To think mould issues are one of the biggest triggers for retaliatory evictions?

[TheNavyAnt]

I keep seeing situations where tenants report damp or mould and suddenly the landlord/agent becomes hostile - inspections ramp up, nitpicking begins or a Section 21 magically appears soon after.

AIBU to think mould is one of the most common things that leads to landlords trying to push tenants out, simply because fixing it costs money?

Oh I see. So 25 years with no mould, same house, only change is not using the heating, laundry dried inside and no windows opened. The house has magically suddenly become mouldy? I've got air bricks, I've got extractor fans, I've got a damp proof course and have absolutely no damp according to the specialist surveyor.

It's condensation causing the mould.

Whilst I accept that often damp is the result of the occupants not ventilating/ heating etc properly, there are a great many times it is down to other issues. When DS and ddil moved into their first rented home, they soon discovered damp which caused damage to clothes, curtains etc. Initially, the LL tried to say it was their fault. But they were ventilating properly, had the heating on and used the drier rather than radiators to dry clothes. Because of their work patterns, someone was at home almost 24/7, and windows were open whenever someone was at home. After multiple complaints, the LL brought in a specialist company to check it out. Turned out that it was down to two factors - one, the bathroom was in the centre of the flat with no window and two, the entire block had been built with a completely inadequate internal ventilation system. The only way to resolve the issue was to install a system at a cost of over £10000. The LL chose to sell the flat instead. DS and ddil found a much better, older property which never had any damp issues.

No, but opening the fucking windows will help

This 100%

One rental property we were in had mould so badly we moved out of one of the rooms. It clearly had a structural issue ypu could see from outside (we were young then). Landlord said it was condensation and our fault. Next one we moved to a different region and had limited choice, got a flat built into a single-walled extension with an inside shower with no window or extraction fault. Landlord said it was good quality accommodation, condensation, and our fault. He also ripped us off with an electricity meter and gloated that our meter paid the bill for the whole building. We couldn’t have it running as much as we wanted due to cost and went to the library for warmth. Hunting for more we saw many with new paint clearly covering old mould marks, EVERY ONE blamed the tenants. We got a normal terraced house and had no mould issues despite not changing our laundry or living habits. When we had to look again, same thing, fresh paint covering old mouldy walls. Every one blaming tenants. We got somewhere with an uncapped chimney with rain pouring down it in a storm. Mould was claimed to be our fault again. There were others, every single one claimed the mould was our fault. We finally moved to buy in a cheap region and guess what, never had issues with mould again despite not changing our life or laundry habits.

Landlords are lying scum exploiting the poorest people with no choice or agency or represention, from the same country that gave us Enclosure. They are the spiritual successors of those Enclosers.

Its depressing, but all too normal for this disgusting country, how so many think renters should do the landlords job and maintain the building with dehumidifiers and extra cleaning expense on top of paying the landlords’ mortgages and pensions for them too, in return for no rights, no property, and easy evictions.

Tenants are not homeowners. They are paying a fortune for the landlord to maintain a property. That’s how renting is supposed to work. Should tenants rebuild damaged walls too while magically not changing the decor of 30 yr old wallpaper? Just what are the jobs of the landlord here? Perhaps you think tenants should pay for fresh air to be piped in too?

No, I do all the repairs. I send professionals round every single time they report mould. The tenants tell the professionals every time that they don't heat the property at all. They don't open windows. They dry all laundry inside, even in the summer. I'm not guessing at this, it's fact from their own mouths.

I know there are bad landlords. I am not one of them, so must assume there are thousands more like me.

None of my tenants have rented because they can't buy. They have all been in a situation where they don't want to or they haven't lived in the UK long enough to be able to.

The problem is there is not enough social housing. Thatcherism rumbles on yet people like to blame 'evil' landlords. I'm selling as soon as I can so that will be one beautifully cared for property off the rental market.

I don't believe that any tenant chooses to never heat the home. They might not be able to afford to due to high rents and living costs, or they might not heat to the same temp the LL would prefer, but no one in the UK, in winter, would choose not to heat their home.

As I said earlier, my house loses heat quickly. After an hour of having the heat off, it is uncomfortable unless you have a coat or a big dressing gown. After 2 or three hours, it is uncomfortable even with a coat; after several hours, it is painful. I know this because it is painfully cold on a morning, no matter how many blankets I wrap myself in.

No one, absolutely no one, would deliberately live like that. I believe that about as much as I believe most tenants cause mould rather than most LL CBA or can't afford, or don't know how to properly maintain their property to avoid mould.

Lots of people are used to lower temperatures and choose not to spend money on heating. Of course if money were no object it would likely be different, but many people don't use much heating. There are plenty of threads on here discussing it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz0ne0k70dro?app-referrer=deep-link

No, you’re not being unreasonable at all. You’re not imagining it either.
I’ve seen this happen so many times. A tenant raises damp or mould, and suddenly the tone changes. More inspections, little comments about how you live, and then out of nowhere a Section 21 appears. It’s very often because fixing mould properly costs money and opens a can of worms.

That’s why I always say:

Put everything in writing
Keep photos and dates
Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re the problem

Most tenants just want a dry, healthy home. Sadly, some landlords would rather push people out than deal with what’s actually wrong.

