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Original poster

Who is responsible to remove mould? Tenant or landlord?

36 replies

fatnfrumpy · 23/01/2013 12:11

Our tenant is in the process of renewing contract for another year.
He has told us in Nov last year and again now that there is mould growing on the wallpaper on the outside wall of the bedroom.
We inspected in November and advised him to ventilate as they NEVER open the windows or curtains.
When they leave for work at 7am and return at 7pm the windows and curtains are shut. We have never seen them open!
We said they should sleep with the window slightly open to prevent condensation on the double glazing.
They also dry their clothes in the bedroom opposite although we provided them with a whirlygig washing dryer in the garden ladt march.
They have now said the wall paper is coming off and black mould is coming through.
We had the house surveyed this time last year and there is no damp, no leaking roof or gutters.
Who's responsibility is it to get rid of and prevent?

OP posts:
YDdraigGoch · 23/01/2013 12:15

I would say that the tennant is responsible for getting rid of the actual mold, but the landlord is responsible for dealing with the cause of the mold.

If you've given them the wherewithall to prevent mold occuring, I would have thought you could ask them to meet the cost of redecorating, although there is no point in doing that whilst they are still living there, and not changing their habits.

I am not a lawyer though - this is just what I think!

MN044 · 23/01/2013 12:19

The responsibility lies with you I think, though I'm baffled as to why they leave the house sealed up all day. Black mould is very bad, all they'd have to do is speak to the council's environmental health team and they'll be on at you to fix it. A whirly gig is going to be useless in winter anyway, I moved from a flat to a house with a garden in November and have yet to actually use the washing line. Provide them with a properly vented tumble dryer.

MN044 · 23/01/2013 12:22

And if you're renewing the contract, put a new clause in saying windows must be opened every day. I HATE doing this, I really hate the perception of paying for heating that just gets lost, but wiping windows down every day and opening the windows for a half hour seems to do the trick. But in a house where the mould is already there, you really need to sort it out properly. My old landlords solution was to paint over the black, and my dc's health suffered as a result. My ds had chest infection after chest infection as he was sleeping in a damp room, and we never dried washing in there. Make sure you have extractors in the kitchen and bathroom too

FruitSaladIsNotPudding · 23/01/2013 12:22

They shouldn't have to sleep with the window open to prevent mould!

Sounds like you need to deal with the underlying problem. We dry clothes indoors and have never had damp.

bluecarrot · 23/01/2013 12:22

When I rented ( council) we had mould growing in the portly fitted windows. Was told it was my responsibility to deal with it. ( I aired plenty- it was structural issue)

Def advise they air. 10 mins each morning as they get ready to leave for work should be plenty. For windows you can get little tubs of powder that absorb the moisture and should help.

Do you have it in writing that there is no damp?

expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 12:25

Sleep with the windows open? I'd tell you to get knotted. But then, as on the other thread, I never rent any non-new or newish built place because from prior experience they all have mould and damp. You should not need to air a place out if there are proper extractor fants, ventilated windows/window vents and proper damp course/preventative measures.

Also, who would want a landlord who is watching the home you are paying rent on from 7am-7pm?

This past year has been the wettest on record. A whirlygig? Who can use one of those in the weather we've had, especially if htey're out of the home working all those hours?

here

PigletJohn · 23/01/2013 12:43

A load of washing can contain up to two litres of water.

If you squirted that around your house with a garden sprayer or a watering can every day, would you expect it to be damp?

Ventilation allows the water vapour to go outside the house.

Lack of ventilation keeps the water vapour inside the house, until it finds something to condense on.

If you have a tenant who delivers water to the home and won't let it out, it will always be damp.

Some people think an extractor fan is expensive to run.

specialsubject · 23/01/2013 13:03

sounds like they are above housework. As mentioned, if they wipe up condensation, open the windows for 10 minutes before they go to work and use the washing line in the summer - it does NOT actually rain all the time.

also do some idiot proofing- take off the wallpaper, clean up the mould thoroughly, repaint the wall with wipeable paint once dry. Check they have extractor fans and that they are wired so that they turn themselves on when the shower is used and stay running.

