Landlords expectations - damp

[gingerbreadmam]

Hi

I live in a rented property 2 up 2 down however downstairs is all open plan.

It's fairly nice and rent is good value however we do get damp /mould. I have informed the LL previously who arranged some outside repairs but the damp is getting worse.

Dp and i are going to do a big clean down at the weekend hopefully but i am just wondering what a landlords expectations would be of tennants in this situation.

We have had upstairs windows on the latch all summer but recently closed due to a change in the weather. We have a dog who is home through the day and with it being open plan it is a naturally cold house. I don't really want the windows open all day now as the house would be freezing and i don't want to have the heating on constantly as well we couldn't afford it.

We use a condenser dryer.

I use the extractor fan when cooking.

The damp is upstairs. The only problem i am sure of is that the extractor fan in the bathroom doesnt work. LL is aware of this.

When we do the cleandown the particularly bad patch is in the corner at the top of the stairs. we can't reach it and wouldn't feel particularly safe trying to on a ladder. It is so bad that i suspect it will need repainting too. would we be expected to fix this or LL?

i wonder if damp paint would help however it is expensive and again i wonder if it should be us that pays or LL. I think a dehumidifier would help but it is a big.outlay for us and not something we have money spare for at the minute.

Should we be doing any more?

You shouldn't have to open windows when it's cold. You should be putting the heating on a reasonable amount to be taking proper care of the property. I'd say paint and a dehumidifier should be at the landlords expense, and they definitely need to get the extractor fan fitted. Condenser dryers still can produce some water vapour, do you have a means of ventilating that?

Watching with interest as we have the same problem. Our problem areas are the corners under the windowsill in the bay window. Our LL gave us a damp prevention leaflet and we do all of the things suggested but the windows still completely steam up when it's cold. Only thing we haven't done is shell out for a dehumidifier because they're crazy expensive and I don't see that as our responsibility. If you're doing everything you can to prevent it I think it's the LL's problem to sort as it's really part and parcel with these properties.

We don't even have an extractor fan in the kitchen or bathroom. I'm not sure how we could avoid the damp really. It's kept at a reasonable temp but I'm not heating it all winter with the windows open at our expense!

Our LL is great i am just always conscious of bothering them.

I have noticed the bedroom (ours and spare) windows are completely covered in wet on a morning so there is obviously a lot of moisture.

The temo at the moment seems to be dropping to 14-16 degrees in the house then coming back up to late teens / early twenties when cooking or have the dryer on in the evening.

There is no other ventilation for the dryer other than opening windows.

open all windows as far as they go for 10 min mornings and evenings.

that's how they do it in europe in their modern(ish) undrafty homes.
in germany my rental contract had an 'airing table' attached, which said how much airing I habe to do.

you need to ventilate to get rid of moisture in the air.

The condensation on the windows is from breath and sweat condensing on the coldest part of the room. Condensation is not the same as damp. Damp has external causes, such as water coming in from overflowing guttering or poor roof maintenance. Condensation is caused by living in a place and human habits and how the moisture the inhabitants generate is dealt with.

Do you dry washing indoors on airers, etc? There is a cooker hood but it's not a proper extractor and there's no extractor in the bathroom. Get the LL to fit proper extractors and it will make a big difference. Do you have single or double glazed windows? Are there trickle vents on the windows? Is there loft and cavity wall insulation? If there is loft insulation, how thick is it and are the eaves blocked because there needs to be air circulation too?

Warm air holds more moisture so heating the place more isn't the answer.

Warm air holds more moisture so heating the place more isn't the answer.

heating on it's own, no. but heating and airing is. then you will replace the warm damp air with colder but drier air.

After you've done your jobs this weekend I'd take photos of the affected areas and let LL know again.

Condensation can cause a hell of a lot of mould in a very cold house.

I once rented a place from two "Christian" landlords. It had single glazing and no central heating, and was so cold that every time you boiled a kettle or took a shower, clouds of steam would billow everywhere. It would never dry out in winter -even with the windows open for hours, which made it even more cold. I used to have to sit in a sleeping bag the entire time I was in.

Frankly, if your landlord is renting a place that is so cold that it has serious condensation problems, he or she needs to sort the insulation and heating and extraction on the house. It is inhumane to expect people to live in the freezing cold, with mould growing everywhere.

water vapour is lighter than air so it naturally rises through the house until something stops it. It would be interesting to look in the loft and see if it is damp.

A bathroom that lacks an effective, and used, extractor will be damp.

