No dryer but don't dry indoors

[KarmaKoma]

Starting new rental. Agreement says don't dry indoors but landlord doesn't provide a dryer to enable you to meet this. Isn't this a bit ridiculous?

If the pavements are dry then it's dry enough to hang out washing. You may not get it totally dry but you will get most of the moisture out (and laundry smells nicer dried outside).

Just raise with landlord and ask them to provide a washer dryer as clothes can't be dried outdoors in the winter

Crikey!! 🤠

what a royal pain in the ass 😬.

and expensive to do - on top of all the rent you’re paying

Buy a DryBuddy - basically an airer in a tent that fills with hot air. Very cheap to run and I've found it to be an absolute lifesaver during the winter months.

That is not true

I know cause I’ve tried it - a few times (ever the optimist)

How do you normally dry your washing?

I always dry my washing indoors in winter and have never had a problem. Everyone I know drys their washing indoors. Just make sure the room is ventilated. This clause is only in there so when the house gets mouldy they can blame you. As long as you make sure you doesn't get mouldy I would just do what you normally do

We have a washer/dryer as no room to have them separate. I use my dryer more or less every day at this time of year, it's not that expensive to run.

It sounds like they've had/have a problem with damp. Be careful if any signs show during your tenancy as they'll probably try and blame you whether your actions cause it or not. Having said that, I'm also in the north and don't have a garden, I've never had a problem drying clothes on an airer or hanging them from the shower rail, but I never dry anything on the radiators. I purchased a dehumidifier to speed the drying process up, but managed okay before that.

I'm quite northerly (Yorkshire, northern edge) and I dry my washing outside as much as I can because my house is tiny, no drier and nowhere to hang it. I've found that watching the weather forecast like a hawk is key (my washing is going out today, for example), you can get most stuff more or less dry on a washing line, even if it gets occasionally rained on. Particularly if the wind is brisk. I must admit to a heated airer which gets used maybe twice a month, but I try not to get this out as it blocks most of one room and the dog tends to rub herself on it...

It’s really not, literally takes a minute to drop it in and then another to pick it up and pay once a week. It’s about £10 for two of the huge blue IKEA bags full of washing and we just do it in December/Jan when we can’t dry it another other way. It’s much better than having loads of washing drying in the house which I can’t stand,

Can you direct me to this legal requirement? I have never heard of such a law existing.

If the landlord is worried about mould and says no drying indoors they should provide a dehumidifier.
That is ridiculous, how are you meant to get stuff dry??

Get a dehumidifier, best way to dry clothes anyway. No damp problems for the landlord. Win win.

Take to an outdoor tumble dryer such as Revolution.

stores.revolution-laundry.com/en-uk

I live in the north too and hate dryers but had to buy one. Day after day of torrential rain sometimes or fog with 98 percent humidity!
I think it’s reasonable to ask the landlord for a dryer but if they refuse , they are not that expensive. I got a Beko for about 200 which is great. The garage sounds a good place if you have electricity.

Exactly what I would do.

Utter fabrication . . .. Foolish not to provide one but a law, where do people find this stuff 🤣

We live in a flat (owned not rented) that is prone to condensation. We don't have a dryer. We have a large private balcony that we use to dry washing most of the year (tbf we are in London which is drier and warmer on average compared to the rest of the country).

When it is we, we use an airer in the smaller bedroom with an EBACC dehumidifier on laundry setting. It is very effective and we never get condensation Issues. I also air the room out properly after we have had washing in there.

You can dry outside any time of year as long as it isn't raining. Could you put a gazebo up over the washing line?

The first time I rented (around 4 years ago) the contract stated you can't dry clothes indoors.
Not something I'd usually do, but I ignored it. I also didn't have a dryer and didn't want on due to the cost of electricity. I just got airers and put them upstairs in the warmest area of the house. I just made sure to ventilate every day to ensure it didn't cause mould.
Absolutely no issues the two years I was there.

I really don't see the outrage at not being allowed to dry clothes indoors because of the problems it can cause. You won't want to end up being liable for causing issues in the house.

We've never dried clothes in the house until we got a heated airer and even then we are really careful and use it in a well ventilated room.

The idea that it's a legal requirement to provide a way to dry clothes seems batshit. I'd love to see the legislation.

It's not 'illegal' for this clause to be in there and they don't need to provide you with the equipment (tumble dryer) to do it.

It's the same logic that they will say you need to keep a garden well maintained but will not provide the lawn mower.

It's likely to be simply a boiler-plate tenancy agreement which the landlord has been advised to use. I would, using a bit of common sense, interpret this as no 'unassisted' drying indoors, ie not just over radiators and building up damp. In the same way as using a tumble dryer is also actually... drying indoors. So, using a clothes horse & dehumidifier would be an acceptable way of going ahead. That is my recommendation.

Since the reason that clause is in there is about damp in the home, if you dry in a way that does not cause damp (eg, dehumidifier), then I'd just do that and not stress remotely.

What you likely shouldn't do is just dry unaided in the home if you can avoid it, both because it does contribute to damp and because it's against the tenancy agreement.

Do you work full time away from the house?
It's quite a decent day here in the north West but the chances of that coinciding with people being at home to do the washing in the winter are quite slim.

Regarding a dryer in the garage, just make sure you don't get a condenser or heat pump and the heat pump won't work as effectively and the water that collects in the condenser drawer can freeze in the winter and cause issues. Vented is best for garages/outbuildings (I work for a white goods manufacturer)

Can you provide a link to this law?