Very moldy damp bathroom - good reason to terminate lease ?

worded

Is this a reason to vacate a property on health grounds and terminate a lease early? (we have a 30 day break clause but he will try keep our deposit I know his form)

Its a modern apt 10 years old but has no windows in any of the bathrooms (are back to back to save on plumbing costs in all tha apts and lots have same problem)

We are here 10 years but the landlord is mean and upped our rent 140 euros last year to 1270 PM.

What Im thinking is if I can call in the health services we can vacate immediately with 0 notice and no legal implications for us.

We want shut of the place and just exit. Maybe all will be fine but if we had him over a legal barrel before exit would be good. Just want my deposit and no bull**** after exit is all.

The landllord is a bully basically and I want to hand him keys with the place empty.

Victor

Is there an (working) extractor fan in the bathroom?

Talk to the housing departmetn in the local council - they have inspectors for this type of thing.

How Strange

Have you approached the landlord previously regarding the situation in the bathroom?

It seems from your post that you just want to get out of that apartment and the state of the bathroom is a good excuse.

It's unlikely that even with a health inspector visiting and report on it that it would be legitimate grounds for breaking a lease if you haven't yet informed the landlord and given him the opportunity to address the issue. I would expect the health inspector to contact the landlord and give him a reasonable amount of time to carry out the necessary works in the bathroom.

Kipperhell

As you have rented it for ten years I doubt you can suddenly complain about the bathroom now. No windows are needed if there is fan which is highly likely. If the bathroom is mouldy it is most likely down to it not being cleaned more so than ventilation. Just say you want to leave rather than look for some way to get back at him.

Chinafoot

Kipperhell wrote: »

As you have rented it for ten years I doubt you can suddenly complain about the bathroom now.

Agreed. To be perfectly honest, if the bathroom really is in a bad way I'd expect the landlord to keep the cost of repair from your deposit. You let it get to that stage and had you been cleaning the bathroom properly you wouldn't have a problem. If it's a case that the fan was broken, it's up to you to let the landlord know so he can fix it. It would take quite a while for a broken fan to cause enough mould and damp to be a health hazard, so again the responsibility lies on you. Letting it get to that stage is pretty disgusting and also incredibly disrespectful to the owner of the property.

If you want to leave give the landlord 4 weeks notice and don't be surprised if he keeps some of your deposit to fix his bathroom.

Supercell

You're there 10 years and you only are discovering a damp problem now?
I hope he keeps your deposit, its tenants like you that push my rent up

beeno67

Well if you have a contract:

"A deal is a deal no matter what you do.

Some landlords can be unfair (Im not one of them), but you dont have to sink to their level and fcuk them over on a deal. Justify it whatever way you want but given the opportunity it looks like everyone wants to be as greedy / dishonest as some of them. A deal is a deal. "

worded

beeno67 wrote: »

Well if you have a contract:


"A deal is a deal no matter what you do.

Some landlords can be unfair (Im not one of them), but you dont have to sink to their level and fcuk them over on a deal. Justify it whatever way you want but given the opportunity it looks like everyone wants to be as greedy / dishonest as some of them. A deal is a deal. "

Sounds like some of you are landlords. We are very unhappy here

We have paid the rent on time for many years and given no trouble but had a massive rent hikes year after year despite doing loads of free repairs to the apt, no party’s, no smoking, no complaints etc. We have respected this place so much and added to its value with shelf etc

Almost every apt on the block here is plagued by the design flaw of having bathrooms plumbed back to back in the centre to save on parts. We can see the damp coming through their walls of several other apts, its not just us. We have little silver fish running about from time to time. We painted the place as well a few months ago and last year. WE changed the extractor fan for a new one. We put a dryer under the bath to dry it out. We got new tiles from a skip and re did some loose ones. No labor charge to the landlord. We have been dream tenants.

In been the experience of many friends of mine that lands lords have kept their deposits all around the world for any possible excuse (not just an Irish thing to do it seems). There are threads all over the place on this.

Im wondering if we will ever see our deposit back if he is anything like the greedy ones I hear of.

A deal is a deal indeed, but usually the tenant gets shafted.

beeno67

worded wrote: »

Sounds like some of you are landlords. We are very unhappy here

We have paid the rent on time for many years and given no trouble but had a massive rent hikes year after year despite doing loads of free repairs to the apt, no party’s, no smoking, no complaints etc. We have respected this place so much and added to its value with shelf etc

Almost every apt on the block here is plagued by the design flaw of having bathrooms plumbed back to back in the centre to save on parts. We can see the damp coming through their walls of several other apts, its not just us. We have little silver fish running about from time to time. We painted the place as well a few months ago and last year. WE changed the extractor fan for a new one. We put a dryer under the bath to dry it out. We got new tiles from a skip and re did some loose ones. No labor charge to the landlord. We have been dream tenants.

In been the experience of many friends of mine that lands lords have kept their deposits all around the world for any possible excuse (not just an Irish thing to do it seems). There are threads all over the place on this.

Im wondering if we will ever see our deposit back if he is anything like the greedy ones I hear of.

A deal is a deal indeed, but usually the tenant gets shafted.

