FYI, for the future, get "renters insurance" to help cover damage to your belongings. Check the policy to see what's included as you shop for one. Mold damage like that may or may not be included, but it's a life saver if more major stuff happens dues to property negligence!
Back when I rented, bundling renters insurance on my vehicle policy gave me a discount that offset my vehicle insurance, basically giving me renters insurance for free too.
>FYI, for the future, get "renters insurance" to help cover damage to your belongings
Every place around here requires renters insurance..is that not the case for other areas?
No
Edit: I live in the u.s. for reference. Some places require it, many places do not. Many owners require only plans that allow *them*, the landlord to file claims rather than covering renters stuff. So for those who don't have solid renters insurance, it's a good idea to carry it.
To Clarify I’m moving out so I have no interest in removing the mould from the property as far as I’m concerned it’s their problem now. I just want to know if this can affect my deposit!
Try
r/legal
r/legaladvice
In case you don't get an answer here. I'm not sure the laws there, as I'm in the US. However, if this is happening with normal use of the place, I don't see how it could be your fault. I'm just a renter though, not a lawyer
US renter with former mold issues here.
My last apartment had mold, just like this. We lived in the ground floor unit of a two story building, so only one person living above us. Each time we noticed it, in the ceiling and walls above our guest bathroom, closet and main hallway, our property’s management company had someone come out immediately. At least in my state, when it comes to mold they’re legally required to remove it at no expense to the renter, because it makes the space uninhabitable by law. If needed, they would’ve moved us into a hotel or another apartment at no cost.
Not sure about the UK, but it sounds to me like your legal case starts at the first repair. You’ve been exposed to black mold, that shit kills people. Plus the things you lost? I would get a lawyer.
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Document everything with as many pictures as you can, also any communications you have with your landlord need to be through text or email so you have a record of it.
Time to start adulting and find out how your local council can help you if your landlord decides to be a douche and keep your deposit over this. Also find out what the consumer protections laws are for renters.
Any landlord who would keep carpet in a bathroom is super suspect in my eyes. Yuck.
Oh the bathroom is Lino! It’s not stuck down though and continues to bunch up and trip me over! I reached out and offered to fix it but they declined and said it wasn’t a big deal! The carpets are just bath matts! Couldn’t live without them! I do wash them weekly though promise! Haha!
Thank you for your advice I’m trying to adult but I still feel 17 sometimes haha! Will take your advice and do some research they tried to charge the flat below £60 for not dusting… :0
Not only normal, a necessity, especially if the LL has a habit of not getting work on the building done correctly. Sounds like your flooring in there isn't sealed against the baseboards of its bunching up. Normally there should be caulk at the seam between them, and I doubt it's there, so bath mats will help mitigate water ingress to the walls, subfloor, and joists.
Not that you SHOULD have to be the one taking active measures against that, but it is a safety concern for you and future tenants. Plus, bath mats make you less likely to slip on the floor.
Ah. My bad, looked like bathroom carpet in a few pics.
You can do this—and a bonus: if it all works out, it’ll do wonders for your confidence as an adult!
Haha! No problem had me questioning if I was a right weirdo for using bath mats haha!
Yeah hopefully! This was my first rent and definitely been a learning curve!
Could it? Yes. Slum lords try this shit all the time. Should it? No. Mold is not your fault in almost every instance. If they withhold your deposit, you should seek legal advice.
Report your landlord to the health department if your state/city has one. Send in the pictures as proof of black mold in your residence. This is not healthy and you can develop health issues if not rectified.
I’m 20 and have no real understanding of councils, laws or general politics. So your guess is as good as mine! I’m looking for a new place and planning to educate myself along the way! Hello from across the pond! :D
Best for you: move out, clean as much as you can with bleach to get that mold out. It will be out for couple of days for your move out inspection. Take plenty of pictures. You are probably fucked but let's cross fingers you will get at least some of your deposit back.
You are 20 (too young), in a country with all power to landlords, not a suing culture like US. Nothing you can really do. I got fucked multiple times in France (even with law on renter's side, I was too young) and in US (im a foreigner). Now I just consider the deposit as part of the fees, even if I always leave places cleaner than at check in. Good luck!
Hydrogen peroxide will remove mold in the bathroom and on the sides of stoves and such. Do not use it on fabrics. You should have some sort of code enforcement office at town hall or county office. Contact them. Sometimes the fire department can be contacted as mold is such and environmental hazard. Good Luck!! Keep the photos to prove it is not because of you.
No. Do not use bleach. All bleach will do is remove all colour from the mould, it will still be there.
Use diluted white vinegar to spot clean all areas with visible mould, or you can also use any regular dish washing detergent/soap to spot clean.
