Mold and damp in apartment

Zulu

If the damp was a result of the flooding it would/should have been very obvious when you viewed the apartment.
Can I ask how you found out the property was flooded? And did you find out when it flooded?

amdublin

Definitely sounds like you need to move home.

We had very bad damp and mould in my house growing up - old 1930's badly insulated house with no central heating(!!!) until about 1988.
My current house was built 1993. Isn't cold/damp but do get a little bit of black mould and spores in the bedroom which I wash and treat every year or so.

Seems to be a common Irish problem in some ways. Suggest you rent very carefully focussing on this next time.

KATT22

I found out from one of the tenants that has been living here for ten years, he basically had to strip down his walls coz of the mold he got on his walls.

KATT22

cant post urls coz im a new user -_-

chopper6

Just in case anybody isnt aware..black mould can contain spores that lodge in the lungs and create lifelong health problem.

Weyhey

It's not that easy to get mould or the musty smell out of clothes and mould spores can travel to your new home.

I lived in a house where it wasn't obvious there was a damp problem (except a possibility of it in bathroom where there was no proper heating). There were no obvious damp patches on the wall and I had windows (and wardrobe doors) open every day even in the snow and my clothes kept getting mouldy in the wardrobe.

Bedrooms only had plug in heaters and there was no dryer in the house so this may have contributed to the problem.

Landlord said he never had any problems like that before. I moved out when my lease was up and got compensation for my clothes and extra cost of electricity due to having to use dehumidifier non stop which the landlord actually threw at me (money not the dehumidifier :-) ).

I since met a taxi driver who used to live in the same house before me who gave out about the same problem and the crazy landlord.

OP you are right to want to move out if mould starts appearing on your clothes especially during such a warm summer as it is so hard to fix but it does sound like you were planning to move out before you noticed the mould. Also after two months I can't imagine you would get much compensation especially as landlord hasn't had a chance to try to fix things.

dede12

chopper6 wrote: »

Just in case anybody isnt aware..black mould can contain spores that lodge in the lungs and create lifelong health problem.

Very true, I've had permanent issues from living in a moldy apartment for only a few months. & I already had allergy issues to mold & dustmites, unlike one poster here, its not always possible to smell it, esp if the property has been aired right before you view it & it is the summer. OP, never choose a property where the windows are open when you view it, as it will hide a lot of issues.

Also, those who are suggesting washing clothes will solve the issue, its really not that simple. A lot of times you can't properly kill the mold unless you use bleach & hot water, and dry thoroughly, preferably in a tumble dryer on med-high heat, all of which is likely to ruin the clothes. A lot of people who aren't as sensitive to mold will think the washing has gotten rid of it but those who are actually allergic/sensitive will be able to tell (the number of times I can smell mold off the clothes of people next to me in class or the train for example is ridiculous). I would think its valid to ask for a discount on your rent for a month or two to make up for the damage to your items. He's not required to give it but no harm in asking. Remember though, unless these are very high end designer clothes the value of already used/worn clothes is pretty low, so you shouldn't be asking for a discount equivalent to the purchase price, more along the lines of what the non-moldy clothes would have been worth in if you bought them in a charity shop or thrift store.

And the property being flooded before certainly is relevant, in the same way that you need to reveal if a car has been salvaged when you sell it (through a salvage title). It may not be a legal requirement but I would consider it highly unethical to not reveal a place has been flooded as it can lead to a lot problems down the road.

OP it would be more than reasonable to ask the landlord for a dehumidifer large enough to dry the whole apartment (or a few smaller ones), along w/ paying for somebody to come in & remove all the mold. If you don't have a dryer, I'd ask for one as well since drying clothes in a damp & previously flooded apt is just asking for issues, even if you leave the windows open. & the clothes will need to be dried thoroughly if you want to have any chance of saving them. Something certainly needs to be done as the problem will just get worse during the winter.

