Mould in PRS homes is not a ‘lifestyle choice’ – Gove

Really?

https://fb.watch/m-V95gWRwc/

"Not a lifestyle choice" - I was estimate that in at least 80% of cases, mould growing in a house is definitely a lifestyle choice, that is certainly my experience over 30 years of renting out houses.

Gove just wants to make a sound-bite to appeal to the anti-landlord narrative, but let's face it, like most plotiicians what the hell would he know?

Tenants won’t ventilate, especially during winter and are too tight/can’t afford to put the heating on. Strange how this is never mentioned!

Reply to the comment left by Jeff L at 12/09/2023 - 10:57
Gove is clueless. I had rented a 2 bed flat several times over a period of 20 years and never had a mould problem.
That was until 2 guys moved in and instead of using the tumble drier provided for them they set up a washing line in the lounge and every time I went there there was a line of wet washing on display and I could not get them to alter their ways.
The external wall became blacker than a chimney with mould and this was the only time I had to use a section 21 to get someone out.
They even argued about their deposit which was only a fraction of the cost of rectifying the problem and Mr Gove thinks its fair to blame landlords for these problems. I wonder how happy he would be if this was his property?

Reply to the comment left by LaLo at 12/09/2023 - 11:09
last winter i wrote to all my tenants to ask them if they had any mould in their property. all bar 1 replied by email and confirmed there were no issues.
i chased the 1 tenant for an update, ( but i am aware of some of their personal issues) so i made an appointment to visit and discuss. i was informed over Christmas period she had a lot of condensation on kitchen walls.
i know the winter was cold, but i asked if windows were opened, as i know she cooks in kitchen and has a condensing tumble drier, and i was told as it was so cold she didn't want to open the windows for ventilation.
i fully understand, but surely the Landlord cannot be held responsible for 'making the tenant open the windows to provide ventilation'?
i have since installed new extractor fans in kitchen and bathroom. but i have no ability to control them remotely!, or open windows.
surely some accountability must lie with tenant to operate if landlord provides the ability to control and remove condensation?

Damp and mould has many causes. Some are down to the property and some are down to the tenant. some will be a combination of both.

Landlords own a disproportionate percentage of the poorest housing. Many early 20th Century properties are not a to homebuyers; landlords buy them because they are relatively cheap and attract good rates of LHA.

These poorer properties are often single skin walls (no cavities to insulate) or will have failing wall ties, they’ll suffer from decades of dodgy DIY improvements. Plasterers, double glazing installers, unqualified handymen and keen landlords often cause problems by failing to understand the importance of keeping outside walls separated from internal fixtures.

Many advocate fitting a PIV as the solution. These suck cold air in from a loft space continually and they can hide the problem. But this comes at a cost as the fans consume electricity and are bringing colder air in to the home.

Cavity wall insulation can be a problem too. In the race to fill cavities, many were done by cowboy installers. Some cavities that weren’t suitable candidates for CWI were filled. Others were filled badly leaving many gaps in the coverage.

I’ll read the governments guidance later but, in summary, I believe most damp and mould is not caused by tenants but is a factor of poor buildings. There will be obvious exemptions such as when my tenant had an unvented tumble drier in a bedroom.

It would be a good idea to e-mail your comments directly to Michael Gove. It’s easy and can’t do any harm.

Reply to the comment left by Teessider at 12/09/2023 - 11:36
So many assumptions, so few verifiable facts.

Reply to the comment left by Teessider at 12/09/2023 - 11:36
Your post is a pretty good summary of the guidance, which contrary to what some are saying is based on extensive research.

This topic always triggers outrage from landlords who have experienced nightmare tenants but we never hear from those whose properties have suffered damp and mould due to building defects or other issues that could not be blamed on the tenant.

I have had both damp issues which I have had professionally repaired and tenant caused condensation mould. One tenant created a huge mould issue by drying laundry on the rads and no windows open, it ruined their own furniture and mounted signed football shirts. They reported me to the council who visited the property and told them to stop drying the laundry indoors and open windows! There were also a couple of minor maintenance issues that may have also been a contributor which I got repaired (blocked vent bricks and blocked rain water run-off) and also bought a dehumidifier for the flat which was added to the inventory.

Other properties I have had damp proof course repairs done. Not prohibitively expensive when targeted repairs. But significantly more when it is extensive behind kitchens, bathrooms and fitted wardrobes - then it become a large strip out and full refurb. If you don't get it surveyed you don't know what is needed and you can't plan appropriately.