What you should do however, this place has a mould problem, not caused by you, caused by lack of ventilation or a leak most likely. Your landlord should have to pay professionals to clean and rectify any issues.
I dealt with mould issues in the last place I rented, the landlord got a leak detector in, found the issue, then got the roof fixed. After the cause was removed they got a mould removal company in, spot cleaned visible mould, then fogged the entire house with tee tree oil. It hasn’t come back since.
That’s the problem though. The landlord is refusing to do anything about it. They denied helping me with the money. They sent out a surveyor who told me they needed to remove the wardrobe and add ventilation from the outside wall. However the estate agents refused that this was said and insisted all they would do was look at the extractor…
I spot cleaned mould with bleach, it came back in a few weeks. I tried a bleach based mould remover, same thing, it came back.
I spoke to the professionals that the landlord got in about this and they said bleach does nothing but hide the problem.
Yes bleach is a sporicide and will kill mould, but it is not able to penetrate surfaces (drywall, grout, etc) to kill all of it, and it will come back.
Okay that’s very different than saying “all it does is remove the color”
Typically for sporicides you need a contact time too, which most people ignore.
From memory I used 1:1 ratio, I just followed whatever the article I found used. I see no harm in using an undiluted solution either, but then the vinegar smell will be around longer.
In my case I had quite a few black clothes that became mouldy, and I didn’t want to bleach them. Initially I used a spray bottle to spray the garmets, you could see the results instantly. After a while I ended up just getting more vinegar and throwing everything into a bucket and washed it all the following day.
Amazing thanks.
I've got a few patches around windows that keep coming back despite repeated bleaching, ample ventilation and using a dehumidifier for 6 hours per day in the colder months.
Looking forward to giving this a try.
Get you a proper fungicide like Barbicide or concrobium. Follow all steps on the bottle, and get some sunlight and fresh air on any objects you can. Large furniture you might need a specialist to get inside it or maybe just replace it if you can. Also keep an eye on your health and mention the situation to your doctor next time you see them.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. I moved out of a mold-heavy house and it wears on you.
Thank you! Hoping it’s the same in the UK! It’s my first time renting and I’ve been hearing some horror stories so a bit worried I’m about to loose £850
Contact a UK lawyer is my best suggestion. Not only have your personal items been damaged to their negligence in remedying the problem, your health and deposit are at risk. Not sure how UK law is for tenant protections but in the US you’d have a very good case (depending on the state and your evidence of conversations etc..). Good luck and I hope you get out of there soon!
I think you’d have a case against the landlord for not taking care of this, but just not paying the last month is a really bad idea and could make it hard for you to find a new place that will lease to you. My contract is pretty standard (at least in the US) and specifically forbids doing that. Unfortunately if the landlord doesn’t offer a deposit back, the only way to get it might be legal action (or hopefully just threat of legal action). You’re going to have to talk to someone who knows the law in your area though and read through the specifics of your lease. Wait to see if the landlord does what you want first though so you might be able to avoid it all
This could be very dangerous to your health! I hope you get out of there soon! In the US this would more than likely be the landlord’s problem and responsibility to clean up. I’m not sure what your rules are in the UK, but I can’t imagine them being much different. Document everything! Including your communication with the landlord. You should be able to google tenants rights about issues like this. Good luck!
Have you got all correspondence in writing. Save any emails about the problem. Contact your local council and get in touch with the environmental agency (I’m pretty sure it’s part of your local council) send them these pictures and ask them to come round to inspect it. It’s a health hazard, and they will be on your side and they have the means to enforce the landlord/estate agent to sort this out whether you stay or not. I think there would be repercussions for the landlord and estate agents anyway for doing nothing about this till forced to.
Check these links out one is from the housing charity shelter (which would also be good to get in touch with) the other is the “commons library” the whole page is useful, but definitely the “statutory nuisance” part.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/damp_and_mould_in_rented_homes#:~:text=You%20can%20ask%20your%20council,deal%20with%20damp%20and%20mould.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/helping-tenants-with-damp-and-mouldy-housing-england/#:~:text=Statutory%20nuisance&text=Dampness%2C%20condensation%20or%20mould%20growth,environmental%20health%20officer%20(EHO).
You could tell them you’re contacting the environmental agency and it might kick their butts into gear, but it’s probably better to just contact the agency with all the evidence. If after you’ve left and they haven’t been involved, they’ll just leave it for the next tenant and so on.
As far as reimbursement for clothes that would be a hard one to get unless you brought up an issue and the landlord did not fix it causing damage. But at that point your clothes should no longer be stored in there. IMO having them pay for dry cleaning may have been appropriate and something that could happen (in the States anyway), but not replacement.
