Damp problems can be a serious concern in any home. Not only are they unwelcoming, but they are also unhealthy, and could indicate major structural or weatherproofing issues.
Tenants who live in homes with unresolved damp or mould issues will from today be able to take stronger action against their landlords, under the government’s new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitations) Act 2018, which has come into force for anyone who signs a new tenancy agreement in England.
Landlords need to ensure their properties meet regulation standards or they may face being brought to court.
Ideally, double glazing, loft and wall insulation can reduce the chance of damp considerably.
If you consider that four people living together create 112 pints of moisture in just one week through everyday living, damp can build up quickly, especially in climates such as the UK. But, there are some tips to reduce the chance of damp getting a foothold in your property.
Madalena Penny, founder of Penny Joseph letting agents, offers the following top tips, which you may care to share with your tenants:
+ Ensure home is warm.
+ Ensure tumble dryers and washing machines are vented correctly.
+ If you can’t dry clothes outside, dry them in the bathroom and ensure the door is closed and windows are open.
+ In much used rooms, such as the living room, ensure that windows are opened at least once a day.
+ Ventilate kitchens and bathrooms when in use. Always use an extractor hood in kitchen if one is supplied. It’s important to keep extractor fan running even after you have finished cooking in the kitchen, as moisture is still being dispersed.
+ Wipe down cold surfaces, such as tiles in bathroom and kitchen to reduce condensation.
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The '' top tips'' are all the things tenants need to be doing, you can lead a horse to water, you cannot make it drink.
So she recommends what normal sociable people have been doing for decades, some tenants cant read wont read will read but dont care, thats why on Move In we tell them, on Inspection we tell them and on Check Out we tell them and if there is mould and damp at Check Out we deduct enough to rectify, simple rules, simple process that normally applies to simple people.
Are Landlords now going to be fined because Tenants won't mop up after showers, dry clothes outside and open the windows? Mould isn't spontaneous or inevitable. It needs damp conditions to thrive and can be easily avoided or eliminated.
I can usually predict when I am going to have remedial work to do to eliminate mould by observing how tenants live, particularly whether they have the windows open whenever conditions permit. The same property can be handed back in totally different states depending on the tenants. Don't blame the Landlords!
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