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.

It likely is prohibited on the leasehold of the property that the landlord rents. I saw it in a few leasehold properties I looked to buy (swerved that bullet) it can be very specific even down to the detail of the front door. Not that this makes it right in anyway.

I lived in rented flats for years and encountered the same issues. The landlord will not fix this. The landlord or estate agents do not care, they get your money.

Buy yourself a a dehumidifier. Dont bother with the ginormous heated airer. Dehumidifier will dry your clothes overnight and stop/reduce mould where you live. Best investment I ever made, I have it on pretty much 24/7 apart from summer when windows are open. I saw some recently in Aldi at a really good price.

Open your windows for 10 mins a day get some fresh air in, they don’t need to be open all day in winter.

Finally you are not the arsehole, the system is and you will not win a battle against them. Save your sanity and buy a dehumidifier.

It sounds like the landlord is getting grief from the “block management” if it’s part of their lease that washing outside isn’t allowed.
So if it isn’t allowed and you keep doing it they may ask you to leave when your lease is up in October.

Have you told them the extractor fan is not working correctly? They should get someone in to fix it. Can you dry washing in the evening when you are home from work? Then open a window whilst doing it. I understand that electricity/ gas bills are high but it’s part of looking after the property to need to ventilate it. I understand you are keeping the vents open 247 but if you need the window open whilst drying washing then you need the window open whilst drying washing.
Also with the dehumidifier I would say that you are willing to follow their rules and not have the washing outside (as this will be causing them issues with being in breach of their lease) but that they will need to pay for the dehumidifier. Or you are happy to go and get it and pay for it if they are happy for you to take that money off the rent.

Just my opinion and you are free to ignore it but I think compromise is needed on both sides. There are definitely things they need to do like pay for dehumidifier and get the extractor fan fixed. I just got mine fixed in my own bathroom and it was £120 including someone fitting it for me.

This.

I would absolutely fight this and ignore anyone telling you to dry your washing inside. If they don't like what it looks like they can always stop looking at it. The OP has a right to quiet enjoyment of her home. The lease can say what it likes but it's not reasonable to prohibit outside drying of laundry so it can't be enforced.

In the OPs circumstances she is drying her washing in the most appropriate place. It's not affecting anyone else, there's no room inside and why the fuck should she drag it round the back or to the laundrette to pay a fortune to have it dried and ruin her clothes?

This does sound really stressful, especially if you’re already dealing with mould.

From what you’ve written, the key issue isn’t where you dry clothes — it’s whether the flat actually has adequate ventilation for normal day-to-day living. A working extractor fan in a bathroom isn’t a “nice to have”, it’s usually part of how the property is meant to manage moisture.

A few things I’d suggest doing calmly and in writing:

• Ask them to confirm when the extractor fan was last tested or replaced
• Request a proper inspection for damp and ventilation, not just advice about behaviour
• Keep photos of the mould and condensation and date them
• If you do contact them by phone, follow up with an email summarising what was said

Damp and mould fall under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, so it’s reasonable to ask what steps they’re taking to address the cause rather than just the symptoms.

Also, being told to dry clothes in a tiny bathroom with poor ventilation and existing mould does sound like it’s likely to make things worse, not better.

Hopefully they’ll engage sensibly once it’s all set out clearly and on record.

I saw this doing the rounds on Facebook earlier and thought I’d comment here as well in case it’s useful.

I'm not saying you're being unreasonable BUT often when you buy a flat there are covenants and regulations about what you can/can't put outside including (often) washing. So it may be that your landlord/estate agents don't actually care about the aesthetic but he/she will care about their relationship with the management company/their property ownership. When we looked at flats most literally had a list of what was ok on a balcony and washing was almost always prohibited.

They should really just buy a couple of dehumidifiers, fix the extractor fan, look at installing a tumble dryer or replacing the washing machine with a combi drier for you and explain properly/show you the wording and reassure you that it's the reason they're being so specific. It sounds like not the best flat so maybe look to move when you next can?

Focus on the damp and the windows not the washing for now.
Have a look at Shelter’s website, make sure you get the one for whichever of the home nations you are in as housing law varies. Lots of information but they should also have a helpline you can call.

I used to be a maintenance manager for a massive property landlord, all our tenancy agreements prohibited drying washing indoors on radiators etc as it is the primary cause of mildew growth in homes. I am gobsmacked your estate agency are recommending that you dry washing indoors!

That said they are correct thay you are responsible for adequately ventilating the property and it isn't unreasonable that They say your windows should be open even a crack, but that absolutely has to be done safely. So if the windows do not latch then you are 100% correct to refuse and the terminology you need to use revolves around breech of insurance conditions.

You commit withhold rent, but you can refuse to dry indoors. I assume that you are drying at the front of the property as you dont have access to the rear?

Speak to your local environmental health department as there are measures that they cam help you with to have rectification work carried out.

