We have damp in the bedrooms.?

Question

We are renting a flat at the moment, which has damp in the bedroom; on the wall. There is no window in the room but it has double doors that open into a room that does.

The landlord has provided us with a dehumidifier, which has made it better but its still not completely gone. The walls are still damp and there was mould on the walls, untill i wiped the walls down yesterday.

Im very worried as the plug sockets are wet!!! Also beacause the flat is quite small, i cant arrange the room so that i have nothing against the wall.

We dont really want to move out because its unlikely we will be able to be able to afford anything else. (its only £75 a week and thats not because of the damp as the lady next door pays the same and has no damp!)

I guess i need to know what we should do now...do we talk to our landlord again?....i dont know, any ideas please.

thanks. x

Answer 1

I have lots of experience in solving damp in properties, you have got mould or black spots on the walls/ceiling, this mould can be wiped away as you are doing already, this is a good start.

Now, try to understand that 'mould' is a fungi, and it lives off the damp and feeds off bacteria on the painted surface.

In the same way that you would kill weeds in your garden, you must apply a 'fungiside', you landlord may provide you with this, if you ask.
Fungicide will either be a clear watery substance you brush on over your walls, or it will be mixed into a paint, which you buy from a good paint store.

Now that is how to kill the fungi mould.

However this is just the symptom of damp and not the cause.

ASSUMING that the building is in good condition externally, and not letting in rain. The gutters have been cleaned out and are not full of Autumn leaves, and the roof is not leaky.

Then the csuses of the damp are down to living conditions.

We each produce a certain amount of water as we exhail, you see this when you can see your own breath when you go out on a cold day. So the number of occupants in a small space will cause damp. Similarly siting in a car in the rain will soon steam up the windows.

Your property sounds strange, and I wonder why there is no fire escape in the bedroom, to meet UK fire regulations for rented properties.

Is sounds like this is a house which has been made into flatlets.

Here are some good things to do so stop condensation inside your property.

Open the windows every morning regardless of the weather for at least 10 minutes.
Cover pots and pans so stop steam escaping when cooking.
Dry clothes as much as possible by spinning them before putting them onto radiators to dry. (Dry them outside as much as possible).
Try not to use a tumble dryer at all if possible, unless it is well vented to the outside.
Don't leave old water sitting i.e in a washing up bowl/bath.
Open the bathing area windows after showering and close the door so that the steam escapes but not all of your heat. Dry any towels outside whenever possible.
Do not use CALOR bottle type heaters as they create damp.
Get kitchen roll and wipe your windows down each day, flush the tissues down the toilet and dont leave then to dry in a bin.
Put pressure on your landlord to fit double glazing if you don't already have it, it reduces condensation. Single glazed windows will always steam up.

Email me if you want specific advice on anything.

Answer 2

I am echoing the others and saying the landlord has an obligation to get this fixed, however low your rent is. I suggest that you put your polite request for the landlord to look at the problem and get it fixed asap in a letter which you send special delivery or some way that the recipient has to give a signature. If you get no response, follow it up a week later with a short letter saying you will have to take matters further. And contact citizens advice.

In the meantime, keep the airflow going as much as you can. Wipe off the mould. There are mould cleaning products in places like B & Q. But mould IS very unhealthy and you do need to get in sorted. Don't dry washing inside by the way.

Answer 3

Renting is a nightmare. Know it well. It sounds as though it could be dangerous. Don't use the plugs. Try to keep hastling the landlord though I bet he may switch his phone off for Christmas.
If you have no joy go to the council complain to them. They can contact your landlord and insist he makes neccessary repairs. If you have children they will probably do it quicker. Keep plugging away. Be a polite pain in the ****!
If you have an agent keep phoning them until you have a reply in writing and tell them you could speak to the council unless the landlord arranges to make the repairs. Its a real pain landlords are always more than happy to take thousands of pounds from their tennents but very slow to reinvest rthat money in the property. Good luck

Answer 4

Until you can have the leak fixed, try a product called Damp Rid. It is these little plastic bowls with crystals in them. You just set them out and they absorb all the moisture. After a few days you will have to empty the container(it traps all the moisture) When we first lived in italy, two of our upstairs rooms were just like you describe. After we used the damp rid, problem went away. Give it a try. You might need to buy more than one depending on the size of the room. Good luck.

Answer 5

I assume you're in England and being in the U.S. myself, I don't know British laws. But in the U.S., this would be illegal for the landlord. The mold is very dangerous! You're breathing it! It's certainly very dangerous to kids as well, if you have any! There's probably something inside the wall. The whole wall will probably have to be removed and whatever mess is behind it, cleaned up! Ick! I would bug your landlord and contact whatever local authorities you have. In The U.S., residents have rights and I assume England would be the same. Your apartment is hazardous to your health, so contact whatever town housing authority or Dept. of Health there is by you! And...I'd start looking for a new place!

Answer 6

I think ( know ) that building regulations state that any living / sleeping rooms must have ventilation either natural via open-able windows or forced via fan /ducted ventilation. Without upsetting your landlord you must speak to him and give him the opportunity to help solve your problems. You haven't said what you use for heating but if you have one of these portable gas heaters then you must get rid of it as these are the biggest causes of condensation.

Good luck and I hope your landlord is understanding.

Answer 7

Talk to your landlord again she must fix the problem......If she doesn't than start looking for a new place till you find something new. You don't know how much mold is behind the walls you can't see! We a talking about your health and mold can be vary dangerous.

Answer 8

It could perhaps be coming thorugh the ceiling or walls. Do an interior attic and exterior wall check for holes and fill them. Then go to your local d'i'y shop and buy mould killer and damp proof paint. Kill the mould and do two coats of the paint. Hope this helps!

Answer 9

the mold is a concern...even if it isn't deadly..it will make you sick ...as long as the moisture is coming from the inside of the wall you won't be able to get rid of the mold completely until the source of the moisture is found and all trace of the mold is removed (even inside the wall)
the landlord is definitely responsible for finding and fixing what ever is leaking...could be something from apt above or roof above...it is amazing what can travel through your walls

Answer 10

Dana is right. Mold is your concern, not the electrical. I know a family that had to move out of their house because the wife developed a hypersensitivity to some mold in the old house. Don't underestemate the risk of mold.