Mold - lifestyle issue?

Dublin21

Hi

I am renting a property at the moment which i Love and had the intention of staying there for the foreseeable but in the last 4-5 months mould and damp is beginning to show everywhere.

Initially it started showing on the bedroom wall, on suitcases and my clothes etc (not damp clothes either, stuff like leather jackets etc).
It then showed up all over the patio doors, curtains, blinds, windows floors etc.

I need to stress the windows are opened regularly and we air the place out as much as possible!
Heating is used the odd hour throughout the colder days but nothing excessive.

We notified the management agency who told me it was a lifestyle issue and advised me to get Dettol mould and mildew remover.

I took offense to this but got the spray, sprayed down everything and im currently doing this every 3-4 weeks as it always comes back.
The spray isnt the most pleasant either - leaves the apartment smelling like a swimming pool for a few days.

I contacted them there recently to ask about renewing the lease and pointed out that its still an issue.

Again i was told it was a lifestyle issue.

In this time no one has been sent out to actually have a look at the problem.

I did some investigating and there is a forum in relation to these apartments and apparently its a known issue that the apartments suffer from mould due to poor ventilation in the apartments.

I don't think i am going to renew the lease at this stage and tbh its mainly due to the attitude of the mgt agency but im jsut wondering if anyone else thinks this is a fair argument? That its a 'lifestyle' issue??

Any thoughts?

who_me

It *could* be down to poor hygiene/maintenance in some cases (I've seen people who didn't give a crap about the place they lived in), but in your case it sounds far more like a genuine problem with dampness in the building. If the mould didn't put me off, the attitude of the management agency would.

Dublin21

That is the reason i don't think ill be staying!

Even if they sent someone out and they that person turned around to say there is sufficient ventilation here so it Must be a lifestyle issue i could say fair enough but as said i have taken Every measure bar buying a de humidifier (which i refuse to shell out on). And its apparently a known issue in the complex.

I honestly think the mgt agency know this and dont want to have to go through the expense of getting someone out to just tell them what they already know!

We are also without hot water now for 2 weeks..

Mgt agency turning out to be a nightmare

Hamhide

Hello, we've a similar issue here, though not nearly as bad as yours sounds, our management company released a pamphlet at the start of the winter season detailing the causes and prevention methods of mould in the apartment, Basically it's down to condensation thats been put into the air from various things, i'll list the things that our pamplet mentions as causes of this excess moisture.

1. Gas Heaters (It says they produce a pint of moisture every day)

2. Drying Clothes Indoors (Obviously unavoidable in most apartments, it suggests Drying clothes in the Bathroom if possible with extractor fan on if u have one)

3. Cooking Condensation (use overhead fans and keep pan lids on where possible)

4. Keep kitchen and bathroom doors closed when not in use (Prevents spread of moisture)

5. Ventilate bathroom using extractor fan for about 20 minutes after use of shower.

6. Ventilate the room for about an hour a day. (seems a bit ridiculous to be asking at this time of year in my opinion byt thats what it says)

7. When filling a bath add the cold water first then Hot water on top of it to cut down condensation.

8. Air out cupboards and drawers and avoid having furniature flush against the walls

9. Try keep some heating on during the cold weather.

I Don't know how much this helps you but your not alone in this situation though our mold is much more managable (just have a little bit in the corners of our living room ceiling). Them saying it's a lifestyle issue seems to be a line they feed everyone so I wouldn't take it personally. If it's honestly un-livable you shouldn't renew your lease, mold is a pet hate of mine personally. Other than to try some of the above I don't really know anything else you can try, I really hope this helps you, do let me know how you get on!

Dublin21

Thanks for the above, i appreciate that.

We have no extractor fans in either of the toilets but do use the fan in the kitchen.
Surprisingly the kitchen and bathrooms (plus hallway) are the only rooms unaffected by the damp/mould (although we got some damp on the kitchen window).

We air out the place as much as possible.. the bedroom window is opened daily (all over winter) and as said the heating is turned on almost everyday but not for mad lengths of time!

Every morning the bedroom window is literally dripping with moisture - there are small vents in the windows which are opened constantly but its not practical or secure enough to leave the windows open all night.

Its just not good enough to be told its a lifestyle issue without sending anyone out to diagnose the cause..
Looking around now for a new place

Hamhide

Threshold tend to deal with people having trouble from their landlords usually in regards to rent, but I wonder would they have any information about this issue and when a landlord is responsible to look after a Mold issue, could be worth a look.

BostonB

Either theres a problem with the building or its something you are doing.

Someone in the family has a house that been rented for over 15yrs. In that time only won't tenant had a problem with damp, and as soon as they left the problem disappeared. On the flip side, I have an interior shower room with no windows thats almost impossible to keep mould out of. I've upgrade the fan, ducting and put a door on the shower which improved it, but mould still comes back. I've never had a problem anywhere else I lived.

How Strange

We've had/still have problems with condensation and mould in our apartment which we own. Luckily the builders have taken responsibility for some of it and installed vents in the external walls of the bedrooms.

We too were fobbed off with 'lifestyle issues' for a few years.

