If you are experiencing rising damp in your home, it is important to be aware of the tell-tale signs, as this will usually indicate that you are suffering from a form of housing disrepair. The most common indicators of rising damp are a tide mark or discolouration on an internal wall, and darkened, rotting carpets, paintwork and wallpaper.
Landlords have a responsibility to investigate and repair any causes of rising damp in the property, as set out in Section 11 of your tenancy agreement. If your landlord is failing to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation, it may be necessary to seek legal advice, we can assist you for free on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Are you a Council or Housing association Tenant with housing disrepair issues?
If so we can help you claim compensation on a NO Win, NO Fee basis.
Penetrating damp is water ingress that accesses a property through walls, the roofs window or door surrounds at any level of the property. This is often as a result of defects in roof tiles, cracked pointing, blocked weep holes or defective seals.
If you have penetrating damp, it should be fairly easy to spot with damp walls, rotting flooring and a discolouration or bowing of a ceiling indicating there is a leak.
It is especially important that a landlord both recognises and rectifies penetrating damp as this can cause significant safety issues to a tenant and their family. If you are having problems with penetrating damp in your home, you may be able to make a housing disrepair claim against your landlord.
If you have discovered black mould in your rented property, it is important to be aware of the dangers that it poses. Black mould contains toxins which, if breathed in, can affect your respiratory system. If touched, it can also trigger skin conditions such as eczema.
Poor ventilation and excessive internal moisture are the conditions which black mould thrives in and are often caused by condensation. This is why, if you have reported black mould to your landlord, their stock answer is often “open your windows and turn up the heating”. Whilst the tenant’s living conditions often contribute to the growth of mould, so too can factors within the landlord’s control. For this reason, it is common sense for a landlords to investigate reports of mould as often this is caused by leaks, structural defects and atmospheric damp caused by a water ingress elsewhere within the property.
If you have reported black mould and it hasn’t been investigated, we’d happily discuss your issues with you to advise you on an action plan to eradicate the cause.
If your rented council home or housing association property has issues that have not been repaired find out if you are eligible to make a housing disrepair claim for property repair and compensation.
In order to determine if a property is considered damp, one must consider various factors. Some of these factors may include, but are not limited to, the presence of water, the presence of mould, and the presence of moisture. If any of these factors are found, it is advised to seek legal consultation to further assess the property in question.
The landlord is responsible for repairing any damage that results in dampness. Furthermore, the landlord must ensure that adequate insulation and ventilation are in place to prevent moisture from building up.
Damp can be easily identified by a series of common symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is likely that your property is damp. If you are a tenant and believe that the source of the damp is coming from your rented home, you should contact your landlord immediately. There are a number of agencies that are available to help tenants in this situation.
info@housing-disrepair.org
0333 050 8887