Former landlord here. You clearly have a greedy landlord who is too stupid to see the impact lack of ventilation has on the health of its occupants as well as the impact on the building.

I would tell the letting agency that you will contact the council within 7 days if the ventilation is fixed and if they don't give you permission to dry clothes outside or install a dryer. You can encourage them to think you have multiple unspecified potential issues which the council inspectors might be interested in. Hopefully the fear of the unknown will be enough for landlords to do something, though damp might be enough for them to to write to the letting agency.

Mould is a serious health issue. You should take action.

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

🙄

I’ve carried on putting washing out on the line all through winter. If the ground is dry it will dry-not fully but loads more than just hanging it indoors

I reckon it must vary by area. Completely agree that if the ground is dry then washing will dry - but the ground in our north facing garden hasn’t been dry for months!
I depend on my beast of a dehumidifier to dry indoors.

Awaab’s law will also come into effect for private landlords so push this angle too

You need to find out where the designated drying area is and use it.

Put your landlord on notice that the extractor fan is defective and ask them to fix it ASAP as it is causing mould. If they don't book an appointment to fix it within a couple of weeks start bugging them about it weekly, keep copies of all correspondence and records of any phone calls with names and numbers. Tell them that you will be bringing a housing disrepair claim under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act. There are loads of solicitors who will do this for you without charging you an upfront fee. Once fixed use the extractor fan to deal with moisture in the bathroom.

However you aren't adequately ventilating at present and this is contributing to the mould. It will come back if you don't change your habits. You need to open windows daily, if you can't leave them open for security you need to open them wide for 10 minutes (front and back at the same time) at least once a day everyday (probably more until you get on top of the mould). This is called purge ventilation.

Keep all trickle vents open at all times.

Clean away mould with white vinegar regularly.

I would get a good dehumidifier too, I have a meaco zambezi and it is brilliant. Dries washing indoors in no time without causing mould and deals with condensation well while helping keep the house warm.

Ah just ignore them op - what are they gonna do about it ? Call the police 😆

Why is everyone ignoring the fact OP already has a designated area for drying clothes which is written into her contract but she’s choosing not to use?

So have I. Literally all winter. Even when it’s cloudy it still dries in the breeze. On a rare occasion I might have had to put something back out the next day a little longer. And that’s with no sun at all on my washing line in the winter months. Maybe I just have a magic washing line or something.

This is good advice.

The mould is the real problem. It's really not good for your health. If I were you, I'd focus on getting that sorted out.
You said that other residents are drying their laundry in the same place as you - have you ever spoken to them about it, to find out if they're also getting complaints from anyone? Or (if any of them are leaseholders/ have lived there for longer) if they know if there are any legal restrictions in place for the block?

Can't tell for sure but it looks like your ventilation switch is shut to closed in the picture too. With double glazing this helps massively, especially in well insulated new builds.

I would have damp and mould if I didn't use a dehumidifier and/ or open the windows. We also have a north-facing garden but when it is warm enough to dry clothes outside, they dry. We can't all have perfectly located houses for drying clothes outside.

You could also get a drier or go to the laundrette.

There are a number ways to resolve this issue if the lease prevents clothes being dried in the front or you are being asked not to do it.

You are not party to the conversations with other tenants. If you were, would appreciate your situation being discussed with them? If it is not allowed, it seems a bit immature to use 'other people are doing it'. You can agree to the rules or find somewhere else to live and move on with your life.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but reading rhe comments, you just get on with basic life decisions. Just because you rent it doesn’t mean you can do what you like and the consequences are always someone else's problem. There are a number of things you could do to bring this situation to a satisfactory end.

I read it as that as well. It's not really very practical as you just can't have wet washing at all drying inside or out.

A launderette would seem obvious solution if there is one nearish.

I would get a de-humidifier - will help with the damp and will help in next house with the washing and anti mold spray because it's likely the mold not helping your health.

I suppose you could also buy a small condensor tumble dryer if there room to put one in - doesn't need to vent - and that would also be useful in next house but that much more expensive than a de-humifier.

iId also complain about the no working fan in bathroom - till it is fixed.

If that true - missed that then she should be using that when she can and not putting washing by front door.

They did say we can dry it round the back

If that's the designated drying area' for your flat, then you need to use that or a laundrette,

They are being unreasonable. However in my own flat I do need to leave the windows ajar for ventilation quite a bit otherwise a normal amount of condensation does build up.

Ideally the landlord would put in a proper ventilation system to deal with this, and I would push for that. In the meantime, unless you want to live with mould you definitely do need to leave some windows ajar (you can get locks to do this, which the landlord must provide).

As for the washing, this is quite common and if it's in your tenancy agreement there is not a lot you can do.

Edit to add (as many others have) a dehumidifier does wonders. Get one!

If she's breaking the terms of the tenancy agreement they can evict her

Am I just living in crazy land? I can't get my head around having an issue seeing washing outside 🤣 but you're not the only person to bring this up so maybe it's me!

It's just clothes