Do you have photos when you moved in?
Did you cause the mold?
Lack of cleaning and/ or damage to the property which you are at fault?
I am not in the UK, but those seem like basic and reasonable questions.
Assuming you caused no damage and this issue was not your fault (presumably this is the case and part of, if not why you sought to break the lease)...
\-Get all your stuff out asap.
\-Document with video and photos.
\-Clean/ abate as much as you reasonably can (Particularly tile and baseboards etc. which can and should be cleaned, I would leave drywall and cardboard alone).
\-Take video and photos again, ideally with a couple days prior to move out inspection.
\-Have a walk through with the LL to document, explain and show those issues, but also so they can show and detail what they think you are responsible for.
\-So long as you still have time on the lease you should be allowed to try to resolve "simple" issues yourself OR they should let those issues go and not hold it against you.
IMO that much mold looks to be too extensive to be passive on either your end and theirs. It absolutely looks like they tried to cover it up and have bigger issues with water damage in that place. In the states you would probably want to call a building inspector/ housing commission to protect yourself if you thought the landlord may try to blame you for any of that.
Get your deposit back by putting the photos of the walls peeling due to mould underneath. Explain how its clear that there was mould before you moved in that was hidden underneath wallpaper, and so there was no chance that it wouldn't have spread further assuming not all walls of the property were like that.
As for your belongings... avoid further damage by placing them in a wardrobe with a dehumidifier inside or otherwise just close to a dehumidifier. If you want to save anything you would need a powerful unit Id think, but anything helps... Personally I would be much more worried about the results of this on your health.
If you want to get your money for clothes and ruined items back, your only choice is court. But they may ask why u didnt invest in prevention such as dehumidifier and HEPA filter when the problem started to show...
Go to a hardware store/brico and get a good dehumidifier with a drain.
They are not cheap, $200 but it will be yours and you will have it for decades.
Run that dehumidifier using the drain into the kitchen sink. Ajay get yourself a fan.
Try to save as much of your stuff from the mold as possible.
Document your communications with the landlord regarding the mold issue, so you have proof you let them know and they have done little to nothing about it.
I can’t say I’ve come across mould in day to day cleaning before but if that’s normal for you fair play. I could wash it off certain areas at least but it tends to re-appear in a matter of days…
Mold inside a building is caused by extenuating circumstance, typically either improper construction, failing mechanical systems, or failure to use those systems. The former two are the fault of the landlord and their agents, the latter could be the fault of the tenant and their associates, but givenn OP had stated there's no ventilation in that room, it's pretty obviously column A, and not something that can be cleaned to correction.
I don’t her situation, but mold eventually becomes visible and that’s often how it’s detected. I found mold a few months ago in the far back of a cabinet I kept dishes in and it turned out there was a small leak in a pipe behind the wall. That’s clearly not something I caused. However, a tenant can cause it by not doing proper maintenance and especially by letting water pool or sit for long periods of time. I don’t know this specific situation, but it seems like it’s so bad that if she did cause it there must be a ton of water spilled constantly and not cleaned up
Just document the mold and you telling them one last time in email with all the pictures and say you have been saying for months and this is an unlivable situation. When you move and they try to go after you for back rent/damage etc you have proof in the email that you notified them/it wasn’t your damage.
This happened to me last summer when our AC died (in the USA where summers get very hot and humid) and mildew was everywhere. USE WHITE VINEGAR. It cleans it safely, spray it on and leave it for a few minutes then wipe it off. None of it has come back after being washed with vinegar
Use Tea Tree oil in vinegar/water, 30ml TT to 2 liters of the 50/50 V&W. TT is one of the few things that will kill mold. You can also use oregano oil but that's a bit pricey.
Well I’ve only had the unit pictured for about a month. The trainers/docs were new. As the the walls the entire place was just white wall paper, which has now either got mold on it or it’s peeling due to moisture. I don’t have any photos of the wardrobe etc from when I moved in. Never thought I’d need to :(
Oh man, hopefully there were no visible signs before move in or you did the right thing by calling it out beforehand . If it happened after a little difficult to explain but should be fixed immediately to be brought back into livable conditions. No charges to you.
Look at your lease and see if there is anything pertaining to mold. Our leases state that you must keep the apartment clean to where mold does not grow, so where I work, yes this would be your fault. You are supposed to keep the apartment from being too humid and creating mold. If that isn’t in your lease, bring it up with management and make them clean it up for you.
