Do all council houses have mould and damp?

Kirstie20 · 2022-02-04T17:35:26+00:00

I’m curious if every council house in the UK has a mould and damp? because I see it online often and people complaining that their home is damp. Are all council places like this or just a few?

RedCandyApple · 04/02/2022 17:36

Mine does

13luckyblackcats · 04/02/2022 17:51

No.

southlondoner02 · 04/02/2022 17:53

Mine has. Might depend when and how they were built though. We have concrete walls which I don't think helps

Pinkandpurplehairedlady · 04/02/2022 17:54

Mine doesn’t but it was built 100 years ago so I guess it’s more of a problem with the concrete ones.

PollysPockets · 04/02/2022 17:55

Mine does. It’s a bloody constant nightmare keeping it at bay 🤷‍♀️

FawnFrenchieMum · 04/02/2022 17:55

At LOT do, certainly in my area. The company my husband works for have a contract with the council for covering and repainting damp in properties between tenants. Some of them are awful. They are literally employed to clean off the mould, use a stain block and repaint with mould block paint but it doesn’t get rid of it for very long. Thankfully he never has to work on those jobs as he’s asthmatic.

FawnFrenchieMum · 04/02/2022 17:56

The vast majority around her are old red brick or concrete buildings.

AmberGer · 04/02/2022 18:01

I have lived in 7 council properties throughout my lifetime. Luckily for me, none of them had any trace of damp or mould. Both the flat and house I've owned have though.

elbea · 04/02/2022 18:03

I think a lot of Council houses are small, overcrowded and don’t have great insulation. Most damp comes from condensation unless there is a leak somewhere.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:08

I think it's more the case of us hearing about it because people of the responsibility. Nobody in a privately owned home is crying in the paper about their mould. I don't think council houses have a disproportionate level of issues.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:09

People have no

mindutopia · 04/02/2022 18:09

I think a lot of houses in the UK have damp. I’ve never lived in a council house (actually lived in very nice big middle class houses) and they’ve all had damp. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Idontlikeworms · 04/02/2022 18:11

A lot do because many people can't afford to heat and ventilate their homes sufficiently. It will only get worse with the energy price increase.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 04/02/2022 18:12

No. I have lived in 2 ex council housing growing up. Lived in a council flat and house for over 12 years and I now own my own ex council house. My nan lives in a council bungalow. None of them have ever had damp.

BungleandGeorge · 04/02/2022 18:14

It’s more common for people to be a bit less careful if they don’t actually own the property. And more common for the council/ landlord not to fix the problem properly. Whether council or privately rented. It’s really easy to get mould in any house if you don’t really keep on top of the ventilation/ clean the first signs off thoroughly.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 04/02/2022 18:15

@cheekychaplin

I think it's more the case of us hearing about it because people of the responsibility. Nobody in a privately owned home is crying in the paper about their mould. I don't think council houses have a disproportionate level of issues.

Wow. Welcome to Mumsnet

HirplesWithHaggis · 04/02/2022 18:16

My son's council house is brilliant, new windows, kitchen, bathroom, and electrics. Warms up easily, stays that way. About 70 years old, not a trace of damp.

My detached, privately rented farmhouse, not so cosy.

JustOneCup · 04/02/2022 18:16

@cheekychaplin

I think it's more the case of us hearing about it because people of the responsibility. Nobody in a privately owned home is crying in the paper about their mould. I don't think council houses have a disproportionate level of issues.

Oh so because you haven’t got first hand experience of it it’s not really an issue

Clearly your comment comes from a place of privilege 🤢

Motnight · 04/02/2022 18:17

@cheekychaplin

I think it's more the case of us hearing about it because people of the responsibility. Nobody in a privately owned home is crying in the paper about their mould. I don't think council houses have a disproportionate level of issues.

I don't understand your post @cheekychaplin.

RunningInTheWind · 04/02/2022 18:18

Mine doesn’t. But I’ve noticed I’m one of the few who actually opens the windows to get some circulation.

SomethingSuss · 04/02/2022 18:21

Mine isn't. Well, I say that but there's slight black mould above the skirting on outside walls that have furniture shoved against them and are pretty much never moved. However, that's entirely my fault. It's a natural consequence of having no airing between cold walls and the room interior. A wee spray of Kilrock spray when I'm doing my spring clean and it dissolves away like it was never there.
It's a nice house and we don't have any problems with it.

toppkatz · 04/02/2022 18:22

Quite often there are no water leaks or incoming damp, it is simply that people have forgotten (or never learned) the art of opening the windows and airing a house out properly to prevent condensation.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 04/02/2022 18:23

@Motnight council tenants don't look after their properties is what I got from it.

ParkheadParadise · 04/02/2022 18:25

I grew up in a council house that wasn't damp.
My best friend lives in a beautiful council house that doesn't have any dampness.

SpaceDetective · 04/02/2022 18:26

A lot do because many people can't afford to heat and ventilate their homes sufficiently

I suspect this is quite a significant factor. I've lived in a Victorian terrace, 1930s semi, 1950s ex council semi, 1970s semi, converted warehouse flat. None have had an issue with damp or mould, despite drying clothes indoors most of the winter. I suspect that's largely because I'm a bit nesh so not stingy with the heating (and am fortunate to be able to afford that).