AT this time of year, damp and mould problems can go through the roof.
Wetter weather, lower temperatures and windows closed against the cold leave houses more at risk.
Around a quarter of renters have damp or mould in their homes, according to charity Shelter.
This week, Mel Hunter looks at the issue, how you can avoid it – and what to do if you see it spreading in your home.
COMPLAINTS ON THE RISE
THERE have been unprecedented volumes of complaints about damp and mould, according to Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway.
His service helps resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, mostly those living in social housing.
It received more than 6,000 complaints relating to damp and mould last year compared with over 3,100 two years earlier.
Richard says: “Historically, the issue has not been taken seriously and we have seen residents fobbed off without the landlord addressing the root causes.”
Whether you rent or own your home, as soon as you get any inkling of damp or mould you need to address it before it turns into a much bigger – and more expensive – problem.
Damp and mould may be caused by a number of different factors. The main culprit is condensation caused by cooking, showering and drying clothes indoors without adequate ventilation.
It’s made worse by a poorly maintained, cold house – and mould will spread if not treated. Where there is gappy insulation, mould-causing condensation will be drawn to the chilly, damp surface.
Richard adds: “If the landlord doesn’t take steps to address damp and mould in a timely way, the resident should raise a formal complaint with the Housing Ombudsman. It free and impartial.”
HOW TO PREVENT IT
BY keeping your windows open a crack – and open wider when showering – you stand a better chance of avoiding mould, says Heidi Phillips, an expert in deep-cleaning homes.
She adds: “If you’re in a windowless room or cooking, run the extractor fans.”
Heidi, owner of Tergo Specialist Cleaning Services in South Wales, whose biohazard training includes tackling mould, says that the problem can also breed unnoticed behind piles of clutter and in overstuffed wardrobes.
She says: “I often find mould behind furniture, especially if it has been placed against a cold external wall.”
Rising energy costs don’t help, either.
More than 1.7 million households won’t turn on their heating at all this winter, according to price comparison website Uswitch – double last year’s figure of 972,000.
Not heating your home enough can add to problems. Nicholas Donnithorne, UK technical services manager at Rentokil Property Care, says: “If you can, keep your house heated to between 18C and 20C, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.
“It’s harder with the cost of energy – people shut the windows to keep any heat inside but then they lose the ventilation that is vital to let water vapour out.”
He advises opening a trickle vent or small window, even when cold outside.
“If condensation forms on windows, wipe them down to stop mould from forming and spreading, then dry your clothes outside or somewhere airy.”
WHEN TO TACKLE IT YOURSELF… AND WHEN TO CALL IN EXPERTS
IF you have a small patch of mould on wallpaper, behind furniture or in a wardrobe, you may be able to tackle it yourself for just a few pounds.
Firstly, ventilate the room and keep pets and children away. Then grab some rubber gloves and a face mask.
For a patch on wallpaper, Heidi advises: “Take any affected wallpaper off and bag it up securely.
“Then use a product that penetrates down to the roots of the mould spores.”
Heidi recommends HG or Kilrock mould remover. She adds: “Follow the instructions on the packaging.
“Afterwards, dispose of everything that may have come into contact with the spores in a sealed bag and change and wash your clothes.”
Clean away any marks left by the mould, adds Nicholas, so that you can spot if it comes back.
“Think about where it is occurring and whether that might be linked to spots in your house that are excessively cold, which is where condensation will be automatically attracted. But above all, think of ventilation.
“Are you opening windows and using extractor fans to give condensation an escape route?”
It is generally agreed that a patch of damp or mould bigger than half a square metre to a square metre needs tackling by professionals. But this can cost thousands.
Nicholas adds: “If you get to the point where you are ventilating your home and you still can’t control it, then you should be asking for help.”
RENTERS’ RIGHTS
IF you are renting, and poor maintenance is contributing to a damp or mould problem, then your landlord should act.
Substandard insulation, rotting windows, leaks, rising damp and broken extractor fans fall under your landlord’s responsibilities.
You must keep the property adequately ventilated and heated to minimise condensation.
For social housing, new legislation known as Awaab’s Law is due to come into force requiring landlords to act within a strict timeframe.
It follows the death in 2020 of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, from Rochdale, from a respiratory condition caused by extensive mould in his rented flat.
Campaigners hope measures for privately rented properties will come in with the Renters’ Rights Bill, currently going through parliament.
Jenny Lamb, from Shelter, says: “If you have a damp problem, report it to your landlord in writing, along with how long it has been going on.
“If no action is taken, contact your local authority, and they can carry out an environmental health inspection.”
But while many good landlords will act, some will unfortunately use a Section 21 “no fault” eviction order instead of carrying out repairs.
Jenny explains: “A tenant could find themselves in a scary position just for asserting their rights.”
The Government says Section 21 orders will be scrapped in the new Renters’ Rights Bill.
'I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE OUT'
MUM-OF-THREE Jodie Moore faced a section 21 no-fault eviction earlier this year when she complained about mould and other problems to her landlady.
The 44-year-old, from Epping, Essex, who has three daughters aged 24, 16 and nine, says: “It was a nice three-bedroom 1930s house, but there was damp and black mould in all the bedrooms and bathroom.
“The windows were very old, with bits missing and the mastic around them had black mould.
“Last winter my youngest daughter developed seasonal asthma which the damp and mould contributed to.”
Jodie, a domestic abuse adviser, kept asking her landlady to take action, but nothing was done.
In April this year Jodie was served with a Section 21 order, but her local council believed it would be unenforceable as her landlady had not carried out the necessary repairs.
Her landlady did eventually drop the eviction, but Jodie was still forced out when her rent was put up from £1,525 a month to £1,800.
Jodie says: “I was living hand to mouth and felt totally powerless. It was my home with my three daughters, but I had no choice but to move.”
