Can our landlady do this?

[itssquidstella]

We moved into private rented accommodation in October. We rented through an agency but the landlady manages the property and we deal with her for issues such as repairs etc.

Since we moved in we've had problems with condensation. Her response to us over this hasn't been very helpful (blaming us for it and sending us patronising articles about how water vapour is formed) but she did eventually buy a dehumidifier, at our request. This, along with our being more careful about opening windows and keeping doors closed, has made a big difference to the issue, as we knew it would.

We've been drying our washing in the bathroom to limit condensation in other parts of the flat. The extractor fan here is broken, and although we've asked since we moved in for her to send someone to fix it, she hasn't yet done so.

We texted her yesterday to ask again if she could send someone to fix the fan and in her reply she requested (as she has mentioned before) that we don't dry any clothes in the flat.

The flat has a washing machine. There is a communal garden, but it's down two flights of stairs, round the back of the house, through a locked gate and down the end of another, private garden. We don't even know if it has a washing line, and of course it's not exactly the best weather to try to dry washing outside, especially in a shared space.

We don't think it's reasonable to expect us not to dry clothes in the flat, especially as there is no reasonable alternative. Where do we stand on this legally? Will dig tenancy agreement out today but hoped someone with experience could advise.

Thanks in advance.

as a private landloard she is blood mad. even if you weren't drying clothes in there the condensation from the shower will wreck the place. it wouldn't be your fault. it just is. i ask my tenants to limit clothes drying to the bathroom (had a rack thing fitted above bath) with the door shut. i had a super cool extractor fitted that comes on when it detects moisture in the air, rather than when the light is on, and there's a fan heater thing on the wall so they can heat that one enclosed space to dry clothes. they can dry on the balcony in the summer but in england the weather often means this is not adequate provision.
when i had a young family go in we agreed to swap the washing machine for a washer dryer, and they paid a proportion towards it from their deposit. so they have that option too.

i think she should absolutely fit the fan. even with out the drying there would be significant damage being done. if the damage is done and you move out after saying you dry clothes in there she may try to take money from ur deposit for the damage, it's good there's nothing about it in ur tenancy agreement tho.
hope she sees sense soon!

Drying clothes indoors create breeding grounds for mould spores and these spores can cause lung infections.

The odd drying of socks or a towel isn't going to hurt but regular drying of clothes inside will be cause for concern.

The dryer thing from Lakeland seems to get a lot of raving reviews on here. It's like a stand you hang clothes on within a zip up bag and apparently is very cheap to run, takes up less space plus if/when you move its easier to take with you than a whole tumble dryer. Might be an option?

it can cause damage to the property too, the paint can peel and you get mould on the walls, it breeds more bacteria and sometimes has to be dealt with by a specialist. if the area is well ventilated, like with open windows etc it's not usually an issue. but it's why most bathrooms have that fan that comes on when u turn the light on, to extract the water from the air. you probably wouldn't see the effect in 3months but it's not ideal and i would look to at least get some damp traps (u can get 2 for £1 in poundland) as an interim measure til u can fix your dryer.

Why not take clean washing to laundrette to dry if you don't want to buy a drier? You can't wreck the place with condensation

Thanks I think I must have had a very sheltered life laundry wise! I haven't ever had to manage without a dryer. And it didn't seem too be a problem, in fact easier than going to the garage to empty the water every bloody half a hour. Thanks I will get a new one sorted in the sales after Xmas.

Drying clothes can add a gallon or so of moisture to the air. Would you throw a bucket of water at your walls for every load you dry and expect no problems?

Modern builds are worse than older buildings because they do not leak air - energy efficiency is great but means less air exchange and therefore moisture is not removed from the home.

We have laundry drying in our house nearly all the time in the winter as I just hate the feel of tumble dried clothes. No damp or mould here.

All this fuss about drying clothes indoors. I put my clothes on the fastest spin, and they either dry outside (even at this time of year) or if wet, they dry on a clothes rack.

I stopped using a tumble dryer 7 years ago, but even then only rarely used it. We have no condensation issues, and are all very healthy here. Ventilation is good and we have never had any damp/mould issues.

What Nancy suggest about putting the dehumidifier in the bathroom with the washing is a good tip.

I'm a landlady and I think she is being patronising. You have to realise that when people go about their lives they'll generally go for the easiest option. A building' s flaws, and maintaining its values are not usually a tenant's concern. I have provided a vented tumbled dryer in my student flat because I realised that if there wasn t one radiators would be used to dry washing, even though there is a communal space outside.

Thanks for all the responses. The extractor is being fixed after Christmas. We have been doing as some people recommended and drying clothes in the bathroom with window open and dehumidifier on, but without the extractor fan it's not a foolproof solution.

To those people saying "get a tumble dryer" - there's no room for one, in the first place, and secondly, I don't think it's our responsibility to buy one when nothing was said before we signed the contract or stated in the contract about drying clothes inside. I've rented for ten years and never had an issue drying clothes on a rack indoors before; didn't realise it could even be a problem.

If the landlady lets without white goods (as do I, and as does my landlady), then you need to buy a drier. Can you stack a condensing one on top of your washing machine and put the hose in the same waste pipe that your washing machine uses?