Tom’s top tips on condensation and mould

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Tom Entwistle, a residential and commercial landlord since the 1970s and founder of LandlordZONE, offers a landlord’s perspective on a topical issue. In this article, Tom shares his insights on damp, mould and condensation in rental properties.

For more information, you can also read Total Landlord Insurance’s ultimate guide to identifying and preventing damp, mould and condensation in your rental property and mydeposits article on how to avoid deposit issues at the end of the tenancy relating to damp, mould and condensation.

How I deal with damp, mould and condensation in let properties

Condensation is a perennial problem for landlords. We’ve all seen those pictures of horrible black mouldy walls whenever the media gets hold of a story about how “evil” landlords are forcing their tenants to live in such dangerous conditions. Yes, sometimes that’s true, but more often there are other reasons for this sorry tale.

I’ve experienced the problem personally several times throughout my landlording career. Winter comes along and you get a phone call from a tenant complaining about “damp”. One in particular I recall. When I arrived at the property I was greeted by a rather angry young man who was staying in the house by himself. He was complaining bitterly about the musty smell, and the damp and mould on his clothes in the wardrobe.

We went upstairs together and I distinctly felt how cold it was. I wondered how he could sleep there. Sure enough his clothes had a damp musty smell and there were spots of mould on them. At the time I was mystified. I’d had many tenants in there before him and no one had ever complained about this sort of thing. As I was leaving downstairs I caught, out of the corner of my eye, the sight of his radiators, and a wall storage heater, all covered with his clothes.

Not being experienced, it was only when I started to do some research that I could put the clues together. A very cold house – he was scrimping on heating – and drying clothes on radiators, classic causes of condensation. There was no structural damp in the property, no rising or penetrating damp or leaks, the property was sound, it was purely condensation damage.

In this case I was being blamed because of the actions of this one tenant. Other tenants had lived in the property before perfectly happily without causing condensation problems, but here I was, confronted by this angry young man in his bedroom, being asked to compensate him for a wardrobe full of smelly and mouldy clothes.

What causes condensation?

Condensation occurs when humidity levels in the air are high, in other words when steam condenses on cold surfaces. It will naturally condense mostly on window glass and mirrors, but if it’s cold enough, on walls, even on bedding and clothes in wardrobes.

If the situation goes on long enough – producing excessive amounts of steam from cooking, washing, showering in bathrooms and drying wet clothes indoors – then moisture will penetrate deep into the fabric of the building, wallpaper, plaster and masonry. It will lead to crumbling plaster, plus wet and dry rot in timbers. It leads to a vicious cycle where the embedded moisture makes the house even colder, leading to even more condensation.

What’s the answer?

There are three things to do that are guaranteed to prevent condensation in any home:

(1) provide adequate heating that will warm the fabric through. Warm walls won’t provide a surface where water can condense, soaking into the fabric, and therefore no black mould will appear. You just don’t see condensation mould in a warm home period, as the Americans say!

(2) Ventilate steam at source and prevent it circulating through the home. Automatic extractors in kitchens and bathrooms are great for tenants who won’t do this, these sense humidity levels and remove the steam automatically without it travelling through the home. Even so, the doors should be kept closed – steam rises so it’s always the upstairs rooms, which are usually cooler anyway, that are most affected by condensation.

(3) Don’t bring in wet clothes or try to dry them indoors, unless this is done in a condensing tumble dryer or one with an outside vent.

The problem is, most of these measures are outside of the landlord’s control.

The energy cost crisis

Heating is going to be a big problem this winter; the cost of fuel is going to make everyone think twice about having the heat on too high. With central heating it’s usually best and most economical to have the heating set on a low level continuously. That way there’s no need to keep re-warming the house from cold when you come home, and it prevents the temperature ever falling to a level where pipes can freeze up.

As a landlord it’s incumbent upon you to provide a heating system that’s effective and reasonably economical to run, otherwise your tenants will inevitably scrimp and try to save, and you’ve seen the consequences of that. A new boiler will set you back around £2,000 but it will be economical to run, it will meet the new Decent Homes Standards and the EPC standards, which are likely to be set at a minimum of “C” rating soon.

