Page 4 | New tenant asks for maintenance work that is financially not viable

redboxer321 · 11/05/2023 23:34

Your tenants have been in the property a matter of days, identified a damp problem which was not evident to anyone else and you've already got two quotes to sort it out. Righto.

mateysmum · 11/05/2023 23:35

15k!! Blimey. What work have they quoted for? That £ would cover the cost of a whole new roof. Can you give more detail?
Either way you're going to have to fix it. It will only get worse an sounds like in its current state the house is uninhabitable, unrentable and would only sell for a reduced price. A steep learning curve for you I'm afraid.

AngryBirdsNoMore · 11/05/2023 23:35

Amadeaa · 11/05/2023 23:25

Ok, lesson learned, do not be a landlord unless you have a lot of reserves. I will try to get a loan tomorrow. I have two quotes so far and they are around £15k. Thanks everyone.

Yep, sadly. I was an ‘accidental landlord’. My tenants looked after my home beautifully while I was living abroad with my job but I definitely didn’t make a profit. Similar to you, there was a damp issue, it cost £15k to fix. It was necessary for my tenants to enjoy the flat same as it would have been for me to enjoy it. It was worth it for good tenants who looked after the place. But no, it’s definitely not a get rich quick scheme.

Crumpleton · 11/05/2023 23:36

Is it damp at the top of the walls which could mean something simple like roof/gutters leaking or rising damp/rotten floorboard type damp?

AngryBirdsNoMore · 11/05/2023 23:36

A family member lets out properties. His advice is that you need to have enough financial reserves for the boiler to break + 6 months rent in case the place ends up lying empty for a while. That’s a bloody big financial reserve.

alania · 11/05/2023 23:40

I co own multiple houses and have managed 100’s plus and have never known a tenant raise an issue with damp in7 days. There’s either a missing roof. A huge water table or a flood.

DivorcedAndDelighted · 11/05/2023 23:46

fyn · 11/05/2023 23:30

I’d sack of the damp surveyors for a start and ask a building surveyors. Damp ‘surveyors’ are just salesmen with no qualifications 99% of the time.

Agree with this. "Damp" covers a huge variety of things, from leaking roofs to lifestyle issues. The majority of black mould damp is due to lifestyle issues and is fairly easily avoided. Get advice from someone who is not trying to sell you anything.

squidgybits · 11/05/2023 23:48

you need to do yearly gas checks and I am not sure about electrics but general maintenance is your responsibility
Please be a kind landlord or give it up

RollerCoaster2020 · 11/05/2023 23:50

Amadeaa · 11/05/2023 22:41

My tenants moved in this week. They’ve asked me to undertake maintenance work which they believe are in my responsibility as a landlord, but these works are financially not viable. The costs would exceed the yield of a whole year’s rent with no guarantee that the problem might not reoccur within 6 months. I also don’t have this kind of money available right now. What are my options? They are at the start of a 1-year contract. I don’t think I can terminate the contract without any fault at the tenants side.
Should I offer them money if they agree to terminate the contract early?

It may well be a legal obligation. Sorry, as I know it's not something you want to hear.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/landlord-and-tenant-rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector/landlord-and-tenant-rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector

"There are 2 types of hazards – category 1, which are the most serious, and category 2. Examples of category 1 hazards include:

exposed wiring
a dangerous or broken boiler
rats, pests or other infestations
damp and mould on the walls or ceiling
Health and safety risks in the home are assessed by local councils using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). There are also additional health and safety requirements for housing in multiple occupation (HMO). HMOs are shared homes containing multiple households such as bedsits, shared student housing and hostels.

Reporting a hazard
If you’re worried about a potential hazard in your home, you should report it to your landlord or letting agent immediately.

Once you’ve informed them about a problem in the property, your landlord is responsible for most repairs. However, you should give them a reasonable amount of time to carry out the work.

