Mold problem for over 8 months

As I have not seen the building I can only generalise.

If it is still ongoing and a solution cannot be found then you should look for alternative accommodation. If you wish to stay at the property then I suggest you research the internet for causes of condensation and mould and how to cure it, there are a lot of good articles on the subject.

I would also advise to wash the area on a regular basis with a weak bleach solution or specialist mould product to kill the mould spores - painting over them will not resolve the issue. As to whose responsibility it is to wash the area, I think the tenant, you can tackle it as soon as mould spots start to appear and few tenants want landlords calling in on the regular basis that would be needed for them to do it.

Having windows open when possible and moving furniture away from the walls can also help - basically get air circulating around the room.

I think you are on a road to nowhere and should spend the emotional energy on something else.

If you end up in front of a judge trying to explain how your respiratory condition prevented the landlord from re-painting (for 1 night) but was instead by your choice fine with mould spores (for months on end) then I wish you luck.....emulsion is low VOC by law these days for that very reason while mould is a known hazard.

If you want to stay, consider the renewal at zero increase. If you don't, move on.

Reply to the comment left by "Renovate To let" at "09/09/2015 - 16:05":

A more eloquent version of what I said. I just couldn't muster the energy to put it more politely. RR, you're not gonna win this one.

Reply to the comment left by "Luke P" at "09/09/2015 - 16:21":

Ok. Thank you for the feedback! =)

Hi,

Do you know the type of damp you have i.e., condensation, rising damp or penetrating damp?

I had a similar situation with one of my tenants due to condensation. Bleach was used to clean the affected areas before it was painted and my tenant was very co-operative. He went out for the whole day whilst the work was being undertaken. The smell of bleach can be much worse than paint and my tenant slept in the lounge for a couple of days. My property is over 100 years old and is not as breathable as more modern buildings, however when it is kept well ventilated and regularly heated the problem doesn’t exist. I have found that mould often forms due to condensation which is usually down to the tenant’s own lifestyle choices.

When I visited my property the humidity meter recorded levels of humidity over 70% in the main rooms (it grows at around 70%). I noticed wet washing hanging everywhere and after talking to my tenant I discovered my tenant had no understanding of the effects of condensation. He rarely put the heating on because he wasn’t in much. It turns out he had never opened a window since he moved in due to being worried about being broken in; he didn’t use the extractor fan when cooking or boiling the kettle; left the bathroom door open when taking a bath or a shower and didn’t turn the bathroom fan on; even worse he dried his clothes indoors.

I invited Envirovent to do a survey and luckily the representative educated him! Since then I have adjusted the timers on the fans so they run on for 30 mins; provided a tumble dry outlet pipe; installed a programmable timer so the heating can be set to come on automatically and I monitor the property every three months. So far no return of the problem.

I have a clause in my Tenancy Agreement stating rooms must be adequately heated and ventilated. Have you checked your tenancy agreement to see if there a similar clause? If the cause of damp is due to condensation I am not sure you will succeed if you pursue the matter. If it is rising damp or penetrating damp that is a different situation.

If you like the property I would try to work with your landlord and Agent. Do you know how much you will save on the rent if you accept their offer of ‘no rent increase for the next year’ ?

It sounds like you have hampered the work from being done sooner, because you wouldn’t sleep with paint odours in the property. How do you know there would be odours? did the Agent say it would be really smelly? I use a solution that takes the odours away when painting and there are odourless paints about.

The winter is coming and condensation problems usually gets worse during this time. You could ask the agent to survey the property to ensure there is adequate ventilation i.e. good fans with run on timers, heating timer, drying facilities etc.. Try to retain a good relationship with your Landlord

I would be careful in pursuing the landlord through the courts for compensation if the cause is due to condensation. The landlord appears to have rectified the problem and you appear not to have not been financially inconvenienced, but the landlord has and you may end up paying for the redecoration costs if the problem is found to be your fault.

Reply to the comment left by "Renovate To let" at "09/09/2015 - 16:05":

Ok, I see your point. Thanks for the feedback!

....and ask yourself if you want to be continually cleaning the mould - once it gets hold it's very hard to get rid of without fans/airing/dehumidifiers specialist cleaning products, repainting. I'd put my energy elsewhere if it was me living there, if it was my flat however I'd install a fan from envirovent and put in a vented or condensing tumble drier.

If a house is kept at a constant 21ºC, then even with moisture present in the air (within reason...although would include drying washing) then condensation will rarely form.

Much of the problem with condensation/mold/heating (certainly in the area I rent), is that many of the tenants are skint and can't afford to put the heating on for an hour in the morning and an hour at night...which to be honest is not using the house properly.

Spot on - most keep the heating to a minimum particularly shared houses as they don't want to pay for it if they are not there at that time, so a greater use of fan heaters - false economy but we all know that. It's not that they are skint particularly just mean.

I've just disbanded a house where two tenants were refusing to pay for heating on the basis that they stayed in their room and used a fan .... so the place was freezing so they complained it was cold (did you know that landlords are responsible for the weather as well?) and of course condensation and mould issues.