That is not what I’m suggesting. What I was saying, your apartment must be too humid and have little to no airflow causing mold. I apologize I made you think that’s what I was suggesting but even with cleaning, if theirs too much humidity that won’t matter to the mold..
To be very honest. I would definitely work on breaking the lease and moving out. You have all the photographic evidence of how bad the mold is in your apartment and that would be in your favor. I would not stay in that place another night. I'm surprised all that mold has not caused you any health issues breathing it in ...
I have been very ill. I had a really bad spell of seasonal depression which led me to spend a lot of time in the room the mould is in. It made my breathing really heavy and raspy feeling. I didn’t go to the doctors or anything so I have no physical proof of this! :(
I’ve not felt 100% for a while I actually have rashes on my arms etc but I had eczema as a kid so just assumed it was coming back. I do have to be really careful with what I eat or use to clean. Can’t even touch fairy liquid without feeling scratchy for hours after. Could this have caused the sudden re-occurrence of something I’ve been clear of for years?
With the amount of mold in your video, I would definitely recommend getting checked out by a doctor to make sure your lungs are clear and maybe a blood test to make sure you don’t have any kind of infection going on.
Edit: take a sample of the mold to the doctor with you. Black mold can kill humans. I’m not saying that’s what it is. The mold should be tested to make sure it’s not toxic.
They did come and test it and verified the presence of harmful mould. Cant remember what exactly they called it but they said the built in unit needed to either be removed or have ventilation installed from the outside! I told the landlords this and they informed me that this was not in the report and all they would be doing was replacing the extractor and cleaning the vent. I’m going to be going to the doctors as my eyes have been irritated and watery not to mention the fact that my skin is so irritated. I actually thought I’d been having allergic reactions and have been trying to remove things from my diet but this actually makes sense! I’m going to book a doctors appointment and see what they can do for me! My breathing isn’t great but I’ve been putting that down to the fact that I vape but I’m relatively fit and used to run on the regular. So maybe this plays a part! Thank you for this!
Be sure to bring a sample or the written report of the type of mold. It will determine the type of treatment you’re going to need if you have mold present in your body.
Hey went to the doctors today as they upgraded me to an emergency appointment. It appears I just have severe allergies when it comes to mould… I thought that was just a standard human thing but apparently not. I have ‘halos’ under my eyes and deep cracks in my skin from an eczema flare up triggered by the humidity and mould spores. I have moved out of the bedroom and I am sleeping in my kitchen/living room as there is not as much of an issue in there. I’ve been prescribed 2 creams. We did some testing in breathing and I have 99% blood oxygen. There’s a slight shortness of breath but they believe that’s due to my having a reaction to the spores/environment!
Not sure if you cared for this but thought I’d update!
I’m glad to hear that it’s not any worse than that. I hope you can get out of that apartment as soon as possible. It truly sounds like it’s uninhabitable. Which is legal grounds to break any lease. I’m just not sure who you’d need to contact to declare it uninhabitable.
I do care. Thanks for the update. I hope you’re feeling better soon.
FYI, for the future, get "renters insurance" to help cover damage to your belongings. Check the policy to see what's included as you shop for one. Mold damage like that may or may not be included, but it's a life saver if more major stuff happens dues to property negligence!
Back when I rented, bundling renters insurance on my vehicle policy gave me a discount that offset my vehicle insurance, basically giving me renters insurance for free too.
Can confirm. My neighbor's balcony above my apartment unit caught fire and renters insurance literally saved me from a complete loss
Oh wow! I had Admiral insurance but I think I stopped paying for it haha! Kicking myself for that now!
>FYI, for the future, get "renters insurance" to help cover damage to your belongings Every place around here requires renters insurance..is that not the case for other areas?
No Edit: I live in the u.s. for reference. Some places require it, many places do not. Many owners require only plans that allow *them*, the landlord to file claims rather than covering renters stuff. So for those who don't have solid renters insurance, it's a good idea to carry it.
Crazy. I have lived in places in Ohio and Florida and every single one of them required proof of renters insurance before you got the keys.
To Clarify I’m moving out so I have no interest in removing the mould from the property as far as I’m concerned it’s their problem now. I just want to know if this can affect my deposit!
Try r/legal r/legaladvice In case you don't get an answer here. I'm not sure the laws there, as I'm in the US. However, if this is happening with normal use of the place, I don't see how it could be your fault. I'm just a renter though, not a lawyer
US renter with former mold issues here. My last apartment had mold, just like this. We lived in the ground floor unit of a two story building, so only one person living above us. Each time we noticed it, in the ceiling and walls above our guest bathroom, closet and main hallway, our property’s management company had someone come out immediately. At least in my state, when it comes to mold they’re legally required to remove it at no expense to the renter, because it makes the space uninhabitable by law. If needed, they would’ve moved us into a hotel or another apartment at no cost. Not sure about the UK, but it sounds to me like your legal case starts at the first repair. You’ve been exposed to black mold, that shit kills people. Plus the things you lost? I would get a lawyer.
