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I wonder if every other property in this block is affected by the same amount of mould. If so, can we expect more deaths?
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You're not wrong. If you think about it, in non rental (privately owned) homes, there are people that keep their property spotless, people that live in squalor and every level between. The same holds true on rentals. However with rentals, there's sometimes the added thing of 'it's not mine so I don't really care' from the tenants perspective.The LL is not responsible for the tenants domestic hygiene. The solution could have been purchased from Poundland for less than a 5er.
I believe its possible they may have been ignoring it to maximise the claim without realising the risk to health.The LL should be responsible for ensuring the tenant is aware of any defects or deficiencies in the property, and how to work around them.
Do you think the tenant intentionally caused the death of their son?
Your 5er solution appears to suggest that is what you think.
Not really, no. It's not practical to expect homeowners to be on top of black-spot mould throughout an entire property. The manifestations develop in inaccessible places whereas the mould spores do not stay put. To suggest the tenant should scrub and wash (creating more internal moisture) all the mould away is absurd.The solution could have been purchased from Poundland for less than a 5er.
I confess, I've not read the full story about this tragic case to know a) if the building is known to be prone to damp and b) what the condition of the property was like when this family moved in. e.g. are there pics from 6 monthly condition visits that chart the increase in damp/mould?But if they'd bothered to clean it at the start, it wouldn't have got so bad.
I rent out 5 properties only two have ever had mould problems and both were down to the tenants drying clothes in doors, not opening windows
It's not caused by the [macro]climate we live in, it's caused by the microclimate the occupants create.This does tend to be a problem living in a climate that we do
It certainly used to be known as a bit of a rough estateIt does SOUND like there's a problem with this estate. It could of course be the quality of the people on that estate.
This part of the Pennines is known as the "dry rot belt" - an area which has a particularly damp climate and where wet rot, dry rot and mildew/black mould are very, very common. Dry rot is another mould-created problem and very common i Lamcashire - moulds are part of the environment up here. In fact the whole reason that the cotton industry came to Lancashire (and Paisley in west Scotland for that matter) was that damp climate: cotton threads being spun are less likely to dry out and break in a damp climate - some modern looms, etc have climate control boxes built around them to provide just such a damp micro climateIt certainly seems there's plenty of mould spores about.
I have done a bit of work in the past in the neighbouring council area of Rossendale. Same climate, similar types of housing. You rarely went into a house with major mould problems. When you found one the instruction was to have a quick look outside for broken downpipes, leaking gutters or blocked drains and to report it to the housing officer. Never found an external problem - did come across houses where windows had gaps/joints masked with tape and with (unreported) broken bathroom and kitchen extractors. The housing officers said it was almost always the same families with mould problems, even if they were rehousedThe council "hand out leaflets". I wouldn't mind a bet that they have a history of refurbing a flat to find it's just as bad in a year
Why? If you hire a wedding dress or a lawnmower thete is an expectation that you known how to use it and tbat you will maintain it in reasonable coo dition and retuen it in working, undamaged order. So why is a house any different?For immigrants that can't speak English the landlord should be expected to go the extra mile to reduce and prevent any further deterioration in the building fabric.
Expected by whom? AFAIK in those instances it has always been the case that the onus is on the tennant or their family, to make the social services and the housing departments aware of anynm particular requirements, but that with the reduction in spending on social housing we have seen over the last 40 odd years there may well be no suitable accommodation available for some considerable timeIf the person was old, infirm, disabled, etc, then the same applies, the landlord would be expected to go the extra mile, or relocate the tenant into a more suitable property.
Again, where is the budget for this?In the case in point it was a case of education of the tenants, but that does not seem to have been attempted with any real zeal.
As I said above there us an expectation that if you hire something you know how to use it and that you'll return it in good order, in working condition and that any faults/problems will be reported promptly. I recall that when I rented a property from the council in Skelmersdale in the 1970s there was a clause to that effect in the tenancy agreement and that I was given a.rent book and a card with the various numbers for reporting faultsYou wouldn't hire out a machine, with defects or deficiencies, without ensuring the user is capable of using the machine, and was aware of the problems.
I know how I would deal with the problem. How would YOU tackle the problem???