Letting agency have said I need to deal with condensation problem. Any tips?

[BrusselSproutsFartyPants]

I live in a 3 bed rented house, think new build style Wimpy built nearly 30 years ago. There is a small amount of dark mould on the ceiling of DD1 and my bedrooms but DD2 and DD3 share a room and theres has very light mould all over the ceiling (they don't have a radiator).

I have had an inspection today and they have said that the condensation needs to be delt with. At the moment the windows are open on the latch all the time and I have the heating on all evening but not in the day when I am out of the house.

I have no idea what else I can do, can I have some tips please?

Buy a de humidifier. They are not cheap but will help a lot. The delongi ones are very good.

I have heard of other people suggesting tesco value cat litter in a room with condensation, keep meaning to try as we have the same problem.

does anyone drape wet washing around the house or over radiators?

sybilvimes - Didn't really want to pay out for a dehumidifier but will price them up. Which room should I put it in. The bedrooms the DC sleep in are only very small, just big enough for their furniture.

orangepudding - Cat litter may be worth a try, would it be smelly?

PigletJohn - No I use the tumbler dryer or if it is nice (rarely) I hang washing outside.

Cat litter doesn't smell of anything. Until its used...

might be steam from the bathroom. Do you have an extractor fan? Does it work?

What hours do you have the windows open?

How thick is the loft insulation?

I think you should go back to the agency and tell them that actually, they need to deal with the condensation problem.

My guess is that they need to put in some sort of mechanical ventilation. Very common in this kind of house.

GreatGardenstuff I will keep DD3 away from it then, she will wee anywhere!

Piglet John - No there isn't an extractor fan

The windows were open just when we are out of the house but they are now open all the time.

I have no idea about the loft, I have never been up there.

discrete most of the people I know who have lived in similar properties had a damp problem.

The agents exacts words were "There is a lot of condensation in the bedrooms and the carpets are getting more heavily marked. These issues will need addressing"

unless it is something you are specificlly doing thats causing condensation, then its THEIr responsibility

We had terrible problems with mould on walls, it was so dreadful I feared for our health and considering moving. I have bought a paint in B&Q by Dulux aimed at bathrooms containing something called 'mouldtec' and since using that in the problem areas, it has been damp free. It's not cheap at £23 a can, but could be worth a try?

"At the moment the windows are open on the latch all the time"
Rather than doing this you should have them wide open for short stretches throughout the day, or in the morning and then again in the evening if you work FT. Best would be wide open 5/6 times a day for around 5 minutes each time, at times when the central heating is not on.

stumpetpumpkin - I don't think I am doing anything to cause the condensation. There are no clothes drying, the window in the bathroom is always open slightly, the tumble dryer is a condensor dryer, the heating is on everyday so the house doesn't get too cold. I can't think of anything else I could be doing.

LeChatRouge - I will look into the paint as well, thank you.

find a way of looking in the loft. Four inches of insulation was the norm thirty years ago, it's now ten inches.

p.s.

anti-mould paint will kill mildew for a while, but it will not reduce damp and condensation.

there is also a possibility of a roof leak.

Buy a dehumidifier. It will be the best £100(ish) you have ever spent. Stick it on the landing and leave the doors open and it will gradually make a difference to the whole house. Cheaper than letting expensive heat out through open windows, or repainting. Our 3 bed terrace went from horribly damp (clothes/bedding always felt damp in winter) to perfectly dry.

PigletJohn - There was a leak in the loft a couple of months ago, the plumber went up there and said a valve needed replacing. I knew because it was dripping through a crack in the bathroom ceiling. All seems sorted now. If there is only 4 inches should I ask the letting agency to add more?

Ok more like £200, but Argos are doing good deferred payment terms and I bet you would save most of that in energy bills through not having to leave windows open.

I would ask the agent if they expect you to address the problem, what specifically is it they want you to do. If it is stuff you're already doing, ask THEM for a dehumidifier.

I lived in a scabby rented flat which had mould on one bedroom wall and discrete is right, it is the letting agent/landlord's problem. I suspect mine was a roof leak as it was only on an upstairs outside wall but the landlord couldn't be bothered to deal properly with it and just did some cosmetic work on the wall, painting it I think, and the mould came back. I used to have a large pot of salt on the shelf next to the wall and it would be full of water in a couple of days, yuck. Any humidifiers should really be bought by the landlord as damp is going to affect the structure of the house eventually. My landlord said she would be she never bothered so at the earliest stage of giving notice, I did.

I would look to move if I were you as the problem won't resolve itself unless the landlord is proactive in solving the problem now and it sounds like they're trying to make you sort it at your expense. Was there any sign of mould in your original check in report?

FWIW my colleague leaves her caravan uninhabited over the winter months and she swears by cat litter or salt in trays in order to combat condensation.

I have a similar problem and thread in aibu area .... turns out our whole roof needs retiling and refelting. This is according to an independent surveyor.

I'd ask the letting agents to investigate properly if you are doing all the usual stuff.. it might be the roof.

if there was a leak in the loft, the ceilingsd, timber and insulation might gave got very wet. If the loft is not well ventilated it could take a very long time to drt out. This is especially likely if the roof is felted (i.e. you can't see the underside of the tiles)

somebody needs to get a stepladder and a torch and have a look. Can you borrow one? If the insulation is actually wet, it needs to be bagged up and disposed of, and replaced with new.

To help ventilate a loft, you can open the loft hatch (you can often poke it with a broom if it is hinged) and air will rise up out of the house and away, especially if you have a window or door open. Try this on days when it is not especially cold, or when the sun is shining, as it will make the house cold by the warm air escaping.

The letting agency is a big national one, I think, and they get somebody from the local office to do the inspection. It is him that said I need to address the problem. I think I will phone the maintenance department tomorrow and ask what they think I should do.

Melfish - No there was no damp when I moved in and I don't remember any mention of it.

PigletJohn - I will see if I can get a ladder for when the DDs are all in school or pre-school next week so I can take a look. Will it be really obvious what I am looking for?

Thank you all for your replies by the way, they are all very helpful.

be careful to only walk or stand on the timbers, and not on the insulation which is resting on the plaster ceiling and will give way.

try to have at least one hand and one foot firmly placed at all times. Wear gloves.