Damp Problem/fixed lease termination

Plan

Sorry, this is a long one but I need advice on a problem I'm having with the apt I'm renting:

I noticed a couple of months ago a stale, musky odour in the main bedroom. Thinking it might simply be dust accumulated under the bed I gave the room a thorough clean several times but the smell never leaves.

Recently I noticed mold on the ceiling in the main bedroom. At first I intended to move into the spare single room and notify the landlord but when getting the bed ready I found that the pillow in there was covered in mold also. I notified the landlord by post, including photos and moved out until it could be fixed.

The landlord has responded to me by email and said that, essentially, I am the 'cause of the damp problem because on the single occasion that he visited the apartment after my letter I had the windows closed (it's a ground floor)' curtains closed in a couple of rooms, and some damp clothes in the living room (with a dehumidifier running right beside them!).

Obviously, i cant leave windows open all the time on a ground floor. His only instructions regarding damp when I moved in was not to put washing on the radiators (I never do) and use the dehumidifier when putting washing on a clothes horse ( I always do).

Basically, I'm not satisfied with his answers and I'm wondering what recourse I have. Do I have any right to terminate my fixed term lease? If so how?

Any advice would be appreciated.

SligoLady

This is probably the most common dispute between tenants and landlords I've come across to be honest. Your landlord is right in that damp will occur when there is not adequate ventilation or heat. Whilst most tenants say that they do open windows and heat the place, it's generally not enough.
Fresh air kills the mould spores so it is vital that windows are opened nearly every day for a decent amount of time and that large furniture, such as wardrobes, are moved around because mould grows behind them. You also need to clean the mould by wiping away the fresh spores because it will continue to grow if you don't take appropriate action and the spores can be harmful if left to grow and are breathed in.
We live in a very wet and cold country and that combined with the fact that most of our properties were just 'thrown' up over the past few years doesn't help matters. Some properties are more prone to this problem than others and sometimes there may be other factors causing the damp that aren't obvious, such as leaking pipes, gutters etc so really, there's only a certain amount you can do yourself to prevent it.
On the other hand, if your landlord is willing to spend some money he could clean down the walls with bleach to kill the mould, remove and replace any mouldy curtains or skirting boards etc from the room, repaint the room with antifungal paint and put in some proper ventilation, such as a hole in the wall, then this will probably cure it. However you MUST keep the room aired every day or 2 and heat it adequately..even so, you probably only have a 70-80% chance of keeping it mould free.
If you take the above actions and you are still having problems then you may need to look at moving out.

Neyite

I lived in a damp ground floor flat with the same problem occuring about 5 months after we moved in. Because we worked, we couldnt leave the windows open, unless we were home, and then would have to close them after a few hours because it would get dark and cold. It also ate up electricity for the storage heaters and it was never warm, because there was no proper insulation all the heat went upstairs to warm my neighbours instead. I scrubbed the walls and every surface I could with bleach and scalding water about once a month and nothing worked.

My partner got talking to a labourer who was involved in building these houses in the estate and he was told that they were never damp-proofed, that there should be a damp layer in the foundations that never went in. We finally moved out but the smell permeates everything you own from clothes to upholstry.

Its going to get worse over the winter. I'd move out - plenty of non damp places to rent for similar money I'm sure. We found a new build, finished to a high standard, and on a second floor so we can ventilate the place while we are at work.

Plan

Thank you both for your advice. While there's nothing I'd like more than to move out, considering the unpleasant manner in which the landlord has handled this, I'm tied into a lease 'til next next June

COYW

In a similar position OP but thankfully I only have 6 weeks left on my lease. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed some damp patches on the carpet in the hall and living area. I reported it to the landlord immediately and a plumber came in and noted that the problem was with another apartment, probably the one above. I reported this to the landlord and he said that he would follow this up with the management company. Anyway, 2 weeks later the problem is on-going. Called and texted the landlord reporting that the issue has not been resolved but I am getting nowhere.

I do not live so a ground floor apartment, so I leave the windows open most of the day to dry it out.

Any ideas? I have taken photos of the problem areas.

Plan

Well, from all my googling and advice seeking it seems the most popular course of action is to send your landlord a letter by registered post with the photos and give her a specific amount of time to address the issue. If she doesnt get back to you within the time then I think you can terminate the lease because she didn't take action.

Give the citizens advice bureau a call, they're very helpful and can tell you exactly what your rights are. Unfortunately, in my case I seem to have feck all rights because the building is old and the landlord is willing to take some action (even though it's not a satisfactory one to my mind).

Bens

I know someone who has a company that deals with mold.
Often when out for a pint he tells me about what he is doing. He was telling me that since the recession he gets about 5 times more calls than he used to about mold.
More and more people are trying to save by not heating bedrooms (he says the mold problem is almost always in the bedrooms) and keeping the windows closed. Even blocking up vents. And drying clothes on radiators (This is the single biggest cause of mold in apartments and houses).

Its bonanza time for his company.
He says all apartments should be fitted with a ventilation unit that is always on. That way it doesnt matter whether people open windows or not.

something like this.
http://www.nuaire.co.uk/product/flat

Ask you landlord about it. There are numerous companies that will install one.

COYW

Plan wrote: »

Well, from all my googling and advice seeking it seems the most popular course of action is to send your landlord a letter by registered post with the photos and give her a specific amount of time to address the issue. If she doesnt get back to you within the time then I think you can terminate the lease because she didn't take action.

Give the citizens advice bureau a call, they're very helpful and can tell you exactly what your rights are. Unfortunately, in my case I seem to have feck all rights because the building is old and the landlord is willing to take some action (even though it's not a satisfactory one to my mind).

I will give the citizens advice bureau a call on Monday. I don't have mold, well none visible anyway and the landlord did take action when I reported it first. My bedroom is fine, thankfully. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Came back in this afternoon and the apartment was really bad. Could see the water dripping from down below. Rang the landlord. Said they would get onto the emergency contact in the management company. Heard nothing since. Should I get onto the PRTB?