Renting a house with damp...

[2moveornot2move]

We are renting a property in between selling and buying. The property was viewed by our in-laws as we were living 200 miles away. When we picked up the keys we found the house full of damp and mould - to make matters worse our youngest is allergic to mould - and the house stank. We called the management company who said there had been a problem with damp, that it had been sorted amd that the wetness and smell would clear up with it being lived in and heating on. They did send someone out with a strong bleach spray to clean up the mould and remove infected blinds and curtains.

3 months later and the house still smells, even though I have lemons, bi-carb, peppermint and airfreshners every where. Plus the walls are still wet and the mould is making a return.

I was just going to put up with it as we won't be staying here long. However I bumped into the old tennant today who said she complained about the damp for 2 years but nothing was done. It seems wrong that they can get away with this, the property is pretty expensive for this area. I was just wondering if I 'rights' regarding this sort of thing?

Try a dehumidifier? I’m sure you’re doing this but open windows as often as you can, don’t dry clothes indoors, wipe up condensation on the windows.

Dehumidifier. Get your landlord to get you one - £100 at Screwfix

Stop paying the rent until they sort it

is there a water meter?

It will be a leak, unless you throw buckets of water at the walls, or drape wet washing over radiators, which amounts to the same thing.

It is really bad "advice" to stop paying the rent. All that does is put you in breach of the terms of the AST and you may be evicted.

No water meter @PigletJohn.

It is an external wall but also the bathroom is above.

Obviously I won't stop paying the rent, I was just wondering if they had a legal obligation to sort it or if I'd just be fighting a losing battle.

Did you receive the "How to rent guide" at the start of the tenancy?

I'm really surprised that your in laws didn't pick up on this.

I'm not sure what rights you have. I would just move tbh

Contact housing standards/environmental health at the council. Did your in laws view the property?

Yes in laws did view. There is a huge water mark but they were told that there had been a leak and that it had been fixed. They believed what they were told.

We are here on a 6 month contract and hope our house sale goes through before then. I just wondered if the management company had a legal obligation to sort it or not.

Thanks all.

Call the environmental health. They can make then sort it and start court proceedings if not.

In my old house there was only a small bit of visable damp in one corner of the room. When the agency did a house inspection they informed me by email that this was tenant damage and I would need to repair it. I told them absolutely not and called environmental health. They sent someone with a damp reader that showed that although the damp wasn't viable all the external walls were damp to some level. They also sent a letter to the agency warning that they would start legal proceedings if the damp wasn't sorted.