It’s no use having an efficient heating system if all the expensive heat disappears quickly through the roof, walls, floor and windows, or there are excessive draughts caused by badly fitting doors and windows. All these elements need to be properly installed and insulated to modern standards to keep the heat in the envelope of the home, while still providing the necessary amount of ventilation when and where required.

In extreme cases the fitting of a full air recirculating and heat recovery ventilation system can be installed, but this is obviously quite expensive and is best done when the house is being built or during a major refurbishment.

Older properties – and these predominate in the private rental sector – often have solid walls with no cavity, which are far more difficult to insulate properly. These need extra work and expense to bring them up to modern standards, but landlords may be forced to do this in the near future.

These are things that are within the landlord’s control, all of which cost money, but if you are to make money from letting property then you should be prepared to invest money into it in the first place, to make sure your tenants are safe and warm.

What can tenants do?

Reduce the amount of steam produced when cooking by covering pans, using a cooker hood extractor and don’t have water pans and kettles boiling too long. Don’t use or minimise the use of paraffin and other portable heaters like LPG gas, which all produce a lot of moisture. With portable flue-less bottled gas, one gallon of gas or paraffin produces about a gallon of water.

Never dry clothes indoors, if you must do this put them in a vented bathroom with the door closed.

Modern homes are virtually hermetically sealed, but some ventilation is required to keep the air fresh and get rid of the moisture produced, simply by people breathing. Trickle vents above windows including bedrooms should not create draughts and will be adequate for this job if used properly.

Kitchens and bathrooms need much more ventilation when washing, bathing or especially if drying clothes. This is where the extractor fans are needed, either controlled by the light switch or automatic humidity sensing.

Keep doors closed in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms when in use. Don’t have furniture too close to the wall, allow some space between the back of a wardrobe for air to circulate. If there is a problem with cold air and musty smells, leave the doors on wardrobes and cupboards open.

Education

Sometimes tenants will create condensation problems because they don’t understand what causes it, after all it’s not all too obvious, and that’s why landlords get blamed. You need to educate your tenants, especially young and inexperienced ones, by explaining what they need to do to minimise the chances of getting condensation, and in a really cold winter, burst pipes. I always provide a written guide as well as a verbal explanation, given when winter is approaching. Total Landlord Insurance has produced a damp and mould tenant’s checklist which you can download and include in their information / welcome pack to help tenants understand the steps they need to take to avoid damp, mould and condensation

Difficulties arise when tenants won’t cooperate. They block up vents to prevent drafts because there is no heating, they skimp on heating, they produce too much steam and allow it to circulate. I’ve even heard of a tenant refusing to minimise steam or close doors, or remove condensation from windows, blaming the landlord and demanding that the landlord send someone round to do this for her.

Disputes

Condensation problems can result in disputes which may even end up in court. Local authority housing officers and environmental health officers may inspect the property following tenant complaints. If you are unlucky enough to get an inexperienced officer they can easily mis-diagnose the problem, mandating work be done that’s not necessary. I remember one case where the local authority officer demanded that a full bay window and wall be replaced because there was black mould on and all around it.

Evidence

Faced with a dispute or a prosecution by your local authority, as with all disputes in court, good evidence is the key to the success of a good defence. If you are confident that your property is not at fault, evidence might be, for example, an independent surveyor’s report, temperature monitoring over a period, and I like to survey all my tenants when they leave. If you have a long series of surveys showing that there were no complaints about condensation and black mould, that’s really powerful evidence that it’s not your fault.

Some questions and answers:

Who is responsible for damp, condensation and mould – the tenant or the landlord?

The landlord’s responsibility is to ensure that the structure, fabric, insulation, heating and ventilation systems in the property are adequate to provide comfortable living free from cold, damp and condensation. It’s the tenant’s responsibility to take positive measures to prevent unnecessary condensation, because this action is out of the landlord’s hands. 