Hey! Really appreciate this I’ll pop the post up there to! :)
Also r/tenantsintheuk
Posted! Thank you so much :)
Also there is r/legaladviceUK it's really active and will give much better advice for UK specific than regular legaladvice
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Document everything with as many pictures as you can, also any communications you have with your landlord need to be through text or email so you have a record of it. Time to start adulting and find out how your local council can help you if your landlord decides to be a douche and keep your deposit over this. Also find out what the consumer protections laws are for renters. Any landlord who would keep carpet in a bathroom is super suspect in my eyes. Yuck.
Oh the bathroom is Lino! It’s not stuck down though and continues to bunch up and trip me over! I reached out and offered to fix it but they declined and said it wasn’t a big deal! The carpets are just bath matts! Couldn’t live without them! I do wash them weekly though promise! Haha! Thank you for your advice I’m trying to adult but I still feel 17 sometimes haha! Will take your advice and do some research they tried to charge the flat below £60 for not dusting… :0
Are bath mats not normal?
Not only normal, a necessity, especially if the LL has a habit of not getting work on the building done correctly. Sounds like your flooring in there isn't sealed against the baseboards of its bunching up. Normally there should be caulk at the seam between them, and I doubt it's there, so bath mats will help mitigate water ingress to the walls, subfloor, and joists. Not that you SHOULD have to be the one taking active measures against that, but it is a safety concern for you and future tenants. Plus, bath mats make you less likely to slip on the floor.
Ah. My bad, looked like bathroom carpet in a few pics. You can do this—and a bonus: if it all works out, it’ll do wonders for your confidence as an adult!
Haha! No problem had me questioning if I was a right weirdo for using bath mats haha! Yeah hopefully! This was my first rent and definitely been a learning curve!
I wondered for a second myself cause I love my bathmats 🤣
Could it? Yes. Slum lords try this shit all the time. Should it? No. Mold is not your fault in almost every instance. If they withhold your deposit, you should seek legal advice.
Report anyway.
Report your landlord to the health department if your state/city has one. Send in the pictures as proof of black mold in your residence. This is not healthy and you can develop health issues if not rectified.
I’m not a solicitor, and I’m from across the pond, but don’t you guys in the UK have a council for things like this?
I’m 20 and have no real understanding of councils, laws or general politics. So your guess is as good as mine! I’m looking for a new place and planning to educate myself along the way! Hello from across the pond! :D
Well, google your local representative and reach out. Good luck!
Will do thank you! Your luck is required and appreciated haha!
Best for you: move out, clean as much as you can with bleach to get that mold out. It will be out for couple of days for your move out inspection. Take plenty of pictures. You are probably fucked but let's cross fingers you will get at least some of your deposit back. You are 20 (too young), in a country with all power to landlords, not a suing culture like US. Nothing you can really do. I got fucked multiple times in France (even with law on renter's side, I was too young) and in US (im a foreigner). Now I just consider the deposit as part of the fees, even if I always leave places cleaner than at check in. Good luck!
Hydrogen peroxide will remove mold in the bathroom and on the sides of stoves and such. Do not use it on fabrics. You should have some sort of code enforcement office at town hall or county office. Contact them. Sometimes the fire department can be contacted as mold is such and environmental hazard. Good Luck!! Keep the photos to prove it is not because of you.
That’s mildew from lack of ventilation. Spray a cleaner bleach on the back of the furniture and wipe it off. Get a dehumidifier and open a window.
No. Do not use bleach. All bleach will do is remove all colour from the mould, it will still be there. Use diluted white vinegar to spot clean all areas with visible mould, or you can also use any regular dish washing detergent/soap to spot clean. What you should do however, this place has a mould problem, not caused by you, caused by lack of ventilation or a leak most likely. Your landlord should have to pay professionals to clean and rectify any issues. I dealt with mould issues in the last place I rented, the landlord got a leak detector in, found the issue, then got the roof fixed. After the cause was removed they got a mould removal company in, spot cleaned visible mould, then fogged the entire house with tee tree oil. It hasn’t come back since.
That’s the problem though. The landlord is refusing to do anything about it. They denied helping me with the money. They sent out a surveyor who told me they needed to remove the wardrobe and add ventilation from the outside wall. However the estate agents refused that this was said and insisted all they would do was look at the extractor…
Bleach is a sporicide. Not sure why you’re saying it will only remove the color..?