I found some very good info on the Internet recently which said to turn the heating on at a low level in the affected rooms for regular intervals throughout the day. Apparently it helps to keep a stable temperature in the rooms and is much more effective than a blast of heat at full power for an hour or so. I've noticed in my sons room the temperature is now 17-18oc throughout the day and night even in cold weather.

Opening windows is obviously important and you should try keep them open even just a little for as long as possible everyday.

Also wipe off any water which is still on the windows by the afternoon as this water will contribute to condensation later on.

Finally keep your bedroom door open a little at night time as a closed room which has ventilation issues and has one or two people breathing in there for 8 hours will lead to more condensation.

We use a dehumidifier during the winter months and even though we've made some changes recently ie the heating on a timer we still use the dehumidifier.

It's a pain and I'm not sure we'll ever be fully free of it but hopefully we can manage it a bit better. Tbh if I was in your position renting I'd just look for another place unless there was a big reason to stay.

Chris_5339762

Buy a dehumidifier. It costs a little to run but will keep the room its in mould free, will dry clothes on a clotheshorse in an afternoon AND heat the room, all at once.

Skr4wny

Dublin21 wrote: »

Thanks for the above, i appreciate that.

We have no extractor fans in either of the toilets but do use the fan in the kitchen.
Surprisingly the kitchen and bathrooms (plus hallway) are the only rooms unaffected by the damp/mould (although we got some damp on the kitchen window).

We air out the place as much as possible.. the bedroom window is opened daily (all over winter) and as said the heating is turned on almost everyday but not for mad lengths of time!

Every morning the bedroom window is literally dripping with moisture - there are small vents in the windows which are opened constantly but its not practical or secure enough to leave the windows open all night.

Its just not good enough to be told its a lifestyle issue without sending anyone out to diagnose the cause..
Looking around now for a new place

When I had issues with the management company of my apartment building I sent an ultimatum telling the lady in question advising if I didn't get a satisfactory response in 48 hours I would withhold rent until they did resolve the issue. I also took the names lots of her colleagues from their website and copied them. I got a call same day and it was resolved the following day after been ongoing for a month with nobody getting the finger out.

If I learned one thing from working in lots of client facing roles, you need to be really assertive to get anything done. Send them a stonker of a mail telling them how many times you've raised it already and that continually patronising you by telling you it's a lifestyle issue is really unhelpful when you have followed all the recommended preventative measures to avoid mold (list the one provided by Hamhide). Then demand they send someone out to see the scale of the problem or you will not pay the next months rent.

coffeepls

How Strange wrote: »

We've had/still have problems with condensation and mould in our apartment which we own. Luckily the builders have taken responsibility for some of it and installed vents in the external walls of the bedrooms.

We too were fobbed off with 'lifestyle issues' for a few years.

I found some very good info on the Internet recently which said to turn the heating on at a low level in the affected rooms for regular intervals throughout the day. Apparently it helps to keep a stable temperature in the rooms and is much more effective than a blast of heat at full power for an hour or so. I've noticed in my sons room the temperature is now 17-18oc throughout the day and night even in cold weather.

Opening windows is obviously important and you should try keep them open even just a little for as long as possible everyday.

Also wipe off any water which is still on the windows by the afternoon as this water will contribute to condensation later on.

Finally keep your bedroom door open a little at night time as a closed room which has ventilation issues and has one or two people breathing in there for 8 hours will lead to more condensation.

We use a dehumidifier during the winter months and even though we've made some changes recently ie the heating on a timer we still use the dehumidifier.

It's a pain and I'm not sure we'll ever be fully free of it but hopefully we can manage it a bit better. Tbh if I was in your position renting I'd just look for another place unless there was a big reason to stay.

I agree with all the above (and do this) - plus as regards you using the Dettol Mould and Mildew - awful smell, hardly good for your health. Buy vinegar (the clear one, not malt!), put this in a spray bottle thing and use that. I have wooden frames on my windows, and I wiped them all down with vinegar - yes there was a bit of a chipper smell for a day, but by god does vinegar have a knack of keeping the mould spores at bay - seems to last for weeks too, if not months. Likewise if you have any damaged clothes, test a bit with vinegar and then use, it's great on leather goods that might have got those white dusty circles that damp gives them.

the_syco

Hamhide wrote: »

5. Ventilate bathroom using extractor fan for about 20 minutes after use of shower.

Installing an extractor fan in the house that I live in helped combat mold a great deal! Before, the steam would simply float thoughout the upstairs bedrooms. Now, the extractor fan sucks out the steam. Please ensure the fan is positioned above the shower for maximum effectiveness.

=-=

Finally, mold will have a detrimental effect on your health, so if you can't fix it, move out.

thegreatiam

aldi have decent mini dehumidifier at the moment for under 40 euro

uli84

couldnt find in my local or online to see the capacity. which aldi have you seen it? thanks

thegreatiam

longmile road

An Ri rua

Most de-humidifiers are a waste of time in our climate. They're aimed at warm, humid climates. For them to work optimally, you have to have your heating on full blast. a non-runner.