If you’ve reported a potential health and safety hazard and your landlord or letting agent hasn’t resolved it in a reasonable time, you should contact your local council. An environmental health officer may then arrange to visit your home to assess any hazards within it. You can also ask the council to inspect a neighbouring property if issues with it could affect your own health and safety.

Enforcement
The council must take action if it finds any category 1 hazards in your home. For example, it can order your landlord to carry out repairs or make improvements – and if your landlord or letting agent fails to do this they could be prosecuted and fined. The council can also take emergency remedial action if it thinks you are at serious risk of harm. In such cases, the council has the right to carry out the necessary work and charge your landlord for it."

alania · 11/05/2023 23:52

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Shhhquirrel · 11/05/2023 23:54

squidgybits · 11/05/2023 23:48

you need to do yearly gas checks and I am not sure about electrics but general maintenance is your responsibility
Please be a kind landlord or give it up

‘kind’ doesn’t come into it. The OP needs to be professional.

FFSFF · 11/05/2023 23:57

All I can tell you is that I've had a damp and mould problem for 3 years. The past 6 months it's taken over and I cannot keep on top of it. The ceilings are black, I clean them and 2 weeks later it's like I never touched it. My landlords have been promising to sort it out for 5 months now, but nothing has been done. It's seriously affecting my health, the health of my kids and pets. I've now been left with no option but to report it to Environmental Health, who will force the landlord to do something.

Damp and mould is the responsibility of the landlord.

absnwpqimwest · 11/05/2023 23:59

This is very odd, I don't understand why you would pay them thousands of pounds, weird reaction

friendlycat · 12/05/2023 00:00

fyn · 11/05/2023 23:30

I’d sack of the damp surveyors for a start and ask a building surveyors. Damp ‘surveyors’ are just salesmen with no qualifications 99% of the time.

Yes I would get a surveyor who specialises in damp issues. Not the cowboy damp companies.

ShandaLear · 12/05/2023 00:05

The thing is, it’s your property so you’re going to have to sort out the damp problem regardless of whether you continue to rent it or choose to sell it. You can’t just let the house get more damp. This is a cost of home ownership.

sandstoneterrace · 12/05/2023 00:11

Is the property stone-built, or older? These may register as damp because the materials are breathing. It's incredibly important not to seal against moisture, which will cause real damp. Speak to conservation officer (county council) or similar? And see sites like https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

Also, are tenants drying washing indoors on racks or on radiators? Showering with bathroom door open? Things like that can create a vast amount of condensation and lead to mould, quickly. Maybe they need a good quality dehumidifier? Good luck.

Managing damp problems in old buildings

wasted money on PCA chemical damp proofing, damp plaster, mouldy walls, peeling wallpaper, crumbling brick and stone, rotting timber, damp proof old house, damp problems, rising damp solution, condensation on wall, damp proofing stone walls, sealing da...

https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

Strawberrydelight78 · 12/05/2023 00:23

If it's left it will only get worse and cost more in the long run. That paint only works for a short time. Would you live in a damp house?

CosimoPiovasco · 12/05/2023 00:25

What sort of damp
High level means it’s the roof and more than likely flashing issues, chimney coursing needs repair
Located vertically up an external wall it will be rotten down pipes easlly fixed by repairing down pipes or replacing and removing any missing mortar
Rising damp ie at low level requires removing internal plaster, fitting new dpcourse drying out and plastering ( depending on age of property I wouldn’t damp seal )
Random damp patches is due to lack of ventilation ie no window trickle vents, no roof vents etc.

So you see there are loads of types of damp and very few of them warrant £15000.

So….what type of damp?