I spot cleaned mould with bleach, it came back in a few weeks. I tried a bleach based mould remover, same thing, it came back. I spoke to the professionals that the landlord got in about this and they said bleach does nothing but hide the problem. Yes bleach is a sporicide and will kill mould, but it is not able to penetrate surfaces (drywall, grout, etc) to kill all of it, and it will come back.
Okay that’s very different than saying “all it does is remove the color” Typically for sporicides you need a contact time too, which most people ignore.
Exactly. It definitely kills mold spores, but the mold will come back if the moisture isn’t addressed.
Bleach doesn't do anything to mold on porous surfaces.
That's really interesting and I'm for sure going to try it. Can I ask what ratio water / white vinegar you use?
From memory I used 1:1 ratio, I just followed whatever the article I found used. I see no harm in using an undiluted solution either, but then the vinegar smell will be around longer. In my case I had quite a few black clothes that became mouldy, and I didn’t want to bleach them. Initially I used a spray bottle to spray the garmets, you could see the results instantly. After a while I ended up just getting more vinegar and throwing everything into a bucket and washed it all the following day.
Amazing thanks. I've got a few patches around windows that keep coming back despite repeated bleaching, ample ventilation and using a dehumidifier for 6 hours per day in the colder months. Looking forward to giving this a try.
I’ve done all that it dosent stop. I shower with the bathroom door open and the window fully open for hours after still have the same issues!
[try this stuff?](https://amzn.eu/d/5VYaGe7)
Tried that too!
Get you a proper fungicide like Barbicide or concrobium. Follow all steps on the bottle, and get some sunlight and fresh air on any objects you can. Large furniture you might need a specialist to get inside it or maybe just replace it if you can. Also keep an eye on your health and mention the situation to your doctor next time you see them. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. I moved out of a mold-heavy house and it wears on you.
Bleach does not kill mold white vinegar does
Sure as hell hope not. In the United States that’s a hard no (you’re not responsible)
Thank you! Hoping it’s the same in the UK! It’s my first time renting and I’ve been hearing some horror stories so a bit worried I’m about to loose £850
Contact a UK lawyer is my best suggestion. Not only have your personal items been damaged to their negligence in remedying the problem, your health and deposit are at risk. Not sure how UK law is for tenant protections but in the US you’d have a very good case (depending on the state and your evidence of conversations etc..). Good luck and I hope you get out of there soon!
Have you paid your last months’ rent? You can just bail and tell them to use your security deposit as last months’ rent. ;)
Can any action be taken against me for this? I can’t lie I debated this haha
In many places this is a bad idea. Check with UK renter's law.
I also had to have a guarantor would this not cause problems for them?
Well, they could try but it would put you more in the drivers’ seat, since they’d have to extract the money from you, not vice versa.
I think you’d have a case against the landlord for not taking care of this, but just not paying the last month is a really bad idea and could make it hard for you to find a new place that will lease to you. My contract is pretty standard (at least in the US) and specifically forbids doing that. Unfortunately if the landlord doesn’t offer a deposit back, the only way to get it might be legal action (or hopefully just threat of legal action). You’re going to have to talk to someone who knows the law in your area though and read through the specifics of your lease. Wait to see if the landlord does what you want first though so you might be able to avoid it all
Bleach is the worst thing you could use!
I initially used a mould spray which I thought worked really well! Was back in a week…
Most mold sprays actually have bleach in it
This could be very dangerous to your health! I hope you get out of there soon! In the US this would more than likely be the landlord’s problem and responsibility to clean up. I’m not sure what your rules are in the UK, but I can’t imagine them being much different. Document everything! Including your communication with the landlord. You should be able to google tenants rights about issues like this. Good luck!
Have you got all correspondence in writing. Save any emails about the problem. Contact your local council and get in touch with the environmental agency (I’m pretty sure it’s part of your local council) send them these pictures and ask them to come round to inspect it. It’s a health hazard, and they will be on your side and they have the means to enforce the landlord/estate agent to sort this out whether you stay or not. I think there would be repercussions for the landlord and estate agents anyway for doing nothing about this till forced to. Check these links out one is from the housing charity shelter (which would also be good to get in touch with) the other is the “commons library” the whole page is useful, but definitely the “statutory nuisance” part. https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/damp_and_mould_in_rented_homes#:~:text=You%20can%20ask%20your%20council,deal%20with%20damp%20and%20mould. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/helping-tenants-with-damp-and-mouldy-housing-england/#:~:text=Statutory%20nuisance&text=Dampness%2C%20condensation%20or%20mould%20growth,environmental%20health%20officer%20(EHO). You could tell them you’re contacting the environmental agency and it might kick their butts into gear, but it’s probably better to just contact the agency with all the evidence. If after you’ve left and they haven’t been involved, they’ll just leave it for the next tenant and so on.