Here is the solution. Not cheap. But also a great way to dry clothes. PLUS, if the air is drier, you will be warmer, which can mean lower heating bills.

Its a Ruby Dry Dehumidifier. See http://www.mcloughlincycles.ie/Cycle/heaters.html ps I bought an Inverter 5006 from MCL just over 2 years ago and it is my best friend :P Does create moisture though. I use it alongside storage heaters which burn off excess moisture. But, back on topic, check Youtube re Ruby Dry Dehumidifers. http://youtu.be/Rp655KQvVyM Great technology. Works at cold temps, unlike most dehumidifiers. i.e. IDEAL for Irish & UK climate, unlike other pipedream options.

Finally, if you stick it in a spare room, with no heat, you can dry your clothes!! With no damp. I think over 2-3 years, its a saving on heating bills and damp maintenance/ chasing. PLUS, its healthier!

http://dryitout.hubpages.com/hub/A-Review-of-Ruby-Dry-Dehumidifiers

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruby-Dry-Dehumidifier-DH600/dp/B0002XOYDE

DO NOT waste your money on a refridgerant-based dehumidifier in Ireland or UK.

Hamhide

Was watching one of the irish mid-day talk shows a few weeks back.

They had a hardware buff on the show talking about mold,
particularly ceiling mold, He said they now stock
paints especially designed for problem spots on your ceiling.

They were fairly expensive though like €22 for a small can of it
I don't know whether these paints are a gimmick or not.
But have been tempted to invest to have a go as we have
2 spots in our living room ceiling that just keep getting moldy.

flintash

An Ri rua wrote: »

Most de-humidifiers are a waste of time in our climate. They're aimed at warm, humid climates. For them to work optimally, you have to have your heating on full blast. a non-runner.

Here is the solution. Not cheap. But also a great way to dry clothes. PLUS, if the air is drier, you will be warmer, which can mean lower heating bills.

Its a Ruby Dry Dehumidifier. See http://www.mcloughlincycles.ie/Cycle/heaters.html ps I bought an Inverter 5006 from MCL just over 2 years ago and it is my best friend :P Does create moisture though. I use it alongside storage heaters which burn off excess moisture. But, back on topic, check Youtube re Ruby Dry Dehumidifers. http://youtu.be/Rp655KQvVyM Great technology. Works at cold temps, unlike most dehumidifiers. i.e. IDEAL for Irish & UK climate, unlike other pipedream options.

Finally, if you stick it in a spare room, with no heat, you can dry your clothes!! With no damp. I think over 2-3 years, its a saving on heating bills and damp maintenance/ chasing. PLUS, its healthier!

http://dryitout.hubpages.com/hub/A-Review-of-Ruby-Dry-Dehumidifiers

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruby-Dry-Dehumidifier-DH600/dp/B0002XOYDE

DO NOT waste your money on a refridgerant-based dehumidifier in Ireland or UK.

Well , I guess you right about IRE&UK weather, I always had a doubt about efficiency of dehumidifiers in these climates. I dont have much time now, to look into this- my question is, do they actually burn something, or just electricity they use?
My experiences about gimmick anti-mold paints: cure the problem, otherwise it wont last long anyway. Done it , painted it, cleaned the mold several weeks after.

The_Conductor

I run a dehumidifier in our apartment here- typically the 10 litre reservoir fills every day or so. Its very cheap to run- and I leave it in the kitchen where we dry clothes on clothes horses- they dry fully overnight with it running.

Note- I've a proper dehumidifier- not a mini one- its big and weighs about 30kg, but its on wheels which makes moving it to another room quite easy. I got it second hand from the UK.

Dublin21

Thanks all for the advice!

I've sent multiple emails to this agency with no result (either as said they would say its a lifestyle issue or they would just ignore me!)
I suppose in retrospect i should have threatened to withhold rent but we've since given our notice!

Ive another thread open asking for advice on rental contracts but basically the landlord was asking for another 'fixed' period rental contract and when i refused in favour of the P4 tenancy act they came back to say that he was upping the rent by 100e.. So that was the final straw!

Obviously they just didn't want the hassle of having to do anything and preferred us out!
So be it, pity the nxt person that moves into the place if they have the same issues.

I didn't want to have to shell out on Paint/fans/dehumidifiers as its not my property and shouldn't be my problem to sort but i think for the next property ill invest in a dehumidifier even if its just a precaution!

BostonB

Try pick a place with good ventilation and windows that you can lock open and/or have integrated vents.

A lot of places were built with brutal ventilation.

Grolschevik

smccarrick wrote: »

I run a dehumidifier in our apartment here- typically the 10 litre reservoir fills every day or so. Its very cheap to run- and I leave it in the kitchen where we dry clothes on clothes horses- they dry fully overnight with it running.

Note- I've a proper dehumidifier- not a mini one- its big and weighs about 30kg, but its on wheels which makes moving it to another room quite easy. I got it second hand from the UK.

I've got one of these:
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/0523178/Trail/searchtext%3EDEHUMIDIFIER.htm

Does that count as a proper dehumidifier? It certainly manages to extract moisture from the air...