Older houses often suffer damp when there is a plumbing leak, often in a rusty pipe under the kitchen floor. Do you have a water meter?

Bother the landlord, if he is good he won't want the property damaged. That extractor fan needs fixing. Windows do need to be opened briefly year round.

Landlord does painting and fixing. Open plan is obviously a bit shit but you knew that, doesn't negate the need for things to be fixed.

BTW what is the epc rating?

Thank you everyone you are all very knowledgeable.

We have never been into the loft and have no idea about insulation etc. I am aware it has been dry lined as our ll told us in passing.

The paint work in the living room and kitchen flakes. I dont know if that is due to damp or not but it is something we have brought to their attention in the past.

We are their first tenants and the house was done up to a nice level when we moved in in that it was all plastered walls, new carpets and fresh paint work however sadly over time the dampness / condensation is taking its toll on tbe paint work in particular.

I think i will take photos before and after the clean at the weekend and send them onto the LL mentioning the bathroom ectractor again.

I think that may have been overlooked tbh as they were intending on updating our bathroom but then the boiler went so that was done and i assume bathroom put on hold to soak up some of the costs.

I really like ll and feel a bit sorry for them as i think the house had been done up to sell but not to a very good standard. The kitchen looks alright but is a shoddy job with some units having large holes open to the actual earth.

The bath and shower are shit and dont drain properly.

I never thought when taking on an open plan what effects that could have on the house just thought it would be nice talking to dp whilst cooking. If it was my house id brick the wall back up.

oh and we are not on a water meter.

epc rating found online is e 54.

some units having large holes open to the actual earth

Say what?

ooh earth may not be the right word but like ground / foundations.e.g. there is no cupboard and no flooring it is literally like mud or concretey stuff. Basically stuff you would come across outside.

There is a cupboard with a gas meter in like this, the one with the water tap then the one that kind.of joins onto the under sink cupboard.

Never would have crossed my mind to check but i will in future.

oh and the slugs are grosse

if there is damp soil beneath the kitchen, with slugs, there is most likely a drain leak. It may smell a bit. If you look under the floorboards in other parts of the house it may not be so damp.

Dampness under the floor can allow water vapour to rise into your house.

If there is a stoneware gulley outside your kitchen wall, that the sink drains into, there is a good chance it is cracked or broken in the ground, especially if the house was built prior to 1945. If you see any red worms when digging, that is typical of leaking drains.

The subfloor space should be ventilated by airbricks above ground level on all sides of the house. They should be clear, not blocked by dirt and cobwebs, nor obstructed by paving or raised flowerbeds.

You can throw slug pellets into the space under the floor. Try to let them be scattered widely and not in piles. If you have a dog do not allow it to eat the pellets. They will not harm other animals if under the floor and scattered thinly. You will get some dead slugs in the kitchen for a week or two, after that the numbers will drop. Carry on with the pellets once a month or so (more often if slug numbers increase).

we do have a dog which is why ive steered clear of pellets for now but suppose there is no harm in putting them in the holes. Thanks for the suggestion.

I dont recall seeing any airbricks so must have a look but it is a fairly old house so you could be onto something with the leak. Would that cause a problem upstairs?

i know you mentioned warm air rising so quite possibly.

yes, water vapour will rise like that. You may find the windows misty in bedrooms even when nobody's slept in them.

it also gets into lofts.

I'm in a new build. It's a nightmare. Got mould on my windows now. Luckily we should be moving. I'd never have a new build again. We've had problem after problem. We have no garden so have to dry clothes inside. But our main issue is our bedroom. I think possibly because it's the coldest? The mould is on the ceiling walls, clothes! It's horrible!!

our last place was much worse for mould but i feel like it follows us now. its a huge problem when it gets on your stuff.

definitely no visible airbricks. i will have to check the drain.

So you weren't given an epc? Have you got your how to rent booklet? Smoke alarms? Gas safe? Deposit protected?

we have smoke alarms, co2 alarm, gas safety, electric safety and an inspection check list thing.

i dont recall a how to rent book but we have a contract somewhere.

I've just been looking and the bedroom is worse than i though. can see large patches on the painted plastered walls starting to form.

It looks like it will be easy enough to clean off and we will have to keep on top of it but i have enough housework without having to do that regularly really.

Of course we could look at moving but i like it here (minus the damp) and as i say our last place was even worse and the only joy we got off that ll was a window vac and a couple of moisture absorbing sachets for the wardrobes.