I want to give back my council house

molly.007 · 22-11-2019 9:31pm #1

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 · 22-11-2019 9:32pm

have you found somewhere else to live?

mickuhaha · 22-11-2019 9:37pm

Can you post pictures of the problems

cryptocurrency · 22-11-2019 9:39pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:39pm

Is there vents?

How do you heat the property?

TheEyeonyrBack · 22-11-2019 9:47pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:50pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:52pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:53pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:55pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:55pm

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 · 22-11-2019 9:55pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:18pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:30pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:33pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:34pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:34pm

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

2013Lara · 22-11-2019 10:42pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:46pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:48pm

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 · 22-11-2019 10:55pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:00pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:03pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:05pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:05pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:13pm

molly.007 wrote: »

cleaning up leaks

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

molly.007 · 22-11-2019 11:16pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:17pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:21pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:26pm

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 · 22-11-2019 11:39pm

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.

I want to give back my council house

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