Dampness in my new apartment. Can anyone help?

Yunalesca

Hey there,

I just moved into a new apartment. Literally just been there about a week. It seemed rather chilly the day I went to view it, but other than that it seemed totally spot on with all the mod cons and good heating system.

It's basically a converted shed with a flat roof, but the heating is sound so it's warm enough.

However, the big problem for me seems to be dampness. There's no dampness you can see like the usual dark mildew on the wall, but anything I've left in the house that's paper or cardboard has become fairly damp and I'm very worried about my electrical equipment. There's also huge amounts of condensation, especially in the bathroom which always looks like I've just taken a really hot shower.

To be honest with you if I had known about this before I moved in I would not have taken it, as I'm pretty touchy about the large volume of electrical equipment I have. I even specifically asked the estate agent before I moved in if there was any problem with coldness etc in the house but of course, he fed me the usual pack of lies, and as everything LOOKED good then how was I to know.

I've done a bit of research online and I read that every residential abode by law is supposed to have air vents, which of course, I do not have. Can I get the landlord to look into installing them...? Sounds like a massive job.

People have suggested a de-humidifier to me. Any thoughts?

I will have to bring this to the attention of the landlord, but if he refuses to take action am I left with any rights?
Is my 400 euro deposit basically gone down the drain?

Is there any genuine people out there these days? I'm going to have to totally re-locate myself again without any deposit if this can't be solved.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!!

the_syco

A de-humidifier may solve your problem. Had an issue in my attack which was solved by using a de-humidifier for a week or two. It collected a lot of water.

As for the chill when you moved in, this has me very suspicious that the landlord/agent knew of the problem before you moved in, and left all the windows open so that the usual signs of dampness (black patches on the walls/ceiling) would go away.

You should be able to pick up a cheap de-humidifier off Argos. http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4250849/Trail/searchtext%3EDE-HUMIDIFIER.htm doesn't look too bad. Asking here: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=116 about which one to get would be a good idea, as cheap doesn't always equal good. If too dear, looking into maybe renting one out - you may then be able to rent out a good one cheaply.

Jo King

Complain to your local authority about the vents. they will direct the landlord to install them. It is not that big of a deal.

Victor

Its should only take a single person a day to do the work.

Longterm, it isn't good for your health, so it needs to be addressed.

Poor Uncle Tom

The issue seems to be little or no ventilation. The moisture vapour from washing, showers, cooking and general living will stay in the air inside unless it is vented out until the temprature drops and the moisture will condense on the nearest colder surface.

A dehumidifier will take the moisture out of the air but the minute it is switched off the process starts all over again. This can be managed by balancing ventilation and heating in the apartment as a whole. This means your landlord has to address the issue of ventilation before the problem can be solved.

It is even possible, and not too expensive, to get an MHRV unit foe a single room which can be fitted on the wall area where a normal vent would be.

A simple test to prove this is the case, check your bedroom window in the morning, if there is condensation on the bottom of the glass and a slight mist on the window then you know.

gurramok

Eh, just a word of warning a de-humidifier can cost a huge fortune in electricity costs. You'd want to get the landlord to sort this problem out as you will be excessively out of pocket keeping yourself warm.

nxbyveromdwjpg

De-humidifier will not do it, unless you have one in every room running 24/7.

You need the landlord to have a positive ventilation system installed in the property. This costs about €600 - €700.

Google

BostonB

If its that bad, I'd strongly think about moving out. Because that doesn't sound like its healthy at all.

robd

Yunalesca wrote: »

It's basically a converted shed with a flat roof, but the heating is sound so it's warm enough.

The shed would be the problem here. Probably isn't up to even past building standards. Lack of damp proof course, ventilation etc.

Did you get a BER certificate as per the law? Might be a loophole (but I'm unsure) that it's too small for BER.

I'd run.

Given landlord is renting a shed in the first place I'd think your chances of getting any remedy work done are slim to none.

Usually (with a lot or arguing and hassle), you can get out of lease and get deposit back if accommodation is totally unsuitable or unfit for purpose. Best to contact Threshold (see www.threshold.ie) for advice given you stand to loose €400. Advice on here is often highly contradictory.

Yunalesca

Thanks everyone for your advice.

The landlord is about to install a ventilation system for me
I also went to hresh hold for legal advice.

Unfortunately I can't just cut and run, I run the risk of having to pay the rent for the rest of the year if I do and I will also lose my security deposit.

The landlord seems helpful and quick to respond about installing the vents so hopefully it will help the situation.

This is my first time renting on my own completely and I've learned about twelve valuable lessons in all. I'm just going to pop them here for anyone else who may be renting for the first time in the future;

* ALWAYS ask for a BER certificate before moving into a new flat/house/apartment
* ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY report any signs of dampness or any other faults in the house IN WRITING to the landlord.
* Contact Threshold for any legal quieries in relation to housing. They're very helpful and patiently listen to each complaint. (021)4278848


Like I said, I don't know if this is going to work out for me, I still may have to leave if the situation doesn't improve even after ventilation has been installed, but thanks to everyone here for their support and advice. It's been a tough few weeks for me but it's good to know I'm not alone

Graces7

A dehumidifier is a great help. We have lived in several old type properties that were built when a fire was burning 24/7.

And it will pull moisture out on bad days.
Replacing that fire drying.

But a shed? Sheesh! Good luck indeed.

Graces7

OP; is this the place that was on daft ie? Beautifully refurbished and furnished?

If so it was one we thought about when we were about to move but were wary because there were no chimneys etc and would cost too much to heat.