What is often overlooked is that a lot of damage can be caused to a property if condensation occurs over an extended period. So, when it can be shown that it’s the tenant that’s at fault, easier said than done, they could in theory be held liable to pay damages to the landlord.

What can a landlord do if the tenant refuses to cooperate to prevent condensation?

If your tenant won’t do what’s required to be done to prevent condensation, after repeatedly being told, then that’s very frustrating for the landlord, and the tenant is likely to be suffering as well. Sometimes it’s simply down to the fact that the tenant cannot afford to heat the property properly, it’s a very common cause and it’s worrying because of the long-term damage it does to the property and to health.

What can you do? Well one option is to seek a court injunction – where a court orders someone to do something or not do something – but in my view that’s far too involved and costly and might not work anyway.

Unfortunately it may reach a point where eviction is necessary. Currently, with Section 21 this is relatively straightforward, though a lengthy process – six to nine months usually. However, if Section 21 is banned, as is likely soon, you’ll be in the unenviable position of having to convince a judge that your tenant is slowly destroying your rental and you need it back!

How do you deal with damp in a flat when you’re not the freeholder?

Good question, as they say! It depends on the nature of the dampness. Is this structural, in which case it’s down to the freeholder and dealing through the managing agents to get repairs done, or is it a condensation problem, in which case you’re in the same position as with any other letting. And of course, there’s always the cases where it’s a combination of the two causes. That is, there are defects in the structure, condensation is being caused through lack of good insulation making the flat too cold, and the tenant is being neglectful of preventing condensation as noted above.

How do you know you’ve got your diagnosis right?

It’s important to get your diagnosis right so that your treatment solution can be effective. Rising damp, penetration damp and internal water pipe leaks are all the responsibility of the landlord, but sometimes these are difficult to diagnose and cure. One example of this difficulty springs to mind: an internal water pipe joint was leaking but because the pipe had a slight slope, water was running along its length and the damp appeared 20 feet away.

On the other hand, condensation problems are obvious to experienced eyes but not so to the inexperienced, as I’ve explained above. Often this is down to the lifestyle of the tenants, but not always, or again it can be a mixture of both tenants and the state of the property.

Getting an accurate diagnosis and cure using a damp specialist is not always straightforward in my experience either. Before I learned how to identify these issues I used specialists. But it’s a bit like asking a hairdresser if you need a haircut: they have a vested interest in finding a problem, which they may or may not cure after an expensive “repair”.

The local council will come down on landlords when they receive complaints, but unfortunately not all inspectors have enough experience to distinguish between the different types of problem, as I’ve said above. It’s probably best to use a good chartered surveyor with a lot of experience under their belt, if you don’t have that experience yourself.

Conclusion

There’s more detail about how to deal with damp problems in the LandlordZONE article here, but it’s important to get to the real cause and deal with it properly, just painting over black mould is definitely not the answer.

Cold and damp are very uncomfortable conditions in which to live, and in this day and age nobody should have to endure such conditions. Unfortunately in the real world many people in rental homes do. Around 20 per cent of all rental homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard (currently under review) and many of these suffer from damp, condensation and mould.

This year in particular, in the middle of an energy price spiral, these sorts of conditions in homes are likely to get worse. Why? Because one of the main causes of condensation and mould in a home is lack of heating. After rent and eating, heating and lighting are the biggest expenses and ones that are likely to get cut back.

For more advice on this topic, listen to the latest episode of the property cast, Demystifying damp, mould and condensation for landlords and agents, hosted by Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme and Paul Shamplina, Founder of Landlord Action. The pair are joined by Suzy Hershman, Head of Disputes at mydeposits and Julie Ford, HF Assist Advisor. Tune in to hear their insights on the myriad of issues surrounding this common problem for landlords and letting agents alike.

View Full Article: Tom’s top tips on condensation and mould

Will the Housing Market Crash in 2023?

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Everyone is saying there will be a UK housing Market Crash in 2023, predicting that property prices will plummet.

