I want to give back my council house

molly.007

Please all don’t judge
I’m renting a council house that’s full of mould and damp walls leaks along with other problems I’m at sick to death of getting on to the council to fix the problems and nothing is ever done I’m sick to death of washing walls with bleach and cleaning up leaks financially and mentally drained from it ... it’s so frustrating I’m on a low income and can’t afford to get the problems fixed I fully understand there is a housing crisis and there’s loads of people looking to be housed In just at my wits ends with the house and just want to give it back !!!!!!!!I RANT OVER any advice appreciated

bisset

have you found somewhere else to live?

mickuhaha

Can you post pictures of the problems

cryptocurrency

Which council and is it one of those old 1950s ones you see about? If you can afford to hand it back you most certainly shouldn't have one

punisher5112

Is there vents?

How do you heat the property?

TheEyeonyrBack

molly.007 wrote: »

I’m sick to death of washing walls with bleach and cleaning up leaks financially and mentally drained from it

I hear you, but just don't use the bleach, it worsens the situation. While you search an alternative house, and hopefully you will, try with tree tea oil instead, using bleach gets you intoxicated and spreads the mauld bacteria all over.

I know this doesn't fix things up but helps a bit.

I keep my fingers crossed for you.

weetiepie

cryptocurrency wrote: »

Which council and is it one of those old 1950s ones you see about? If you can afford to hand it back you most certainly shouldn't have one

Wtf?? How is that helpful? Get off your high horse numpty!

cryptocurrency

weetiepie wrote: »

Wtf?? How is that helpful? Get off your high horse numpty!

Well some of the 1950s ones don't have central heating so it is relevant.

L1011

weetiepie wrote: »

Wtf?? How is that helpful? Get off your high horse numpty!

Report a post if you have a problem with rather than posting like this

cryptocurrency

L1011 wrote: »

Report a post if you have a problem with rather than posting like this

My question was relevant when the damp issue and washing walls was raised. This is actually an issue in those era homes which are still stock.

punisher5112

There is special cleaners you can get and a primer and paint which also helps.

There needs to be adequate vents, heating and quite possible needs additional insulation.

L1011

cryptocurrency wrote: »

My question was relevant when the damp issue and washing walls was raised. This is actually an issue in those era homes which are still stock.

I wasn't saying there *was* a problem with your post, just that the reaction to it was unacceptable on-thread.

blackbox

If the mould is coming back after you kill it with bleach, there is a problem that will only be resolved by reducing the level of moisture on the wall.

This is best resolved by a combination of warmth and ventilation.

Is there a source of moisture that can be removed? Drying clothes inside is a common cause.

If the mould is exclusively on the inside of an exterior wall it almost certainly requires insulation. This is something you might request from the landlord.

DubCount

Its amazing that a Council can get away with this. If a private landlord was providing accommodation with significant water ingress and similar issues, I would expect official Ireland to be quick to deal with the problems, and rightly so.

For OP. Getting a Local Authority to act on anything can be difficult. Have you tried contacting your local Councillors or TDs? It shouldn't help, but sometimes it does.

punisher5112

DubCount wrote: »

Its amazing that a Council can get away with this. If a private landlord was providing accommodation with significant water ingress and similar issues, I would expect official Ireland to be quick to deal with the problems, and rightly so.

For OP. Getting a Local Authority to act on anything can be difficult. Have you tried contacting your local Councillors or TDs? I shouldn't help, but sometimes it does.

LL don't imo rush to fix.. plenty of experience in afraid.

Del2005

molly.007 wrote: »

Please all don’t judge
I’m renting a council house that’s full of mould and damp walls leaks along with other problems I’m at sick to death of getting on to the council to fix the problems and nothing is ever done I’m sick to death of washing walls with bleach and cleaning up leaks financially and mentally drained from it ... it’s so frustrating I’m on a low income and can’t afford to get the problems fixed I fully understand there is a housing crisis and there’s loads of people looking to be housed In just at my wits ends with the house and just want to give it back !!!!!!!!I RANT OVER any advice appreciated

Where will you live when you hand the house back?Because if you have no family or friends to move in with you will go homeless and you'll end up in a crap hotel, if you're lucky.

punisher5112

We need more information anyway and some photos could also help.

2013Lara

Get yourself the best electric dehumidifier you can afford. I recommend the 20L Meaco which is about 300euro. Low energy so not too expensive to run. Obviously the cause needs to be looked at. And you need to ventilate and heat the house properly but the dehumidifier could completely solve any mould/condensation issues while you wait for the council to fix the cause.

