Unidentifiable musty smell

[Saffy04]

Please help as I don't know what to do. A week ago the hall in my flat started to smell musty, like potatoes/damp. It came on out of the blue. I'm not on the ground floor and I've asked neighbours and their flats are fine.

I had a builder test for damp and there is none. I've had the gas board out to test for leak and there isn't one. The smell is now in the communal hall outside my flat, in my hall and a bit in the lounge. It is also in one kitchen cupboard. I've cleaned the cupboard but it still smells.

I don't know what it is can anyone help? I wondered if there is a dead animal in a ventilation shaft but would have thought neighbours would be effected and I don't know if this is what they smell like.

I doubt it's a dead animal. They smell quite distinctive, but not like potatoes! I'd get a plumber out... They can rule out (or not) any water leaks, and tell you where to go fom there.

Are you insured?

Thanks. I am insured. Haven't got plumber out so far as there was no readings on the damp meter so the builder said it wouldn't be a leak. It's bizarre how the smell moves about.

well, from my experience of tracking down smells

Are there any cupboards that might have a bag of say... conkers collected last year and squirreled away by your dc to go mouldy?

kids football books, and smelly feet

something on the wheel of the buggy

a cat spraying. Actually we had this and it took us a while to work it out, cat came in through our cat flap and sprayed in all sorts of places. We have huge tom cat, but he just let the other cat in.

dead mouse can smell musty. Especially if (sorry TMI) the mouse died a few weeks ago and the body is close to the heating pipes and the heating has recently been switched on

Are you in the top floor? Is there a loft space/attic above you? If so, could there be a wasps' nest in there?

I tracked a horrible smell to a rotten banana at the bottom of ds's buggy.

I had a house that smelt of potatoes once. It was after we came back from holiday thst it appeared. We lived with it for ages and then it went!

This is going to sound very stupid, but is there any way it could actually be potatoes, or some other vegetable? An unpleasant smell in my house was eventually traced to a stray potato rotting away in the bottom of the vegetable rack.

We also once had a similar smell that was caused by a mouse that the cat had brought in which had got trapped behind a cupboard and died.

Thanks everyone. Searched everywhere but can't find anything. It seems to be dispersing so think I might have to hope it just disappears.

Does it smell liked boiled cabbage?

No. Musty is the best word. It seems worst in the morning. Wasn't too bad tonight.

Did you mop the floors and then left the mop lying around with all the dirty water?

Marking my place in case someone comes up with an answer. We get this too. Front hall and mostly in the mornings. Only really notice it when door into living room has been closed overnight. Then seems to disperse. Strange!!!

Guinevere - can you tell me more about wasp nests and musty smells?