Dempo1

gurramok wrote: »

Eh, just a word of warning a de-humidifier can cost a huge fortune in electricity costs. You'd want to get the landlord to sort this problem out as you will be excessively out of pocket keeping yourself warm.

Yes agreed, they eat electricity and will only remove dampness present, they will not stop it coming back.

I wondered what type of heating does the apartment have? this may also be adding to the problem, particularly if it is Gas.

Seems to me the main issue is a lack of any ventilation, the apartment like any premises needs continuous ventilation, opening windows occasionally will not work and besides let all the heat out.

Daith

OP, sorry to hijack your thread but have a similar issue.

The bathroom is my place has no window, but has a fan directly over the shower. I tend to take showers with the bathroom door open. However black spots still appear on the walls and ceilings.

I take it the landlord is responsible for this and ensuring the fan in the bathroom actually works? Or would I be expected to clean this?

Thanks

Jesica Fletcher

I only came across this thread while trying to find out who I could complain to about the exact same problem. I'm subletting, and noticed the damp mid December. 2 months later and nothing has been done other than a lot of talk about an "architect" with "special paint". It seems I complained amount the dangers to my health a bit too much because last night I was informed that I should move out.

That leaves me with 2 questions... Anyone have a spare room they want to rent to me in the UCD surrounding area? And who can I report this to? Is there a Property Ombudsman or authority of some sort?

Thanks in advance!

TAPlank

Ventilation is most important. However all houses regardless of apparent dampness should follow this regime.
Open the front and back windows for maybe 10 to 15 minutes each morning and allow the air to flow through, this will exchange the moist warm air with fresh dry air from outside. The outside air will be become quite dry as it warms, this has to do with relative humidity. It is better to get rid of the moist the air instead of having the moisture condensing on the walls, etc.
I have seen some horrific results due to non-ventilation, the most extreme was in a newish up market house where a sheet of wallpaper peeled of the wall as I was discussing the problem with lady of the house. Turned out they had several lodgers, who together with the lady herself would all leave for work at the same time, leaving all the windows tightly closed, on return they would then bath or shower and prepare food without opening any windows. The problems vanished after the above daily air exchange routine was followed together with opening windows while the bathing and food preparation was in progress. They later installed some ventilation fans.
The amount of heat lost through the air exchange is quite small and the benefits are well worth it.

Azureus

If the OPs place is in Swords its probably my old place
We had a problem with dampness in a very similar sounding place, the landlord in fairness was very good abut it but it didnt really help the issue (gave us a dehumidifier and rediced oour rent by €100 a month to ease electricity costs). The fecking thing was useles and I had mould growing on my shoes and clothes He also put insulation foam at the back of the wardrobes but didnt help much. We moved out soon after, nothing worse than dampness, suffered quite a bit with chest infections that year!
Good luck.

rocksteady36

I have read that if you do not get a BER Cert from the landlord when you sign lease your lease is null and void.

Google it and you will see, its an EU Directive and all the solicitors were notified about this as they may act as an agent when selling houses. It applies to sales and lets, and it is the landlords responsibility.

Ray Palmer

Does the BER actually mention anything about dampness or ventilation? It will have an effect on heating. A big problem is when people upgrade older building without considering it holistically.

Draughty windows provide ventilation so replacing with double glazing can cause problems if the vents have been closed off or blocked. Sam applies with the chimney. Lime plaster being replaced with modern plasters causes problems with the structure and damp. Damp proof courses are non existent in some buildings or have just broken down and need to be replaced via injections.

The main cause is modern lifestyles such as drying clothes inside and keeping the windows closed all the time. Had a tenant complain about damp, they had blocked all the vents broken the shower fan and had a clothes horse in the bedroom. They were surprised, didn't believe the problem was them and called me a slum lord:eek:

BostonB

rocksteady36 wrote: »

I have read that if you do not get a BER Cert from the landlord when you sign lease your lease is null and void.

Google it and you will see, its an EU Directive and all the solicitors were notified about this as they may act as an agent when selling houses. It applies to sales and lets, and it is the landlords responsibility.

While I think you are right. but you're stating that as fact whereas AFAIK no ones ever actually brought a test case to determine the legality of that.

BostonB

I'd have to agree that a lot of "dampness" issue are actually poor ventilation. I've seen that where one tenant has terrible issues with damp, mould, and those that were there before and after have no issues. One where the previous tenant had 8 yrs of no issues, the next tenant, had problems within a couple of months. The next tenant has no issues either.

If the tenant who has damp and mould issues, gets them everywhere they move to, that would suggest its something they are doing. Or they are incredibly unlucky in the places they rent.

up4it

You should never dry clothes on a radiator as that is asking for condensation and mould to grow.

TIP - In the bathroom it is a good idea to install an extractor fan and connect it to the light switch. After you have a bath/shower just leave the light/extractor fan on until all the dampness has gone and the misted up windows have cleared.

BostonB

In some places theres no window in the shower room, and these little extractor fans aren't enough to prevent dampness. Flaw in the design of the place IMO. Its very common though.

Ray Palmer

BostonB wrote: »

In some places theres no window in the shower room, and these little extractor fans aren't enough to prevent dampness. Flaw in the design of the place IMO. Its very common though.

I redid my bathroom recently and put in a small fan after doing some research. €15 fan clears a 9ft*9ft room full of steam in under a minute. Once it is sealed correctly and goes to the outside it should be fine. The amount of air that is replaced is specified on the fan so generally very easy to tell if it will suffice.

BostonB

That not been my experience of them. Often they aren't vented ideally with bends in the pipe, or especially long pipes, or perhaps theres back pressure to to wind etc.