DubCount

punisher5112 wrote: »

LL don't imo rush to fix.. plenty of experience in afraid.

I would not disagree, buy my point is that there is a route to escalate the issue if a LL is slow to act. A private tenant can go to the RTB - where does a Council tenant go?

decky1

cryptocurrency wrote: »

Which council and is it one of those old 1950s ones you see about? If you can afford to hand it back you most certainly shouldn't have one

bit harsh there give her a chance:mad:

punisher5112

DubCount wrote: »

I would not disagree, buy my point is that there is a route to escalate the issue if a LL is slow to act. A private tenant can go to the RTB - where does a Council tenant go?

Environmental officer, each council will have one.
We had no other choice.

decky1

DubCount wrote: »

Its amazing that a Council can get away with this. If a private landlord was providing accommodation with significant water ingress and similar issues, I would expect official Ireland to be quick to deal with the problems, and rightly so.

For OP. Getting a Local Authority to act on anything can be difficult. Have you tried contacting your local Councillors or TDs? It shouldn't help, but sometimes it does.

My friends daughter has just a few days ago got the keys to a council house, which she was told take it as is, when she open the door she thought animals had been kept in it, rubbish and dirt from floor to ceiling in every room,got back to council 'take it or leave it hey said [she's trying to get away from an abusive partner so this home is important to her] went to a local Councillor who said to her 'i hope you've got plenty of rubber gloves' the person who left this house has been given a house somewhere else, do the council not do any checks when people leave a house ?i feel so sorry for her.what can she do?:mad:

punisher5112

decky1 wrote: »

My friends daughter has just a few days ago got the keys to a council house, which she was told take it as is, when she open the door she thought animals had been kept in it, rubbish and dirt from floor to ceiling in every room,got back to council 'take it or leave it hey said [she's trying to get away from an abusive partner so this home is important to her] went to a local Councillor who said to her 'i hope you've got plenty of rubber gloves' the person who left this house has been given a house somewhere else, do the council no do any checks when people leave a house ?i feel so sorry for her.what can she do?:mad:

Seems odd as they tend to be boarded up and cleared.

They do look for previous tenant to clear but obviously this isn't usually going to happen unless they actually had pride and decent belongings.

I would say though its better option then going back to an abuser.

Not ideal but something others could dig in and help out with.

L1011

Most councils go through a protracted changeover process that often leaves the house empty ("void") for months to years so something coming with anything left in it at all is surprising.

molly.007

punisher5112 wrote: »

Is there vents?

How do you heat the property?

Hi punisher there’s vents in the windows that I leave open 24 hours a day but the mould just continues to grow Im
after using everything to try and get rid of it it’s so frustrating

the_syco

molly.007 wrote: »

cleaning up leaks

Are the leaks from burst pipes, or a leaky roof?

molly.007

TheEyeonyrBack wrote: »

I hear you, but just don't use the bleach, it worsens the situation. While you search an alternative house, and hopefully you will, try with tree tea oil instead, using bleach gets you intoxicated and spreads the mauld bacteria all over.

I know this doesn't fix things up but helps a bit.

I keep my fingers crossed for you.

Thank you kindly for your advice I will try the tree tea oil

Call me Al

molly.007 wrote: »

Hi punisher there’s vents in the windows that I leave open 24 hours a day but the mould just continues to grow Im
after using everything to try and get rid of it it’s so frustrating

Abd how are you heating the property? Hiw many hours do you heat these problem rooms for?

L1011

Think and check absolutely everything that is producing moisture internally - drying clothes on racks inside is the biggest one, but I've seen problems from rooms with tropical fish tanks, and things you'd never think of like fragrance dispersers and foot spas can throw out huge amounts of moist air.

You can get mould growth just from the moisture coming from your breath if ventilation is poor enough, but it would rarely be as bad as described.

molly.007

the_syco wrote: »

Are the leaks from burst pipes, or a leaky roof?