I’m going out on a limb, I predict property prices won’t plummet at all in 2023! In this video

View Full Article: Will the Housing Market Crash in 2023?

London Mayor calls for private renting summit

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The Mayor, who has been calling for rent controls for some time now, is calling again on the Government to freeze rents in London. He says renters are now facing multiple crises from escalating rents, insecure tenancies and unsafe homes.

Based on a recent polling by YouGov, which found that some 40 per cent of London renters think they will be unable to meet their rental commitments in the coming months, the London Mayor Sadiq Kahn is calling on the Government to act now. He wants the Government to protect renters who he says are increasingly at risk of losing their homes

The Mayor is to host an emergency summit on private renting to bring together private renters, charities, advocacy groups and politicians to encourage a call to action, urging Government Ministers to tackle the capital’s rental crisis.

London rents are now approaching £2500 per month, that’s over twice the level attainable in other parts of the UK, yet London renters says Kahn are increasingly at risk of losing their homes.

London’s renters are facing multiple crises from escalating rents, insecure tenancies and unsafe homes the Mayor argues. Kahn and sector leaders are joining a call to action, urging Ministers to immediately implement long-promised renters reform legislation to give renters the security and safety they so urgently need and to take action to make rents more affordable for Londoners.

According to a Rightmove comparison, the average advertised rent in London is £2,343 per month. At this level this is £1,000 more than the average advertised rent in the South West, £1,300 more than in the East Midlands, and £1564 more than in the North East.

One example provided by GMC shows that, for example, for £2,500 you could rent a six-bedroom Grade II family home in Birmingham with a sprawling garden or a five-bedroom houses in Liverpool with an electricity and gas allowance.

Alternatively, another example shows that for £1750 a month, you can rent a five-bedroom detached house rent in Wolverhampton, and in Burnley, a three-bedroom terrace house is just £750 a month.

40 percent of income

The average London tenant spends nearly 40 per cent of their income on renting a typical property and according to the latest available figures asking rents for new rentals in London are growing faster than anywhere else in the UK, there’re up more than 16 per cent in the last year. 

This situation is unsustainable says Kahn, who has been campaigning for a two-year rent freeze, “to ease the burden on renters as the cost of living crisis worsens. Scotland has recently introduced such a freeze.”

Rent Freeze

City Hall analysis, claims Kahn, shows that a rent freeze in the capital over two years would save renters an average of £2,988. In the first year the saving would be £881, money he says that could help families cope with the increases in energy prices we’ve seen this year.  

Kahn says he was elected on a manifesto that “expressly called for the introduction of rent control powers,” and he thinks “it is time ministers recognised his mandate for change and gave him the tools to do this vitally important work.”  

He is calling on Government to double the notice periods for private rental evictions to four months as a matter of urgency, “to give tenants extra financial breathing space to access support and advice, pay arrears or save for a move before their tenancies end.”

Mr Kahn also wants London’s struggling private renters to be given access to “more council and social rented housing, more homes for first-time buyers, a welfare system that reflects the high costs of renting in London and fundamental reform of the private rented sector to rebalance it in favour of renters.”   

Sadiq Khan, has said:

“The fact that 40 per cent of Londoners think that they will struggle to make their rent payments in the next six months shows the scale of the housing crisis in London.

“London’s private renters are facing a triple whammy with rising rents, bills, and the cost of household essentials putting a major strain on their finances. Ministers must take this crisis seriously and act now.

“There is no time to waste so we have come together today to speak with one voice. Our demands to ministers are simple: implement your long-promised renters reform legislation and take action now to make rents more affordable for Londoners, using all powers at the government’s disposal.

“As we continue working to build a better, fairer London for everyone, it’s vital that we stand up for renters in our city and find common ground on the action that needs to be taken to support them through the cost of living crisis, pay their rent and keep their homes.”

View Full Article: London Mayor calls for private renting summit

What have duck eggs got to do with selling our property portfolios?