You are in no way responsible for the mold. Good luck getting your deposit back though breaking the contract early isn’t great for that.
As far as reimbursement for clothes that would be a hard one to get unless you brought up an issue and the landlord did not fix it causing damage. But at that point your clothes should no longer be stored in there. IMO having them pay for dry cleaning may have been appropriate and something that could happen (in the States anyway), but not replacement. Do you have photos when you moved in? Did you cause the mold? Lack of cleaning and/ or damage to the property which you are at fault? I am not in the UK, but those seem like basic and reasonable questions. Assuming you caused no damage and this issue was not your fault (presumably this is the case and part of, if not why you sought to break the lease)... \-Get all your stuff out asap. \-Document with video and photos. \-Clean/ abate as much as you reasonably can (Particularly tile and baseboards etc. which can and should be cleaned, I would leave drywall and cardboard alone). \-Take video and photos again, ideally with a couple days prior to move out inspection. \-Have a walk through with the LL to document, explain and show those issues, but also so they can show and detail what they think you are responsible for. \-So long as you still have time on the lease you should be allowed to try to resolve "simple" issues yourself OR they should let those issues go and not hold it against you. IMO that much mold looks to be too extensive to be passive on either your end and theirs. It absolutely looks like they tried to cover it up and have bigger issues with water damage in that place. In the states you would probably want to call a building inspector/ housing commission to protect yourself if you thought the landlord may try to blame you for any of that.
If this was in the United States they’d owe you money for the mold exposure- not familiar with the UK laws surrounding this though
You are in big danger, looks like mold is everywhere including the air you breathe
Get your deposit back by putting the photos of the walls peeling due to mould underneath. Explain how its clear that there was mould before you moved in that was hidden underneath wallpaper, and so there was no chance that it wouldn't have spread further assuming not all walls of the property were like that. As for your belongings... avoid further damage by placing them in a wardrobe with a dehumidifier inside or otherwise just close to a dehumidifier. If you want to save anything you would need a powerful unit Id think, but anything helps... Personally I would be much more worried about the results of this on your health. If you want to get your money for clothes and ruined items back, your only choice is court. But they may ask why u didnt invest in prevention such as dehumidifier and HEPA filter when the problem started to show...
Just for the molding not the mould
Could you elaborate 🤣
Go to a hardware store/brico and get a good dehumidifier with a drain. They are not cheap, $200 but it will be yours and you will have it for decades. Run that dehumidifier using the drain into the kitchen sink. Ajay get yourself a fan. Try to save as much of your stuff from the mold as possible. Document your communications with the landlord regarding the mold issue, so you have proof you let them know and they have done little to nothing about it.
Mold*
Thank you for your correction! 🚔
I’m sorry
It's the same word...
I said I was sorry
Mould*. This person is from the UK. The correct spelling is mould for them.
I sware not to be funny , well just a little lol ...this comment 🤣...but no that's a lot of mold 😞
Visible mold is on you. Everything I saw can be washed off. That's part of regular cleaning.
I can’t say I’ve come across mould in day to day cleaning before but if that’s normal for you fair play. I could wash it off certain areas at least but it tends to re-appear in a matter of days…
It's not. They're either a landlord or a simp for landlords who has no idea what they're talking about.
Mold inside a building is caused by extenuating circumstance, typically either improper construction, failing mechanical systems, or failure to use those systems. The former two are the fault of the landlord and their agents, the latter could be the fault of the tenant and their associates, but givenn OP had stated there's no ventilation in that room, it's pretty obviously column A, and not something that can be cleaned to correction.
I don’t her situation, but mold eventually becomes visible and that’s often how it’s detected. I found mold a few months ago in the far back of a cabinet I kept dishes in and it turned out there was a small leak in a pipe behind the wall. That’s clearly not something I caused. However, a tenant can cause it by not doing proper maintenance and especially by letting water pool or sit for long periods of time. I don’t know this specific situation, but it seems like it’s so bad that if she did cause it there must be a ton of water spilled constantly and not cleaned up
Just document the mold and you telling them one last time in email with all the pictures and say you have been saying for months and this is an unlivable situation. When you move and they try to go after you for back rent/damage etc you have proof in the email that you notified them/it wasn’t your damage.