Hi leaks are coming from the boiler rads and toilet the last time it flooded the water came up through the floor boards so I think it’s a pipe from the toilet underground I could be wrong I’m not sure .im still waiting for an engineer to come and investigate the problems it’s just frustrating An engineer was supposed to call two years ago but still waiting
Thank you kindly for your reply

K.Flyer

molly.007 wrote: »

Hi leaks are coming from the boiler rads and toilet the last time it flooded the water came up through the floor boards so I think it’s a pipe from the toilet underground I could be wrong I’m not sure .im still waiting for an engineer to come and investigate the problems it’s just frustrating An engineer was supposed to call two years ago but still waiting
Thank you kindly for your reply

I hope you have been contacting them on a very regular basis and not just the once two years ago.
Take plenty of clear photographs and go to your housing office and tell them about the issues. Make sure to make a note of the date you were there and who you spoke with. Keep contacting them.
Contact your local councillor or T.D. show them the pictures or get them to visit your house and hopefully they will move things along quicker for you.

molly.007

cryptocurrency wrote: »

Which council and is it one of those old 1950s ones you see about? If you can afford to hand it back you most certainly shouldn't have one

Hi cryptocurrency if I could afford to hand it back ,I would have fixed the problems already, but unfortunately I’m stuck trying to get mould off the walls but thank you kindly for your reply

molly.007

K.Flyer wrote: »

I hope you have been contacting them on a very regular basis and not just the once two years ago.
Take plenty of clear photographs and go to your housing office and tell them about the issues. Make sure to make a note of the date you were there and who you spoke with. Keep contacting them.
Contact your local councillor or T.D. show them the pictures or get them to visit your house and hopefully they will move things along quicker for you.

Hi k flyer thanks for your reply sick of getting on to the council they send someone out but never follow up they promise the moon and the stars but nothing is ever done have all the photos and dates but it seems it’s falling on deaf ears every time I speak to someone in the council

headtheball14

Do other houses have issues in the estate thst you are aware of?
There has been funding to retrofit council accommodation but not sure if the deep retrofit scheme has used that up.
If you have respiratory conditions such as asthma etc the hse can make a referral to warmth and wellbeing scheme to cover cost.
However leaks from toilet sound like main issue. I lived in a very damp house for a while .like you there were underlying issues which needed to be solved. Everything else is just papering over cracks.
Try local councillor , tds with elections coming up they will be keener to help.

molly.007

headtheball14 wrote: »

Do other houses have issues in the estate thst you are aware of?
There has been funding to retrofit council accommodation but not sure if the deep retrofit scheme has used that up.
If you have respiratory conditions such as asthma etc the hse can make a referral to warmth and wellbeing scheme to cover cost.
However leaks from toilet sound like main issue. I lived in a very damp house for a while .like you there were underlying issues which needed to be solved. Everything else is just papering over cracks.
Try local councillor , tds with elections coming up they will be keener to help.

Hi head the ball thank you kindly for your reply I will try a td and see will that help

triona1

I'll take your house and you can have my room in my mams 30€ a week food Bill's included,I'm 44

Graces7

2013Lara wrote: »

Get yourself the best electric dehumidifier you can afford. I recommend the 20L Meaco which is about 300euro. Low energy so not too expensive to run. Obviously the cause needs to be looked at. And you need to ventilate and heat the house properly but the dehumidifier could completely solve any mould/condensation issues while you wait for the council to fix the cause.

I was going to post this! A dehumidifier is essential and yes will remove the damp. I used one for years in a very damp house. The amount of water it drew in was amazing.

Did not pay anything like the one you suggest. Mine was around E60 and perfectly good; argos still have that price.

It will ease the issues and give you more strength to tackle the council!

mrcheez

triona1 wrote: »

I'll take your house and you can have my room in my mams 30€ a week food Bill's included,I'm 44

holy crap, bargain alert! To OP, I had a mould problem and got rid of it using anti mould spray from Lidl. Maybe check out Woodies or similar?

Markcheese

The other big offender is cooking... (you need an extractor fan), just having a pot on simmer for a hour makes a huge amount of water vapour, which condenses on cold surfaces..

That won't do much to fix leaky pipes though, I think I'd be ringing/calling to the council daily to get them to send out a plumber...
Get to know the person/people answering the phone, be friendly.. But insist on updates,insist on talking to who ever is allocating the work.. Good luck with it...

molly.007

triona1 wrote: »

I'll take your house and you can have my room in my mams 30€ a week food Bill's included,I'm 44

Hi triona I’m also 44 and my husband is 46 I’m not looking to jump the queue or get a new house I’m fully aware there is a housing crisis and I do hope people out there get homes for there family I’m just so frustrated that the council are Leaving people live in these mouldy and damp conditions and get away with it . Everyone one deserves the right to a clean home No matter what the circumstances
Thank you kindly for your reply I hope you get sorted soon
Kind regards

Grab All Association

Not all damp problems are the same. What works for some on here will not work for all. Without knowing the actual causes. Set up a Flickr account and take as many photos as you can of problem areas, photos of the drainage outside etc.

sydthebeat

Could the damp problems be down to the way the house is used, rather than any structural fault?

