house as much as possible given it’s winter and wet outside.

I’ve tried to call and text with other questions and concerns, as is understandable when moving into a new property. Lots of empty promises upon moving in such as replacing broken fencing panels which at this point I’m not even bothered about. I am constantly ignored. Calls go unreturned. Texts don’t get replied to. He replies on occasion. If he does pick up the phone there’s no acknowledgement of that fact I’m ignored, I find it weird and awkward. I’m 9 months pregnant and due any moment. I’m tired and irritable. The room that the water is now pouring in through is my baby’s nursery. I know that when I do eventually get through to him, I’m going to explode. Would an explosion be justified? I’m so angry. I’ve never experienced this level of rudeness and ignorance with a landlord.

The mould's nothing to do with the leaking chimney breast allowing water to run down the walls, and leaky windows then? Yes, drying clothes indoors contributes to humidity, but it sounds like there are many structural issues too. Even improperly installed insulation can cause cold spots which encourage mould, and that's not immediately obvious without looking at what's behind the drywall.

You could conclude that, but you could also conclude that homeowners realise that their lifestyle can contribute to high humidity levels and will take their own steps to fix it rather than just blame it on the landlord.

As soon as we can agree that lifestyle CAN contribute to mould then the sooner we can differentiate and sort it. If the property has decent heating, windows that open, adequate ventilation in bathrooms/kitchens, no penetrating damp then it will be down to the residents lifestyle. People are too quick to blame the property.

Every step should be taken to identify the issue and things but in place to avoid mould, but I have seen many properties where everything is right but there is still mould. Usually it's people who don't want to open windows or use their heating and also dry their clothes indoors or on radiators.

Humidity metres in properties should be more of a thing. There also needs to be much more education on the subject.

In the flat I live in I opened the windows, heated adequately, dried clothes in a tumble drier and still had terrible black mould last year in the bedroom due to lack of insulation and damaged window seals. So no, it is not necessarily the tenants fault. After months of pleading we were given a humidifier.

In the previous properties I lived in, I never had to be so careful. We use to dry clothes in doors as there was no tumble drier and outdoor space and never experienced mould.

People are too quick to blame the property.

If the landlord was confident that there are no issues with the property then why would he be ignoring the OP? These aren't the actions of someone who is confident that the property he is letting out is fit for purpose.

As someone who lives in a very old house, a dehumidifier is really worth it but don't skimp on the size or quality. Get a good sized low energy one like the Meaco LE or Ecoair suited to the size of your home. 18/20 litre extraction rate.

I know they cost but when running, they give out heated air so you'll find with a less damp house and the warm air the machine expels, you can turn the heating down to compensate. It's a whole lot more comfortable in the house.
And when bathing, I'll run it in the bathroom

We own our house and I had mould start to develop in a room where I dried clothes on an airer, even with trickle vents open.

Bought a vented TD and mould ceased.

Perhaps home owners look after their properties better than renters? Bet you don't like that answer.

Very wise decision OP.

My landlord owns multiple properties and some are not in great condition. Tenants have involved environmental health / local council and he has served their notice.
If your landlord had any intention to do the work or was a decent landlord he would have communicated with you and had the work done.
You should move - and I know that even the thought of it is stressful, but I suspect the work needed will not be done.
To those saying that drying washing causes mould - not always. I have a flat concrete roof and got mould. Landlord has put insulation on top (after numerous tenants in flat next door kept moving out). This has reduced the mould considerably, likewise putting new windows in has reduced it. I also use a dehumidifier and open bathroom window etc. Improving insulation can reduce mould.

Contact Shelter for advice.

I have a very dry house and I measure the humidity of it. It is usually about 50%. However, I tumble dry my clothes when they can’t go out on a line. 1 load of washing produces between 1 and 2 litres of water in the condenser dryer. Imagine all this water going round your home!

A couple of weeks ago I washed 3 jumpers. I couldn’t hang them outside as it was raining and I couldn’t put them in the tumble dryer. I hung them up in the dining room. I leave all my doors open downstairs and within an hour of hanging up the wet jumpers the humidity in the living room jumped to 70%. Just as well it wasn’t a full load.

The council can’t force him to do the repairs, the lady needs a Solicitor involved to obtain a court order for Specific Performance. It’s not something the council would do.

I would rather deal with a housemove than having a new born in a house that has water pouring down the walls and mould sprouting everywhere. That will be awful for their breathing surely?!