However I wouldn’t give your tenants money as compensation.
Either fix it….get more quotes
Issue s21 as it could be unhealthy to live in then sell it

CosimoPiovasco · 12/05/2023 00:28

FFSFF · 11/05/2023 23:57

All I can tell you is that I've had a damp and mould problem for 3 years. The past 6 months it's taken over and I cannot keep on top of it. The ceilings are black, I clean them and 2 weeks later it's like I never touched it. My landlords have been promising to sort it out for 5 months now, but nothing has been done. It's seriously affecting my health, the health of my kids and pets. I've now been left with no option but to report it to Environmental Health, who will force the landlord to do something.

Damp and mould is the responsibility of the landlord.

That’s lack of ventilation.
Too many people these days seal their houses to death. Glue and sealant and acrylic type based paints are terrible for buildings.

notangelinajolie · 12/05/2023 00:36

You need a damp survey carried out by a chartered surveyor. They will charge you for the survey, we paid around £400. They will then write a report and tell you what you need to do to remedy any problems. They are not a contractor and they will not quote you for the work that needs doing.

You do NOT need a damp survey carried out by a company that advertises themselves as specialist damp surveyors. They are not surveyors - they are contractors. They will offer a 'free survey' and then quote you thousands for the work that needs doing. Probably involving knocking all the plaster off and injecting chemicals. The are contractors - they would say the work needs doing wouldn't they?

For us £400 was money well spent. Our damp was caused by a section of broken guttering. Water was pouring down onto the flag stones outside our bay window and splashing up the wall, breaching the damp course and making the wall wet. It cost less than £100 to fix.

Knowledge is power - find out what is causing the damp before paying out for work that you probably don't need doing.

The damp 'specialist' company quoted us nearly 15K to fix it.

FFSFF · 12/05/2023 00:41

CosimoPiovasco · 12/05/2023 00:28

That’s lack of ventilation.
Too many people these days seal their houses to death. Glue and sealant and acrylic type based paints are terrible for buildings.

Show quote history

I live on an old American air force base. A LOT of houses here have the same problem. We have vents open, windows open (unless of course it's freezing outside lol). One winter there was a problem with the oil supply line and we didn't have heating for 3 weeks. They supplied us with oil heaters. According to the 'engineer' that's probably what set the mould off, as the heaters generate a lot of moisture.

Bleuuuughhh · 12/05/2023 00:43

“Hi, I’ve made a human mistake due to inexperience. I’m now financially burdened, which is extremely stressful. Just came here for some guidance and support.”

Mumsnet cows; ”Go fuck yourself.”

Incognito2023 · 12/05/2023 00:55

notangelinajolie · 12/05/2023 00:36

You need a damp survey carried out by a chartered surveyor. They will charge you for the survey, we paid around £400. They will then write a report and tell you what you need to do to remedy any problems. They are not a contractor and they will not quote you for the work that needs doing.

You do NOT need a damp survey carried out by a company that advertises themselves as specialist damp surveyors. They are not surveyors - they are contractors. They will offer a 'free survey' and then quote you thousands for the work that needs doing. Probably involving knocking all the plaster off and injecting chemicals. The are contractors - they would say the work needs doing wouldn't they?

For us £400 was money well spent. Our damp was caused by a section of broken guttering. Water was pouring down onto the flag stones outside our bay window and splashing up the wall, breaching the damp course and making the wall wet. It cost less than £100 to fix.

Knowledge is power - find out what is causing the damp before paying out for work that you probably don't need doing.

The damp 'specialist' company quoted us nearly 15K to fix it.

Good advice here ⬆️
I know of 2 others with similar stories.

Incognito2023 · 12/05/2023 00:57

Bleuuuughhh · 12/05/2023 00:43

“Hi, I’ve made a human mistake due to inexperience. I’m now financially burdened, which is extremely stressful. Just came here for some guidance and support.”

Mumsnet cows; ”Go fuck yourself.”

And yes… this hasn’t been a nice thread to read…

@Amadeaa please take these comments with a good dose of salt, good luck getting it sorted

TooBigForMyBoots · 12/05/2023 01:15

Speak to your insurers OP. Depending on where the damp came from, they might be able to help.