Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Do all council houses have mould and damp?

87 replies

Kirstie20 · 04/02/2022 17:35

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?

OP posts:
womaninatightspot · 04/02/2022 18:26

I grew up in a council flat. No mould or damp c.1950s construction. That said they were built with a drying room on every floor to be shared between two flats. It had a concrete lattice covered in chicken wire so open to outside but didn't let in birds etc.

They were all sold off for 15k 20 years ago now being sold for 150k+

I would suggest right to buy diminshing all that lovely solid 1950s stock means that a disproportionate number of the ones left are perhaps more shoddily constructed.

audweb · 04/02/2022 18:27

Mine doesn’t. It’s a really big well insulated flat, nicer than flats I privately rented. One of those has damp in it though. The council house I grew up in didn’t either, it was huge, and well built.

This is a weird thread. We live in a really damp country, it just happens sometimes, but no we’re not all living in mould, damp flats just because we live in council ones.

SweetPetrichor · 04/02/2022 18:28

I own 2 ex-council houses. Neither are damp.

Pumpkinstace · 04/02/2022 18:29

Mine did.

Last year we got new window and doors and a new roof with insulation and it doesn't any more

PostThenGhost · 04/02/2022 18:30

No.

DSIs has none in her house.

SIL has in hers because she never opens the windows, dries washing in the radiators and has 3 massive dogs.

They live in the same street so the properties are exactly the same.

Original poster
Kirstie20 · 04/02/2022 18:32

How’s it weird? I know not all council places have damp I just asked because I’ve seen many people mention they have that problem in some council houses and those flats in Croydon too in the news

OP posts:
Motnight · 04/02/2022 18:33

[quote AllThingsServeTheBeam]@Motnight council tenants don't look after their properties is what I got from it. [/quote]
Thanks @AllThingsServeTheBeam, I had hoped that I had read the post wrong as it is obviously missing words.

McScreamysGhostPants · 04/02/2022 18:34

I've got an absolutely amazing 5 bed town house and it doesn't have a single spot of damp anywhere! Probably because the windows and doors are so badly fitting that the rooms all have a constant breeze 😂🤷🏼‍♀️. What got me about my house is that civil property is supposed to be for lower income families etc but my house has TWENTY TWO external windows and doors that need blinds/curtains etc. it cost me a fortune when I moved in and I really couldn't afford anything but the cheapest so the draughts are shocking. You can actually see daylight around my front door between that and the frame .

Nidan2Sandan · 04/02/2022 18:35

Having worked in the social housing sector for many years, from my experience most houses with damp are the ones that are full to bursting with tenants belongings. Usually furniture of some sort against every single wall, no air movement between the wall and furniture and it just breeds mould.

Caveat here, not always of course some houses are old, cold and damp. But more often than not this issue is the overcrowded or over full properties and people who dont know how to manage ventilation etc.

Vampirethriller · 04/02/2022 18:36

No, but I have windows open at night and ventilate it. There was when I moved in.

StarlingsAreAmazing · 04/02/2022 18:37

Mine does.

niceupthedanceagain · 04/02/2022 18:38

Most flats that I've been in do. And mice. Inner London

Bakewelltart987 · 04/02/2022 18:39

Mine doesn't my last 1 never either.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:39

@JustOneCup

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

I didn't say it wasn't an issue, I said it's an issue we only hear about from a tenant POV, not a homeowner

Clearly your comment comes from a place of privilege 🤢

I live in a council house 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
Kirstie20 · 04/02/2022 18:40

@audweb

Mine doesn’t. It’s a really big well insulated flat, nicer than flats I privately rented. One of those has damp in it though. The council house I grew up in didn’t either, it was huge, and well built.

This is a weird thread. We live in a really damp country, it just happens sometimes, but no we’re not all living in mould, damp flats just because we live in council ones.

Hope my question wasn’t offensive I didn’t mean all council places have mould. I was just asking because I’ve seen a majority of council places on internet, news before and some people said they do get that problem.
OP posts:
FloBot7 · 04/02/2022 18:40

I have damp and mould but my house isn't a council house. We keep on top of it but can't get rid completely. I guess with council houses part of the problem is that it's an issue you expect a landlord to sort. Most people who qualify for council houses don't have the money to keep on top of it. Even if they could scrape it together why would they?

vdbfamily · 04/02/2022 18:40

I have never lived in a council house but every house I have lived in and owned had always had areas of damp and mould so not just council houses. My daughter had literally just come into room and asked DH if he can deal with the mould on her bedroom ceiling. My son has a built in cupboards with 2 outside walls and it seems impossible to stop the mould reappearing. Our bathrooms both have areas of mould were regularly deal with. It is quite hard to avoid in some houses.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:40

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Wow. Welcome to mumsnet

I don't know why this means, I'm not now and I was just saying we are more likely to hear of issues from tenants than homeowners.

southlondoner02 · 04/02/2022 18:41

A big factor with condensation is probably that in council flats there often isn't any outdoor space to dry washing. In our flat we don't have room for a tumble dryer. We use a dehumidifier and have windows open a lot.

Not sure why people think people in council properties don't look after them. Flats where I live are very well looked after - they are considered by people to be their permanent home with very little movement. Quite different from people renting for short periods and then moving on.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:41

Not new sorry

JustOneCup · 04/02/2022 18:41

[quote cheekychaplin]@JustOneCup

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

I didn't say it wasn't an issue, I said it's an issue we only hear about from a tenant POV, not a homeowner

Clearly your comment comes from a place of privilege 🤢

I live in a council house 🤷🏻‍♀️

[/quote]
So I assume you are living in a mould / damp free council house ? Minimising the effect damp has on those who do have it in their council home and making out that private homeowners wouldn’t complain ? Why exactly ?

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:42

@Motnight

I don't understand your post @cheekychaplin.

I just meant we are more likely to hear about issues with rented properties. Homeowners don't go to the press about their own houses.

I don't know why everyone has taken my comment badly

use257 · 04/02/2022 18:44

Can I just say @cheekychaplin your comment does not come across like that AT ALL and makes a lot of sense.

cheekychaplin · 04/02/2022 18:44

@JustOneCup

So I assume you are living in a mould / damp free council house ? Minimising the effect damp has on those who do have it in their council home and making out that private homeowners wouldn’t complain ? Why exactly ?

I wasn't minimising anything, it's awful that people live in these conditions. The thing about homeowners I was trying to say is that a tenant will go to the press to try and get some action taken. A homeowner won't because they are the responsible person to put it right.

use257 · 04/02/2022 18:46

@JustOneCup hahahahah. They wouldn't complain because they own the house so no amount of complaining will sort it. Tenants HAVE to complain to get the issue sorted as they have to rely on the owner of the house (the council) to sort the issue. You're looking a bit dumb here