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It’s the headline we thought we’d never see: Tesco is joining Asda and Lidl in rationing duck and chicken eggs oversupply issues. It might seem like news out of your grandparent’s era, but it’s just another reflection of the effect rising costs and the economy is having on both our business and domestic lives.

View Full Article: What have duck eggs got to do with selling our property portfolios?

Gove orders councils to improve mould and damp monitoring of PRS properties

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Housing Secretary Michael Gove has ordered council bosses to prove they are assessing and improving damp and mould problems in the PRS.

Following the death of toddler Awaab Ishak as a direct result of mould in his family home, Gove says there’s an urgent need to ensure a decent standard of properties in all sectors.

He has now written to chief executives and council leaders asking them to provide an assessment of damp and mould issues affecting privately rented properties in their area, including the prevalence of category 1 and 2 damp and mould hazards, as well as an assessment of action that might need to be taken.

Authorities must provide their last three 12 monthly reporting periods, detailing how many damp and mould hazards they have sorted out compared to assessments made, how many times enforcement action was taken, how many civil penalty notices were issued, and the number of prosecutions successfully pursued.

Enforcement

“I would also like you to set out how you are prioritising enforcement of housing standards more generally in your authority, across all tenures, including what plans you have to ensure adequate enforcement capacity to drive up standards in the private rented sector,” writes Gove.

Read the letter in full.

“It is vital that we all learn from the events that led to the tragic death of Awaab, and my officials and I look forward to working collaboratively with you to improve standards for renters across the country and across all tenures,” he tells them.

The government is currently reviewing the updated housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) – part of the Decent Homes Standard – and is reported to be considering whether councils should be formally instructed to examine residents’ behaviour when deciding whether to take action against landlords over dangerous conditions including mould and damp.

Read more about the Decent Homes Standard.

View Full Article: Gove orders councils to improve mould and damp monitoring of PRS properties

Management agents to block of flats reneged on responsibility?

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Hello, I have a one bed rental flat in a small block of flats in Reading. My tenant experienced total loss of electrical power (there is no gas) and after prolonged and in-depth diagnosis by three electricians and the utility companies

View Full Article: Management agents to block of flats reneged on responsibility?

Tenants can be cause of property problems as well as landlords, Government admits

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Landlords’ long-standing criticisms of health and safety regulation – that tenants are often the cause of problems such as mould or water leaks – look set to be addressed in new government guidance.

Councils inspecting rented properties will be formally instructed to examine residents’ behaviour when deciding whether to take action against landlords over dangerous conditions, according to leaked documents seen by the Observer over the weekend.

Under the updated housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) – part of the Decent Homes Standard – environmental health inspectors will be told to consider detailed “behavioural factors”, such as whether residents are ensuring their home is heated and ventilated, including using heating, running extraction fans and opening windows.

They will also be required to consider whether people are exposing themselves to excessively low temperatures due to ignorance, a “stoic and often embedded attitude” to cold or desire to “reduce carbon emissions”.

Landlords and local councils have complained that the HHSRS – which hasn’t been updated since 2006 – is complicated and inefficient to use. Guidance developed for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is expected to take effect by April 2023.

The DLUHC says the secretary of state has been clear that landlords must be held to account if they do not provide safe and decent homes.

Enforce standards

A spokesman tells LandlordZONE: “We are reviewing the HHSRS to ensure the tool works as well as it can – that means allowing councils to enforce standards in rented homes more effectively and efficiently. This will result in fewer hazardous conditions.”

Earlier this year, landlords were asked to share their views on the proposed new Decent Homes Standard, part of the Renters’ Reform Bill.

It aims to match standards in the social rented sector and introduces a legal duty on landlords to ensure their property is free from the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards assessed using the HHSRS; failure to do so would be a criminal offence.

Read the current guidance on HHSRA for private landlords.

View Full Article: Tenants can be cause of property problems as well as landlords, Government admits

UK house prices set to fall for the next two years

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House prices in the UK are predicted to fall for the next two years before they will increase again, the government’s official forecaster says.

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), it says that between now and autumn 2024

View Full Article: UK house prices set to fall for the next two years