Damp and mould

[wanoennogs]

Hi,



I am after advice on who needs to come out and inspect the block of flats that I live in. I have lived here for 12 years and never had a problem with mould or damp. The flats are 2 stories high. There are 4 x 1 bedroom flats and 1 x 2 bedroom flat on each floor.



I am currently in dispute with my housing association. My housing officer is coming out Thursday and I want to talk like I know what I am going on about. I have never worked in the building industry.



I had a mould problem in my hallway around where my front door is on the plaster/walls. I used a mould remover spray to get rid of it but it came back. I then called the housing repairs. A guy came out and had a look. He said I needed a mould wash. We also spotted a damp issue in my bedroom on the wall. The mould wash and damp repairs was done about 3 weeks ago. I can already see the mould coming back in the hallway.



When the guy out to do the damp and mould works a new problem had started. Part of my wooden floor near the bathroom had become raised due to damp. This resulted in my bathroom door not being able to shut. I expected the guy to say we need to look into why your wooden floor has raised. He never, his reply was we need to get a carpenter out to shorten your bathroom door so it can shut again. Laughable.



I got onto the housing and asked for another damp specialist to come out. He also admitted my wooden floor has raised. Again, his solution was not let’s look at why your wooden floor is raised. He also said we can send a carpenter out to shorten your door.



I have spoken to my neighbour in the flat next to mine. She has a problem with damp in her living room and is coming up through the carpet. Parts of her carpet are visibly damp. Her living room is the opposite sie to my part of the block of flats.



I want the housing to do a full inspection of my block of flats and find out why me and at least one other neighbour has mould and damp issues.



What is the title of somebody who needs to come out and fully inspect our whole block of flats structurally?

 

[blup]

The title is no win no fee lawyer.

Blup

 

[wanoennogs]

I don't want a lawyer. I need to know the title of who needs to come out and inspect the block of flats fully. Is it a construction engineer?

 

[wanoennogs]

I have a housing office coming out to my flat on Thursday. I really need to know the title of whoever needs to come out and inspect the whoe block of flats for building/constuction problems. For example lets say the title is constuction engineer. I want to be able to say to my housing officer on Thursday a construction engineer needs to come out and inspect the whole block of flats to try and find out why the mould and damp is happening. I don't want him to say there is no such thing as a construction engneer. That is why I am looking for the title of whoever needs to come out and inpsect the whole buliding.

Ok, if I was buying a house whould I get to come out to inpsect the whole house to make sure there was nothing wrong constructualy with the house and make sure I wasn't about to buy a house with construction/building problems? What would his or her title be?

 

[^woody^]

Your Housing Association will have Repair Inspectors/Surveyors who will be the ones who inspect their properties for day to day repairs and defects, and would order the work to their repair team or contractors.

So this would be the person you would normally request and your association would send.

However, following an upsurge in damp and mould issues and high profile poor state of council and association stock leading to disrepair claims, landlords are using specialist Disrepair Surveyors to inspect for damp and mould issues.

The association may redesignate or retrain some of their Repair Inspectors as Disrepair Surveyors, specifically for damp and mould Inspections.

So, ask for a Disrepair Surveyor if they have one or for a Repair Surveyor to "inspect for disrepair". Mention "disrepair" specifically, as that has specific meaning and requires a specific response.

Housing Officers, if that is who is actually coming to visit, are typically not trained in repair issues, so should not comment on them. However they can and should listen to your complaints and report those back for further action or Inspection.

Your association will have published timescales for dealing with damp and mould complaints.

 

[wanoennogs]

Thanks