Worded, I was quoting something you wrote 30 mins before you started this thread.

Chinafoot

worded wrote: »

Sounds like some of you are landlords. We are very unhappy here

Well I'm not a landlord, just another renter like you.

worded wrote: »

We have paid the rent on time for many years and given no trouble but had a massive rent hikes year after year despite doing loads of free repairs to the apt, no party’s, no smoking, no complaints etc. We have respected this place so much and added to its value with shelf etc

You are supposed to pay your rent on time. You don't get a medal for that for goodness sake. If you were unhappy with the "massive rent hikes year after year" then why didn't you leave before now? He can't force you to stay there. As for the free repairs....more fool you tbh. It is the landlords responsibility to look after that type of thing so you can't expect praise or rent cuts for spending your own money when you didn't need to. Also, did you ask the landlords permission before putting up shelves?

worded wrote: »

Almost every apt on the block here is plagued by the design flaw of having bathrooms plumbed back to back in the centre to save on parts. We can see the damp coming through their walls of several other apts, its not just us. We have little silver fish running about from time to time. We painted the place as well a few months ago and last year. WE changed the extractor fan for a new one. We put a dryer under the bath to dry it out. We got new tiles from a skip and re did some loose ones. No labor charge to the landlord. We have been dream tenants.

To be perfectly honest, unless you're a qualified plumber/painter/electrician/tiler, I'm sure the landlord would much prefer to have a professional in to get the work done on his property instead of the tenants potentially messing things up even more. Tiles out of a skip?! Yeah, dream tenants. :rolleyes:

worded wrote: »

In been the experience of many friends of mine that lands lords have kept their deposits all around the world for any possible excuse (not just an Irish thing to do it seems). There are threads all over the place on this.

Correct, it can happen. However, if the bathroom is in a really bad state and you have not brought this to the attention of the landlord when the damp first began to show, you haven't a leg to stand on. You let the bathroom get into a bad state and now you want out of the lease with your full deposit back. Why on earth do you think you deserve that? Because you did some home repairs in the past even though your landlord is responsible for that stuff?

worded wrote: »

Im wondering if we will ever see our deposit back if he is anything like the greedy ones I hear of.

If the bathroom is badly damaged and you didn't notify the landlord, then no you won't get the deposit back and it'll have nothing to do with greed.

worded wrote: »

A deal is a deal indeed, but usually the tenant gets shafted.

Not in this case.

worded

My question was a general one.

We have a 30 day break clause in the lease. So a deal is a deal, he has been given notice, I am not breaking a deal.

Our flatmates solicitor has advised us to use the bathroom as leverage in case our deposit is withheld for any petty reason, which is what we expect as the majority of landlords are greedy from what Ive heard.

Withholding deposits for any petty reason is a second income for a lot of landlords.

This is getting very personal, a lot of people jumping to various wrong conclusions.

A lot of anger out there!

Chinafoot

worded wrote: »

My question was a general one.

Your question was: "Very moldy damp bathroom - good reason to terminate lease? Is this a reason to vacate a property on health grounds and terminate a lease early?"

worded wrote: »

We have a 30 day break clause in the lease. So a deal is a deal, he has been given notice, I am not breaking a deal.

You are required to keep your side of the deal which involves leaving the property in the same state you found it, except for expected wear and tear. If the bathroom is as bad as you say it is, you have broken the deal.

worded wrote: »

Our flatmates solicitor has advised us to use the bathroom as leverage in case our deposit is withheld for any petty reason, which is what we expect as the majority of landlords are greedy from what Ive heard.

You seem to be missing the point. The bathroom could well be the reason your deposit is witheld. This has nothing to do with greed or what you've "heard". I wouldn't suggest using it a leverage since it is you that has let it get into that state.

worded wrote: »

Withholding deposits for any petty reason is a second income for a lot of landlords.

Again, a mouldy, damp bathroom that has not been brought to the attention of the landlord and has been allowed get incresingly worse by the tenants is not petty. It would be a very valid reason to keep the deposit as he will have to pay for it to be repaired before he can let the property again.

worded wrote: »

This is getting very personal, a lot of people jumping to various wrong conclusions.

A lot of anger out there!

No anger at all. You are jumping to conclusions about your landlord keeping you deposit and referring to landlords as greedy. You have also admitted to the state of the bathroom and fail to acknowledge that you will be rightfully held responsible for the damage.

worded

He was informed of the reoccuring damp problem ages ago, he is well aware of the design flaw in the entire block.

Chinafoot - Square with me - Are you our land lord?

Chinafoot

worded wrote: »

Chinafoot - Square with me - Are you our land lord?

Wow....

You've had one landlord for 10 years and you keep trotting out this rubbish about greedy landlords and them keeping deposits as a second income....cos that's what you've "heard". I'd suggest you maybe stop listening to everyone and go and get some proper experience before you tar everyone with the same brush.

worded

Im going from friends experiences and what Ive read all over the internet.

Not a lot of people like landlords it seems, they seem to like shafting people for as much as possible, when ever possible.

Respect.

worded

Not just me it appears ....

I just googled "landlord kept our deposit" and got 646,000 !