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.

This can be a common rule. DD lived in a townhouse complex and there were no outside clothes drying facilities available. The developer supplied dryers in the buildings, but a subsequent owner removed it.

her choice was to dry it in her garage where she set up a thin rope line, or take it to the laundromat. For the most part hanging the line above where her car bonnet stopped, worked a treat.

No offence but it looks like a shithole. Living with mould issues is not normal. Why bother fighting this, why not use your energy to find a new place? I’d be negotiating exiting the contract with the landlord.

id go to your local council private renting department for advice on this - they will be able to not only give you advise on where you stand but help you with estate agent. Damp is a big problem for renting and also drying wet clothing inside is going to make the problem worse.

Well yes, these terms are reflected in my lease, but the poster I quoted had no idea what the lease said when they replied.

But if that was the case wouldn’t you be strict about it during contract writing ?

I know! That's why the agent is being unreasonable to try to stop her. Besides the fact it's better for the property for clothes to be dried outside.

All the advice regarding mould is NOT to dry washing indoors. Damp inside will grow mould. Most landlords would be pleased that you are putting the wet washing outside. If you get mould because you are forced to dry wet washing indoors, ask the agent what happens then. There's been a great deal about black mould caused by poor ventilation and drying washing inside. People have become ill and even died. There is a law about it now I believe. I'd look it up and tell them asking you to dry washing inside and risking health is not being reasonable.

Do you own or rent the front of your flat? Aka Is it a garden in your tenancy? If it’s not then you’re being unreasonable and can’t use public space how you please.

Where are the areas designated for the purpose of drying clothes. You have to use these. Obviously, this does not include the front of your property. It seems clear to me that you are breaking the terms of your contract and others have objected. The rules are there for everyone’s benefit. It isn’t fair for you to break them just because you find them inconvenient.

And no the wording does mean the opposite of what you are being told. It means exactly what you are being told.

The agent isnt stopping her

YANBU I'd tell them to go to hell if they dont like where your drying your washing then sort the issues out or give you notice to leave. If they give you notice to leave they would have to sort out the issues in the house in order to re-rent the flat put the ball.in their court it would cost them more to get you to move rather then letting you put your washing outside

Christ almighty are people really this hard of comprehension? They aren’t trying to stop her! They are just asking her to use the allocated drying area at the back of the building (as it says in her contract!) SHE IS CHOOSING NOT TO!!

YANBU!!! What a hell you are living and living in!! - if mould gets into your lungs and spaws begin, you'd be in deep shit health wise so stand your ground! Dry your clothes outside and in this climate are they even drying properly!! U got that to worry about too! Health is wealth and with the pics i can see that look awful, cant imagine the damp/mould smell or even considering drying inside!! If you gave those pics to your local councillor/mp, i'm sure your landlord would have to pull fingers out and do something! Also if you find you get ill and it takes longer than usual to recover mention to your GP that you live in a mould infested flat where the landlord insists you dry clothes inside - show pictures of the mould to your GP.

If the landlord will not listen to you - perhaps they'll listen when you rally up evidence why they need to maintain THEIR property and sort the mould/damp problem! Provide some aide how can they expect all those costs to fall to you??

You should be living rent free until they sort the mould out - its a deadly thing to be living with and dont let them fob you off with cleaning it or adding sealant.. if the walls are bad the whole thing will need gutting out and replastering etc etc ..even worse you find your problems are stemming from the upper flats' poor drainage or something!!

Targetting you? It does seem that way, especially if others are doing it without a problem!!

Target them back!! - shine many lights on your living conditions and show responses from your landlord saying to dry clothes inside and see who has the last laugh!

Look after yourselves OP - log it with GP you live in a mould infested flat etc and monitor everytime you get sick/poorly. You have the right to feel safe, the right to a private life etc and your cheeky landlord is breaching!

My relatives apartment block won’t let them dry washing outside on their balconies , shame because it’s really very sunny ☀️ at the right times of year .
So it’s not uncommon for that to be mentioned in the lease or the deeds if you’re an owner of a property.
I dry my laundry outside on a line in my garden whenever the weather permits .
Other days I use a laundry airer and a dehumidifier which works really well and would help with your awful damp issues ( I do have a tumble dryer but limit use to items that can be tumble dried I check the care labels )
So I’d advise investing in one in any case
The damp and mould issue is for the landlord to sort !! they ought to make that good and supply a dehumidifier even if only temporarily.

Other property owners will likely have clauses in their leases to not allow washing to hang out at front of property. Basically there is a traditional view that hanging washing out is 'common' and unsightly and will devalue their properties.

If there was ever a thread that demonstrates people just don’t read the full thread it would have to be this one.

OP posted her contract. It clearly states there is a designated drying area at the back of the block fir drying clothes.

Yet because OP chooses not to use it, 90% of you think the landlord is being unreasonable.

Talk about thick as fucking mince.. 🙄

I hate bloody agents. Its one of the jobs people go into when they have neither the skills not qualifications to do anything else.

Agents need to be put back into their box. They are not your parents, your manager or your boss. They are service providers and their commission is paid out of your rent. So they work for you. Remind them of this in no uncertain terms. Also hit them with a threat of mould disrepair direct to the council.

If you are planning to buy in October I would not be worried about them trying to evict you. If you complain direct to the council and they are ordered to do the works they cannot begin eviction proceedings for 6 months. Evicting a tenant who does not wish to go can take a year or more. And if your planning to buy you dont need a reference from them. You have them over a barrel if you choose to. And you can also threaten contacting their regulator and leaving negative reviews on public forums.

But your contract does tell you where the designated outside drying space is, and you are not using it.

I take all mine to the laundrette to dry. We have a non drying outside policy.

Did you not read OP?

I'm going to go against the grain here and say what a ridiculous rule this is.
The U.K is such a damp country in general, why does it matter so much about aesthetics of hanging washing, it is so trivial. I say if there is a breeze and it is dry out get it outside!
Such a waste of electricity and needless condensation/damp inside all for the sake of a building not looking perfectly perfect.
Who is so sad that they are complaining about washing drying? I just don't get it at all!

Or maybe it is the principal of the fact that having a 'designated' drying area is batshit in my opinion and clearly many others as if hanging out your washing is something to be ashamed of!
Calling people thick is really shitty.

Im really enjoying this thread. I pop back to it from time to time to see how many more outraged people there are telling OP to go to the council, make a complaint, tell him to fuck off, blah blah blah - all because she 'apparently' cant dry her washing outside.

Ahem.

It's not uncommon with flats - usually means there are lines up to be used as well.

Downsides can be that washing can be stolen - I knew a mother at school gate who couldn't use the designated drying area in her council block as anything put out was nicked.