I've seen plenty of occurances where lower income tenants will block room vents in order to keep drafts out, not realising the problem they are causing by doing that.

Put on top of that drying clothes on clothes horses / rads etc due to not owning or wanting to use a tumble dryer.

Also, these tenants tend to be sickly, or older, or both, and need to have internal temperatures above average to feel comfortable.

These cause huge amounts of moisture to build up in internal climate, and when the heavily moisture laden vapour his a cold surface (wall) it condenses into water.
This is more obvious at thermal bridges (junctions usually) which are colder than the rest of the surface.

This can happen in any age band dwelling.

So I wonder was this investigated,

molly.007

sydthebeat wrote: »

Could the damp problems be down to the way the house is used, rather than any structural fault?

I've seen plenty of occurances where lower income tenants will block room vents in order to keep drafts out, not realising the problem they are causing by doing that.

Put on top of that drying clothes on clothes horses / rads etc due to not owning or wanting to use a tumble dryer.

Also, these tenants tend to be sickly, or older, or both, and need to have internal temperatures above average to feel comfortable.

These cause huge amounts of moisture to build up in internal climate, and when the heavily moisture laden vapour his a cold surface (wall) it condenses into water.
This is more obvious at thermal bridges (junctions usually) which are colder than the rest of the surface.

This can happen in any age band dwelling.

So I wonder was this investigated,

Hi sydthebet
I’m waiting still for an engineer to find a cause for the problem ,In one of the bedrooms there is like weeds growing out on the outside of that bedroom wall .i use a weed killer to get rid of it but it just continues to grow ,so I don’t know would that be one cause of the problem ,that room would be the worst room in the house. I leave the window open on a daily basis and put heating on in the evening to dry out the house ,I have no wall vents all my vents are in my windows my dryer is in my shed so that’s where I would dry all my clothes it’s just a vicious circle
Thank you kindly for your reply

Toots

If you go to woodies you can get a product called HG Mould Spray. My apartment was plagued with mould and this was the best thing I ever got, it even removed the stains on the wall. It did come back eventually (it always does) but I definitely got way longer before it started to appear.

Also I saw someone mentioned further up the thread about a Meaco dehumidifier - if you live in a damp property one of these is essential IMO. Yes, they are expensive, but the amount it'll save you in heartache is worth it. I spent a fortune on dehumidifiers over the years and they would only do so much, and when it got too cold they didn't work. The Meaco ones are dessicant so they work even in very low temperatures.

Between the HG spray and the Meaco dehumidifier, the mould is finally under control for the first time in years.

tvjunki

Molly.007 definately get a dehumidifier. Few tips. Got domestos mild and mildew spray to wash the walls.air the house everyday with windows open.. For at least an hour.
The guttering could be blocked with moss and water running down the walls outside.
When you are cooking open the window or door. Extractor is not enough. Put lids on pots when you cook as steam will travel. Will save on electricity.
If you have a condenser dryer(vented into the room) maybe change to outside vented room.
Also check all the vents. I had a tenant and black mood appeared on the ceiling and walls in the bedroom. Vents blocked with socks. They did not open one window in the 4years they were there. Hinges frozen solid. No heating put on at all. Gas bill was just over the standing charge and a bit for cooking. Found out when I put gas in my name.
When they left I went into the attic and found a rip in the felt at the chimney. they had put cardboard down to soak up the damage in the attic.
We never had mould when we lived there.
You can buy a 60euro dehumidifier but may cost you in electricity. Just check the rating. I got one for my mum and it is put in as it has a washing setting. Clothes dry in half the time. Will check the name. Very little change on the electricity.

tvjunki

Dehumidifier
The one I bought on Amazon was eco air dd122fw-mk5. It is on sale today for £169.20. Hardly any effect on electric and there is a high damp setting, washing clothes setting and works in very low temperatures. Got this as the house is in Clare and can get very cold in those parts of the country. You can really smelll the difference in the house. Mum had a leak and the damp was there for a while before she moved in. Leak fixed and damp smell now gone with the help of the dehumidifier.