Your landlord is clearly not arsed. I personally would move or you will find yourself still dealing with this next new year too because he still wont have fixed anything.

It doesn't. See my message upthread.

EH can serve legal notice to carry out repairs to the LL if there are health/safety risks.

Advice from Shelter.

It's not an immediate process so OP should start it sharpish. If the landlord doesn't comply, they can be prosecuted by the council.

Given the extent and seriousness of the situation with a newborn soon to be involved, OP should use all the tools available to her.

You sound like a landlord who let's out damp houses. The chimney is leaking with rain. The OP has lived in other houses with no issues. The damp is due to the landlords poor maintenance, not the OP!

You have had some good advice here. I am a former social housing officer. You should email the local authority environmental health team asap and report that you are expecting a baby. They can slap an enforcement notice on the chimney, and anything else they find during an inspection. The chimney could be dangerous as if it is taking in water then it maybe the side supporting structures are at fault. Take photographs, and make sure the council get the landlord to have an electrician inspect the place. Wet walls and wires don't mix. Small dehumidifiers are useless but the bigger models are brilliant and you will be amazed what they collect. They don't cost a lot to run. I have several running in my house during the winter. Tell your midwife what is going on at home (and the health visitor) as she can write reports for you. You could also ring Shelter for further advice on claiming damages for any of your possessions that are affected by this.

Sorry to hear about your housing problem. Please contact your local council as a matter of urgency, environmental health is the department you will probably need, take photos /videos of everything concerning the inside of the house as the garage isn’t a residence and send it to them when they ask. Tell them you’re pregnant and there is mould everywhere due to the leaking roof. They will contact the landlord after inspection and force them to do repairs to the house within a specified time scale, probably with decoration repairs also. They may also help you with finding housing. You could also claim back some of the rent for the time that you’ve been having problems. There are a minority of scummy landlords around unfortunately, and you have one.

move out love, sounds like a nightmare! Yes it will be hard to move with a newborn but it will be harder to live with all those issues and stress. Good luck x

Are you the OPs landlord by any chance? 😳

@emziecy no, not even a landlord myself. Just have 25 years experience in the matter that's all. 🙄

Could you invest in a condenser tumble dryer so you don’t have to hang up clothes to dry them. You will have so much more washing with a baby.

It’s all very well saying it’s your landlord’s responsibility to provide you with a dehumidifier but is that a hill you’re going to die on, when you’re about to have a baby whose health will be impacted by these issues? You need to take whatever action you can yourself to help the situation if your landlord isn’t responsive and you’re not willing to move. Buy a dehumidifier now, and keep chasing about the other stuff in the meantime

Edit: just saw your update about buying a dehumidifier. PP’s suggestion of a condenser tumble dryer is also good, as you will definitely have a lot of washing with a baby and won’t always have the time to wait for it to dry, plus baby clothes are softer on the skin when tumble dried

The problem also is that there is a huge backlog of work for builders and roofers. Even if the landlord is willing to repair there could be a very long wait for repairs - we are talking months and months.
A dehumidifier will have minimal impact until the repairs are done. They had exactly the same situation in the flat next door - water running down from the chimney. Tenants told mould was their fault - given a dehumidifier to little avail. Two sets of tenants have moved out (they were paying £1100 a month rent and refused to live like that understandably and were becoming unwell). The landlord is finally getting the repairs done - and has more than enough money to do so. Think 400+ properties and mortgage free.
My property has managed mould - I have a dehumidifier (at my own expense), keep windows open a crack, painted all my ceilings with anti mould paint at vast cost, use a condenser dryer (expensive). Use anti mould remover monthly and heat the property, again expensive as little insulation. A previous poster suggested that homeowners take better care of their home - I have been a homeowner and a tenant - I have never had to take such extensive care of a property before. It is only since the landlord has started repairs and insulating the property that I have seen a difference. I have been here ten years - and yes, ended up with pneumonia. My rent is low and there is a property shortage here (coastal town).

Have a look at articles like this, not exactly the same but maybe helpful
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-12824303/amp/The-flat-renting-door-smashed-landlord-fixed-withhold-rent.html?ico=amp_articleRelated_with_images

If you read through your tenancy agreement, there will be a section that states that the tenant is responsible for keeping the property well ventilated to protect the house from condensation. You are responsible for the purchase of the dehumidifier, or tumble dryer, if the property didn't come with one. They aren't massively expensive and will help with the mould issue.