PeggyCarter · 23/01/2013 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
fatnfrumpy · 23/01/2013 13:10

EXPATINSCOTLAND,
I don,t watch there house but everytime we walk or drive past in the last year we have never seen the windows or curtains open!
We live in the next road and it is on the way to town centre.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 13:12

'sounds like they are above housework.'

Sounds like they're hardly home. Maybe this tenant will wise up and move out to a new build. We did after a few times when wiping, airing, etc did nowt and LL always tried to blame it on us.

PigletJohn · 23/01/2013 13:13

then you probably have another source of water, such as a leak. It might be a rainwater pipe, or it might be a pipe in or under the floor, such as a radiator pipe or watersupply, or a bath trap.

have a look under the carpets for signs of damp, and in the kitchen and bathroom.

Original poster
fatnfrumpy · 23/01/2013 13:15

I find it odd we live in a similar house of the same age.
We do not put clothes on radiators, we run extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom, which incidently we put brand new in our tenants house last Feb.
We also sleep with the window ajar, which expatinscotland is Healthy!!!
Funny that we don't have mould!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 13:16

And as for a survey this time last year, a lot can happen in a year, especially given the weather we've had.

expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 13:19

'We also sleep with the window ajar, which expatinscotland is Healthy!!!'

Says who? Millions sleeps with windows closed and are perfectly healthy. Talk to anyone in Scandanavia, they're always agog that Brits find freezing so healthy. I find it odd that so many immediately blame the tenants, it's entirely possible there's a leak or something else in the year since teh property was inspected.

Original poster
fatnfrumpy · 23/01/2013 13:19

Thank you PIGLETJOHN for you as usual no nonsense advice!
There are no carpets downstairs as we have varnished original floorboards.
The wall where the mould is next to front window where there are no pies taps etc. The roof is fine as is the guttering which was replaced last year.
This is the tenant who just before xmas asked for carpets because they are cold!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 13:20

We don't have mould, either. We don't have extractor fans, either, we just open the windows when cooking or after a shower or bath, vent the dryer, run the heater. No need to air daily at all. According to some professionals, see attached thread, there shouldn't be the need to do so in a well-maintainted and insulated property.

PigletJohn · 23/01/2013 13:22

that was for puddlejumper

constantnamechanger · 23/01/2013 13:26

my sister went to live with mum.

she dries clothes on radiators

since she moved in my mum's asthma got worse and - they have black mould.

they bought a tumble drier mum improved in a week

constantnamechanger · 23/01/2013 13:26

and mold gone

PeggyCarter · 23/01/2013 13:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
fatnfrumpy · 23/01/2013 13:29

Expat thats a contradiction then?
You open your windows when cooking and showering but your well-maintained and insulated property doesn't need airing?

OP posts:
Jenski · 23/01/2013 13:32

I would say landlord responsiblity!

I moved into a house and within weeks there was black mould under bedroom windows (I ALWAYS sleep with the window open), but the old wall paper was a mess. Contacted LL who did nothing, so ended up stripping whole room, which included taking down rusty curtain rail, repainting. I also ended up doing the 2 other bedrooms in the house! No thanks from LL, or offer to cover cost of paint etc. THere are now other issues that are pressing, and have not been done despite my first request being 18 months ago. I have a lazy arse LL, who just takes the money, but I can't afford to move all the time I am feeding his family!

So, although that is no reflection of you as a LL, I would say that you need to invest in the property to ensure that problems don't get worse. It may need to be dried out and redecorated round the window, and vents put in?

ISeeSmallPeople · 23/01/2013 13:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 23/01/2013 13:38

'Expat thats a contradiction then?
You open your windows when cooking and showering but your well-maintained and insulated property doesn't need airing?'

Um, no, because we don't 'air' it daily (thankfully we don't have a landlord who monitors us, either) and we sure as hell don't sleep with the bloody windows open! We're also home, breathing and making condensation, way more than it sounds like your tenants are.

You need to get your property inspected again rather than blame the tenant, who just might wise up and move out.