I would also be looking to break my lease as I would consider severe mold issues in a living space to make it uninhabitable for the majority of people. You are within your rights to reassign the lease and get the deposit back (if he refuses you can leave). However I would be hesitant to let others move into a property w/ such issues so I would be looking for a way to break it w/o doing that - perhaps you can negotiate something w/ your landlord? Maybe he will come to an agreement w/ you about breaking the lease. Perhaps you can offer to let him keep your entire deposit or pay a fee the equivalent of a months rent in return for leaving early (often called a 'break fee' in my part of the states). Make sure however to get whatever agreement you come to in writing, before you leave or pay him anything.

KATT22

dede12, i left in a 30 day notice, he is using our deposit as our next months rent. Also he has found another person that is interested in the place, they will be viewing it on the 26th. Also i got a dehumidifier from my next door neighbour, we didnt get one with the place.

dede12

Thats good you seem to have it pretty much sorted then! Just be more aware w/ your next place & ask specifically about flooding/damp issues. I always try to negotiate a break clause into a lease if its not already there & that would give you some protection in the next place if issues come up later on.Try to get one w/ a good amt sun as well. I'd say you can still ask him again for some sort of reimbursement for the clothes at their used value price but dont be surprised if he refuses. Hopefully it all works out for you

KATT22

there are people that are meant to come out from the Dublin City council to look at the place, to check how bad that mold is. i doubt id get money for my damaged clothes, but i tried.

Tarzana

chopper6 wrote: »

Just in case anybody isnt aware..black mould can contain spores that lodge in the lungs and create lifelong health problem.

Yup, I'm still the after effects of living in a house that had a low-level leak that we didn't discover for months.

"Ah, sure just wash your clothes, that'll get rid of the mold" - I can't wash my lungs unfortunately!

chopper6

Tarzana wrote: »

Yup, I'm still the after effects of living in a house that had a low-level leak that we didn't discover for months.

"Ah, sure just wash your clothes, that'll get rid of the mold" - I can't wash my lungs unfortunately!

And leave the windows open...coz teh irish winters are balmy and warm.

drumswan

Zulu wrote: »

Or, you know, inspect a property before you rent it. And (importantly) don't rent a substandard hovel for an exorbitant price.

Unfortunately, if a house has been professionally cleaned and aired for several days before you view it, these issues wont be apparent.

Also, you talk like there is a glut of properties on the market where people can take their pick among the best ones, instead of a desperate scramble just to find somewhere, anywhere to live.

chopper6

drumswan wrote: »

Unfortunately, if a house has been professionally cleaned and aired for several days before you view it, these issues wont be apparent.

Also, you talk like there is a glut of properties on the market where people can take their pick among the best ones, instead of a desperate scramble just to find somewhere, anywhere to live.

This happens all the time..a guy i work with from cork was looking for somewhere to stay for weeks,he had to crash in his sisters's place until he was eventually offered a room in a place in whitehall.

When i say it was a hovel i mean i've never seen anything so wretched...the landlord was so mean he actually had old benches from a bus in the living room and they only ever saw him when the rent was due..any entreaties to carry out repairs(including a hole in the roof) were met with "Sure ya can always find somewhere else to live".

_oveless_

chopper6 wrote: »

Just in case anybody isnt aware..black mould can contain spores that lodge in the lungs and create lifelong health problem.

Aren there any warning signs of mould? I've scrubbed the flat I'm moving into top to bottom all week but my biggest fear is mould appearing as it is an old house with old windows.

rawn

_oveless_ wrote: »

Aren there any warning signs of mould? I've scrubbed the flat I'm moving into top to bottom all week but my biggest fear is mould appearing as it is an old house with old windows.

Cold floors, musty smell, any kind of dampness on walls, curling of wallpaper and blocked/no ventilation are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

chopper6

rawn wrote: »

Cold floors, musty smell, any kind of dampness on walls, curling of wallpaper and blocked/no ventilation are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Get a bit of tissue paper and run it along the seams where the glass joins the window...if it come away black there may be some issue with condensation...that's not to say it will be mouldy own the line though but it is assign.

Blackness in corners and on walls is an obvious sign and as has been said the place will smell a bit fusty too.