‘Have all your windows open whenever you can’
Visitors to our Facebook page have had their say on our story about a Grimsby family living in a mould-infested flat which has even spread to furniture:
Graham Stark: Mould occurs in the coldest areas of a property and as heat rises, the coldest parts are, in general, the lowest areas. I ought to know, I survey mould infected properties.
Linda Dianne Hall: Unfortunately not paying the rent is not the way to go. Call environmental health, they will look at it and advise you the best way to tackle the problem.
Rowan Osborne: If it’s the landlord’s fault then you need to be onto the housing department for an inspection so he can be fined and issued improvement notices. If they find in them in favour it will be fixed or they will be moved.
Barbara-Ann Elizabeth Newbury: Non-payment of rent is illegal and will lead to a section 8 eviction. Yes, that will get you out of the property but good luck getting another landlord to trust you. Also, the flat is overcrowded. Four people in a one bedroom flat does not sound healthy.
Ellen Cottis Llb: I do not know who advised them not to pay the rent but they have done so wrongly. Once rent is missed the landlord has grounds to evict a person as many times the court will not assist a landlord if the rent is up to date. A landlord can actually refuse to carry out work if you are behind with the rent unless it is on a boiler and there is no running hot water. There is an additive that can be purchased to add to an undercoat for the walls and the use of a dehumidifier assists in reducing damp by taking the moisture from the air. As others have said, had you contacted the department at the council that assists tenants of private landlords, the first bit of advice they give you is to continue paying your rent.
Shereen Alankar: There has to be a reason and of course a solution. Start with cleaning and using mould treatment, open your windows, if you’re cold put on a jumper but get
with the job as soon as possible before winter is here again. Write to your landlord, report your landlord,
your neighbour’s property the same? Instead of moaning do something proactive, don’t use bleach it can cause very bad fumes.
Maria Alexander: My bathroom is mouldy and I kept bleaching it. I have COPD and it made it worse. My landlord sent one of their workers to come and box the problem in. Now my breathing is worse.
Jess Nadine Monk: Have all your windows open whenever you can until it gets sorted.
Jack Russell: This happened in my last property, mould spreaded everywhere, on my furniture and clothes. The landlord wasn’t bothered so I had to move straight away.
Kat Smith: Once mould is that bad you have to remove the plaster. I remember living in a flat in Immingham in the 1980s and the council were notified by our doctor that there was toxic mould. They didn’t do anything until we eventually moved out (we lived in the living room only). In this day and age you don’t expect the UK to still have unhealthy homes.