I don't really know. I would say though that mould issues probably tend to either be things that the tenants are doing that the landlord can't really fix, like not ever airing the place, not turning the heating on if it is cold and damp, not cleaning properly.

Or they are things that are actually quite systematic problems requiring lots of work such as new windows, better heating systems, fixing leaks etc which take a great deal of time and effort and are not for the lazy landlord!

Landlord and Tenant is a very difficult relationship. The landlord wants to be informed of any issues, but ultimately they are a 'business' not a charity- if the property is too difficult to maintain then they may decide to sell up.
The tenant wants to live in a well-maintained home, but they live in a constant state of anxiety wondering if the next call to their landlord is the one that prompts a section 21.

I've been a long term tenant and I remember the sleepless nights leading up to inspection or contract renewal, just desperately hoping I wouldn't have to find somewhere else for my family to live. This desperation can lead you to 'not want to pester' the landlord and be an easy tenant. Having said that, I have a friend who is a landlord and they also feel worry and concern that the house they own isn't being treated well and that issues are being ignored.

Particularly on the topic of damp- we were told to have the window open whilst the children took a bath (even when it's minus 5 outside), this was a seriously unrealistic idea as we were never going put our children in a freezing room whilst they bathed. On the flip side, the landlord would argue that we could try harder if we wanted to avoid damp (ultimately the room needed a fan).

Neither party can truly empathise with the other because they want conflicting things and have conflicting worries.

The problem is that fixing (e.g. having someone in to fix it) is horrendously expensive. As homeowners, we have used YouTube videos to research and carry out the damp-proofing on our own house ourselves.

We saved ourselves about £9,500 last year by installing a chemical dpc in our outhouse loo (formerly outside loo, now contained in a small extension) and tanking it, then applying insulated plaster to the walls before tiling and papering the room and installing a bathroom vent that comes on when the light is switched on.

We spent around £2,500 doing this job ourselves (had been quoted £12,000 by a damp-proof specialist) - how many tenants would be prepared to do that/landlords would be prepared to let them?

ps. The building has remained bone-dry (tested regularly using a moisture meter) since the work was done by us…

Mold can be due to poor property maintenance by a landlord. But a good majority of people don’t open windows after showering/cooking/drying clothes, or they can’t afford to, or don’t want to heat the property properly. That is the real reason for mold in a lot of cases. Not the landlord’s fault.

We spent around £2,500 doing this job ourselves (had been quoted £12,000 by a damp-proof specialist) - how many tenants would be prepared to do that/landlords would be prepared to let them?

Why should the tenants pay for it or carry out the work themselves? That is the job of the LL, and it is entirely up to the LL who does the work, assuming it is done safely.

If a LL cannot afford to maintain their property without shifting the cost and work to the tenant, they should not be a LL.

Fucking cowboys

https://harrowonline.org/2026/01/05/social-housing-tenants-in-north-london-waiting-six-years-for-window-repairs/#google_vignette

I think you may have missed my point.

If a LL is not willing or able to do the work themselves, and has to get a third party in to do it, the cost is quite likely to be prohibitive to the tenants.

If the tenant is able to do the work themselves (as we were as homeowners) but isn’t “technically” qualified, the LL is unlikely to a) let them do it, even if the cost is more achievable by the tenants or b) to pay for such work to be carried out by the tenant.

I see the problem as the enormous disparity in cost between what is achievable by a determined and competent homeowner, and the professional’s quote.

Of course, the LL may be able to claim some of the cost of renovations back through tax, but the LL and tenant will probably have to pay out so much more than a competent diy-inclined homeowner would…

Don’t forget if the tenant does any repairs that the landlords don’t like they’ll toss you out in the streets. You’re not even allowed to hang a picture ffs.

All those on here saying ‘why don’t the tenants do this [incur a massive cost the homeowner should be paying and will ultimately take all the benefit from] would magically change their tunes as soon as someone took them up on it.

I knew one tenant who actually had an agreement for lower rent while doing up the place for the landlord. As soon as they were done the landlord chucked them out and charged triple the rent for someone else. This is not in any way an equal relationship and there are no morals or ethics involved, when fundamentally it is about the landlord forcing someone else to work for the landlords benefit. There are distinct suggestions on this thread that tenants are people apart, people who can naturally tolerate harsher conditions. This is straight out of Marie Anyoinette’s playbook and you think people can’t see? Tenants all know what landlords are.

And of course, if tenants had money to pay for housing repairs, they would be getting out of renting in favour of owning themselves.

Mould and damp aren’t always down occupants’ habits, nor are they always due to poor quality housing, no damp proofing, leaks etc. I worked in social housing for a number of years, and spent some time with repairs inspectors. A reported leak on the toilet waste pipe turned out to be condensation, more than once. Bathroom that are rarely ventilated, all hard surfaces, cause moisture to build up, resulting in water pooling on the floor.

Vents are installed for a reason, they shouldn’t be blocked, but I’ve seen that too, on several occasions. DH and I had an old house with single glazed windows, with metal frames. In cold weather we had to mop up the sills most mornings, switch on some heat and open the windows for a time. Not everyone can be bothered, or they don’t heat adequately or open a window because its too cold. Even now, in our ventilated bathroom, whoever showers last opens the window for a while. I also dry some clothes on radiators, with a window open a crack and the heating on, don’t have damp issues.