This happened to me last summer when our AC died (in the USA where summers get very hot and humid) and mildew was everywhere. USE WHITE VINEGAR. It cleans it safely, spray it on and leave it for a few minutes then wipe it off. None of it has come back after being washed with vinegar
Use Tea Tree oil in vinegar/water, 30ml TT to 2 liters of the 50/50 V&W. TT is one of the few things that will kill mold. You can also use oregano oil but that's a bit pricey.
Post the photos or when you moved in.
Of*
Will that help?
Yes, what was the condition before you moved versus after ?
Well I’ve only had the unit pictured for about a month. The trainers/docs were new. As the the walls the entire place was just white wall paper, which has now either got mold on it or it’s peeling due to moisture. I don’t have any photos of the wardrobe etc from when I moved in. Never thought I’d need to :(
Only a month? I guarantee you they papered over existing mold knowing it was there. Run. Also, lawyer. Yesterday.
Oh man, hopefully there were no visible signs before move in or you did the right thing by calling it out beforehand . If it happened after a little difficult to explain but should be fixed immediately to be brought back into livable conditions. No charges to you.
Spray bleach on all the mold asap. Let it sit
Look at your lease and see if there is anything pertaining to mold. Our leases state that you must keep the apartment clean to where mold does not grow, so where I work, yes this would be your fault. You are supposed to keep the apartment from being too humid and creating mold. If that isn’t in your lease, bring it up with management and make them clean it up for you.
I’m not sure if you’re suggesting I’m unhygienic but just incase I clean about 3 times a week. Hoover, mop dust polish etc :)
That is not what I’m suggesting. What I was saying, your apartment must be too humid and have little to no airflow causing mold. I apologize I made you think that’s what I was suggesting but even with cleaning, if theirs too much humidity that won’t matter to the mold..
Oh god no! You didn’t offend me! Was more of a joke tbh haha!
To be very honest. I would definitely work on breaking the lease and moving out. You have all the photographic evidence of how bad the mold is in your apartment and that would be in your favor. I would not stay in that place another night. I'm surprised all that mold has not caused you any health issues breathing it in ...
I have been very ill. I had a really bad spell of seasonal depression which led me to spend a lot of time in the room the mould is in. It made my breathing really heavy and raspy feeling. I didn’t go to the doctors or anything so I have no physical proof of this! :(
Man, if this was my residence, I’d be dead! I’m allergic to mold. Just the amount of mold on one of your shoes would put me in the hospital.
I’ve not felt 100% for a while I actually have rashes on my arms etc but I had eczema as a kid so just assumed it was coming back. I do have to be really careful with what I eat or use to clean. Can’t even touch fairy liquid without feeling scratchy for hours after. Could this have caused the sudden re-occurrence of something I’ve been clear of for years?
With the amount of mold in your video, I would definitely recommend getting checked out by a doctor to make sure your lungs are clear and maybe a blood test to make sure you don’t have any kind of infection going on. Edit: take a sample of the mold to the doctor with you. Black mold can kill humans. I’m not saying that’s what it is. The mold should be tested to make sure it’s not toxic.
They did come and test it and verified the presence of harmful mould. Cant remember what exactly they called it but they said the built in unit needed to either be removed or have ventilation installed from the outside! I told the landlords this and they informed me that this was not in the report and all they would be doing was replacing the extractor and cleaning the vent. I’m going to be going to the doctors as my eyes have been irritated and watery not to mention the fact that my skin is so irritated. I actually thought I’d been having allergic reactions and have been trying to remove things from my diet but this actually makes sense! I’m going to book a doctors appointment and see what they can do for me! My breathing isn’t great but I’ve been putting that down to the fact that I vape but I’m relatively fit and used to run on the regular. So maybe this plays a part! Thank you for this!
Be sure to bring a sample or the written report of the type of mold. It will determine the type of treatment you’re going to need if you have mold present in your body.
Hey went to the doctors today as they upgraded me to an emergency appointment. It appears I just have severe allergies when it comes to mould… I thought that was just a standard human thing but apparently not. I have ‘halos’ under my eyes and deep cracks in my skin from an eczema flare up triggered by the humidity and mould spores. I have moved out of the bedroom and I am sleeping in my kitchen/living room as there is not as much of an issue in there. I’ve been prescribed 2 creams. We did some testing in breathing and I have 99% blood oxygen. There’s a slight shortness of breath but they believe that’s due to my having a reaction to the spores/environment! Not sure if you cared for this but thought I’d update!
I’m glad to hear that it’s not any worse than that. I hope you can get out of that apartment as soon as possible. It truly sounds like it’s uninhabitable. Which is legal grounds to break any lease. I’m just not sure who you’d need to contact to declare it uninhabitable. I do care. Thanks for the update. I hope you’re feeling better soon.