Ongoing battle with landlord (well, estate agent) re washing

[blackswan29]

Looking for a sense check please as I feel like I’m losing my mind!!

We rent a ground floor flat and have been drying our washing outside the front of the property on a clothes horse. We’ve now been told by property management that we MUST not dry washing outside and should instead dry it indoors or “even in the bathroom”.

The issue is.. we already have mould and condensation problems. Before going on holiday recently we wiped everything down and came back to visible mould across multiple areas (and we sent photos to them).
Our bathroom is tiny (no bath, barely floor space for a clothes horse) and the extractor fan is not even working properly. Property management say the landlord thinks it was replaced, but they have no records and are now asking us to confirm.

We have contacted them multiple times about this and their only solutions are:

• Open windows “even only ajar” (in winter, with rising energy bills, on a ground floor flat with fire windows that don’t latch). We’re out all day every day for work so this is completely out of the question.
• Buy multiple small dehumidifiers ourselves and place them around the windows (yes, we have to purchase them ourselves!!)

They’ve also acknowledged that other flats in the same block are drying washing outside — I’ve seen at least three — but say they “won’t discuss other properties” and are only concerned with ours, which feels pretty targeted.

We’re paying high rent, already ventilating as much as realistically possible (trickle vents open 24/7, heating set appropriately), and now being told to dry washing inside despite existing damp and mould. They’re also implying the cost of managing this (dehumidifiers, higher heating bills) should fall to us!!!

Am I being unreasonable in thinking it’s not fair or enforceable to ban drying washing outside purely due to ‘aesthetics’ (they’ve not given us a better reason). And they can’t insist we dry it inside when it’s actively worsening mould
This feels like a landlord/property issue, not the fault of our lifestyle!

Would love thoughts, especially if anyone’s dealt with similar.

Surprised anyone thinks yabu. Cheapskate landlords are awful.

Thanks, @Teacaketravesty I’m at my wits end as they’re just repeating themselves and we’re getting nowhere with it!

how do they know what washing is yours if other flats are doing it also?

How do they know? I’d probably just ignore it and look for somewhere else to live. Rules about you giving notice change soon do you can leave.

A dehumidifier would help though.

Do you have a backyard or is the only outside space at the front? Either way I don't see how the agent or landlord can stop you drying laundry outside. As they are constantly contacting you would this come under your right to quiet enjoyment?

The bit that I don't like is the mould. Your landlord needs to tackle this. If you are in the UK Shelter might be able to advise you.

Is it facing the street outside? Lots of leases would not allow it nor on a balcony. Not sure why you feel able to leave it out, presumably all day, but not in the bathroom with windows slightly open? You can buy width restrictors to secure the window. Could you do washing on days you are not working?

just move they are being unreasonable by not fixing the mould!

Our complex has 5 doors facing the main road, and 5 doors facing the back ‘garden’. Like maisonettes. They did say we can dry it round the back (even though this is also next to other people’s front doors) but we are right on the opposite side of the entrance to the back yard so we’d have to lug our clothes horse at least 100m. Plus the sun doesn’t even reach that side.

It’s purely for aesthetics and it feels really unfair and targeted because other flats are doing it.

And yes the mould is awful! Here’s just one example of mould on our blind after a week of being away!

We don’t have a window in our bathroom and the extractor fan doesn’t work properly. We already have mould in our bathroom without putting the washing in there!

and it’s not as easy as that. We signed a lease in October for a year so we’d have to pay lots of money. We should have enough money by October to buy somewhere anyway so just have to hold out

Tell them to show you where its prohibited in the lease or to piss off

They should be sorting that.

The clothes horse thing is an odd one, I know lots of places that state no washing out front, it may be a covenant/block rule, and they may not be the landlord/agent for the other flats doing it.

Putting it out the back would be logical, could you leave a clothes horse out there are just take the washing out?

I would buy a delivery humidifier, no matter whose responsibility it should be.

The mould is dreadful.
I might be missing the point of the thread, if you’re in the UK I’m really surprised that your laundry is actually drying outside in January. Is it a very sunny spot you’re putting it in?

Weirdly we actually had a clause in our tenancy agreement and in the overall building lease to say that none of our flats were allowed to dry washing outside. I thought they were just weird but maybe it’s a thing

Threaten them with a housing disrepair claim for black mould.

Keep reporting it to your landlord all the time - they must respond within a reasonable time of the complaint being made. Keep records of every report you make and get half an hour free with a solicitor to discuss a claim.

Tell them to piss off. How do they know its your washing and not your neighbours? Not like you have the address written in your clothes.

Is it in your lease? If not, they can jog on. If it is, you agreed to abide by the rule, so you'll have to stop.

They should be sitting the mould issue, that's separate.

I live in a ground floor flat and this wouldn't be allowed in my development. At least you're allowed to dry it round the back - we can't do this, either!

We just use a dehumidifier (a decent Meaco, not one of the small ones that make very little difference).

So it’s definitely not in our contract but apparently it’s ‘block management’ who have complained.

I don’t even know who these are - we were given their name and number like 2 days ago….

Take your washing to a launderette to wash and dry it there. DH and I used to do this in our first flat.

My lease has a clause prohibiting laundry outside.

@blackswan29 the laundry is the least of your worries if you have damp and mould setting in.

I would respond that you are happy to dry laundry indoors as soon as the damp and mould remedial work has been completed and window restricters fitted to keep the property secure. I would follow the escalation steps for this issue - basically fight fire with fire.

Many properties have regulations about washing. We are not allowed to dry washing out the front, it's in the covenants on the property.

I would be rather more concerned with the mould issue. And probably just put the washing outside anyway or ask for a tumble dryer to be installed.

Get a heavy duty plug in dehumidifier. They do cost about £100 for a decent one, but they are extremely effective and will last years. You pour water out of the tray to empty it, it extracts huge amounts quickly and will help a lot with the damp issue as well as speeding up drying clothes.
We dont have any damp issues and still wouldnt be without it, if a room ever gets a bit of condensation I run it in that room and it stops it for a while again.

I’m a landlord and I would much rather tenants dried washing outside! But as it’s a flat there maybe a clause in the lease (freeholder to landlord not your tenancy agreement) banning it as I can’t think why else they would want to do that! They should clarify the reason with you and assuming you’ve been a decent tenant up to date on rent and taking care of the property which by the sounds of things you are then a good landlord should really provide the dehumidifier although they are not legal obliged it would just be the right thing to do in my mind.

Well yeah, because everyone can just move. We’ve all got a months rent up front, deposit, references and can find a place just like that. Great! Just move OP. 🙄