TheEyeonyrBack

molly.007 wrote: »

Thank you kindly for your advice I will try the tree tea oil

No worries, I have mould in my bathroom and managed to get rid of it in the last two years with this simple receipe:
https://www.mouldinhomes.com/removing-mould-with-tea-tree-oil/

Let me know if you fancy

Sleeper12

Mould is usually caused by lack of ventilation /blocked vents and drying clothes inside. A dehumidifier might solve the problem.

Giving up a home is pretty drastic imo.

molly.007

molly.007 wrote: »

sick of getting on to the council they send someone out but never follow up they promise the moon and the stars but nothing is ever done have all the photos and dates but it seems it’s falling on deaf ears every time I speak to someone in the council

Long post ahead, but my story with the council went from 'we'll call you back' for nearly two years, to my problems being solved overnight. Might be of use to you, if you have indeed been calling them constantly.




Pretty much I had an issue with my local council. It wasn't house-related, but it did involve the housing section within the Council.

Like yourself, i rang frequently and rarely got anywhere other than reception. I was always told I'd get a call back or my message would be sent onto the relevant person.

After about 18-20 months of this ferry-go-round, i got annoyed. I'm pally with the local newspapers as i used to work with them.

I rang the Council again. I asked again could I speak to X person, was told the usual spiel that they weren't available and i could leave my number to get a call back. Which I did.



However, whilst on the call to reception, i asked could I get a copy of the call log posted out to me, as I reckon i've called about 80+ times and never had a reply. I told them I worked on and off with the local papers and I felt there was a good story in this, and it'd be worth exploring.

This call was about 11am in the morning, the receptionist said she can get a call log sent to me, yes, but can I wait until about 2pm and call back then, and she'd get my address and have it ready to be sent out to me. I agreed.

At about 12.30 I got a call from the Council, a lady who said she was the manager over customer services and asked would I be available the following day, as they wanted to send out the head of housing and an engineer to deal with my problem. (there are two 'heads of housing' whose actual title's i cant recall off the top my head, but it was one of them they wanted to send out).

Naturally, I agreed. The next morning, at 9.30am I had a knock on the door from two council officials to talk about a problem i had. This was a thursday morning. The following day (friday morning) I had workmen in my street fixing the issue.


That story is the kind of story I wouldn't believe if it didn't happen to me, personally. So my advice to you, would be to ask the Council for the call logs. Once they see you asking for that, they might take more notice of you, as they will realise they have to put down in black and white that you've been contacting them, and they've been ignoring you.

Graces7

A shocking but all too common saga.

Deleted User wrote: »

Long post ahead, but my story with the council went from 'we'll call you back' for nearly two years, to my problems being solved overnight. Might be of use to you, if you have indeed been calling them constantly.




Pretty much I had an issue with my local council. It wasn't house-related, but it did involve the housing section within the Council.

Like yourself, i rang frequently and rarely got anywhere other than reception. I was always told I'd get a call back or my message would be sent onto the relevant person.

After about 18-20 months of this ferry-go-round, i got annoyed. I'm pally with the local newspapers as i used to work with them.

I rang the Council again. I asked again could I speak to X person, was told the usual spiel that they weren't available and i could leave my number to get a call back. Which I did.



However, whilst on the call to reception, i asked could I get a copy of the call log posted out to me, as I reckon i've called about 80+ times and never had a reply. I told them I worked on and off with the local papers and I felt there was a good story in this, and it'd be worth exploring.

This call was about 11am in the morning, the receptionist said she can get a call log sent to me, yes, but can I wait until about 2pm and call back then, and she'd get my address and have it ready to be sent out to me. I agreed.

At about 12.30 I got a call from the Council, a lady who said she was the manager over customer services and asked would I be available the following day, as they wanted to send out the head of housing and an engineer to deal with my problem. (there are two 'heads of housing' whose actual title's i cant recall off the top my head, but it was one of them they wanted to send out).

Naturally, I agreed. The next morning, at 9.30am I had a knock on the door from two council officials to talk about a problem i had. This was a thursday morning. The following day (friday morning) I had workmen in my street fixing the issue.


That story is the kind of story I wouldn't believe if it didn't happen to me, personally. So my advice to you, would be to ask the Council for the call logs. Once they see you asking for that, they might take more notice of you, as they will realise they have to put down in black and white that you've been contacting them, and they've been ignoring you.

mad m

Leaks can contribute to moisture in house. They need to be fixed.

External leaking gutters/down pipes can cause ingress dampness. Homes are becoming more and more air tight and can lead to excessive moisture. No point putting a vent in if there is no cross ventilation.

OP do you like 99% of us in Ireland dry clothes on radiators?