I need urgent help. there is mould in property i am landlord of. i lived there myself 10 years ago and did not notice any. one tenant had complained in 2018 and i got insurer to check and they reported lifestyle condensation. i improved ventilation in property and none else reported after that. this tenant from summer has complained of it in october. i visited and saw it was lifestyle condensation as lot of moisture on windows and glass doors, and windows closed. there r 2 dehumidifiers in property. tenants have stopped responding to phone calls and watsapp messages for past 2 weeks and now emailed me bunch of complaints suggesting financial pressure due to mould and damages to clothes and lifestyle. i suspect they are creating case for court or council. i responded with willingness to fix if it can be proved it is not lifestyle condensation and if i should give them third dehumidifier or humidity monitor etc and if i can come to inspect again but neither they r picking calls nor responding to watsapp or emails. can i be fined by court or council for having solid bricks in house-as it is old build. EPC rating is C but it is noted that solid walls r in property. am i expected by court or council to fix the solid wall ie insulate it all from outside? that will be too expensive for me. what are my options now? it seems tenants want to sue me and possibly stop paying rent. please helpđwhen i have previous experience of property and by symptoms i know this is lifestyle condensation, why should i hire specialist to prove to them it is due to their lifestyle? they r blaming property for mould
you cannot successfully insulate a building on the outside to compensate for, or stop mould on the inside . Forget that idea. Get a solicitors letter to ask for an inspection
in that house, there is no cavity wall. can court or council hold me responsible for the mould? it is not damp that is 100% true. can landlord be liable for absence of cavity wall or poorly insulated walls as per original build? i am now thinking about any fines on me. please help 
and it is whose responsibility to prove that it is lifestyle condensation? i know it is-based on my experience of this house and the walls state.
you have a C in the EPC so that is good All of my places have solid walls . No mould. Keep a written record of all communication and their not answering you about checking the place out Seek advice from a solicitor is my reply
thank you v much Colin
You need to fix it regardless of whether its lifestyle. I suggest you send another email saying you urgently need to get the mould removed and can this happen within the next few days. Once youve got rid of the mould, get a witness to verify it, possibly the contractor and take plenty of photos. I would then speak to a housing solicitor about s21 ASAP.
If the tenant doesnt reply, tell them youâre coming on x day to clean it. If they refuse access, record this event and I would contact the Council to let them know whatâs happening. Ordinarily I wouldnt suggest involving the Council as theyre not your friend, but it may help your case if the tenant is doing it deliberately.
Consider s21 while you still can use this - if there is a problem with the property and these tenants not willing to discuss /communicate with you in a reasonable way, do you really want to keep them? If they want to claim from you it is the property you can obviously point to evidence of no /minimal problems with previous tenants or when you lived there. And if it has got so bad it is damaging clothes they obv havenât told you about issue speedily (which AST says they should) and arenât heating and ventilating the place properly. Doubt their claim would be successful unless they can show that they told you early on and that they have been ventilating and still have mould.
- Get somebody to check the property and tell you if condensation or something else. Just because condensation was issue once before doesnât make that the problem now. Could be faulty gutters rising damp or pointing failing so water getting in from outside. You need an expert independent opinion. A friendly builder will be fine but a pca member better - or your insurer may send someone to look for you.
3.Check tenancy agreement. OR Ast has a clause saying they need to ventilate
â9.25. To take all reasonable precautions to prevent condensation and damp by keeping the Premises adequately ventilated and heatedâ
so they may be in breach of this, unless damp is from an external source (guttering faulty or penetrating damp or rising damp)
- Once fixed (whatever the cause) give tenants detailed instructions (Google âcondensation damp and mould centre sustainable energyâ )
- Check filters on dehumidifiers have been cleaned..
- You can install extractor fans which use a humidistat for boost and are also on constantly, to remove humidity or a positive input ventilation system in the roofspace. Some of these extractor fans keep a 1y memory/daily record so you can tell if they have been turned off by tenants using the isolation switch.
- Install some hygrometers maybe ones which record the daily relative humidity. There are ones which record 2y of data
Good luck
I had a similar problem with my last tenants although they never complained. However there were constant repairs all connected with water or condensation and in addition they were unreliable payers. I was worried about the potential damage they could do to my property over time, none of it deliberate but they simply had no idea how to look after a home, so I issued a Section 21 and they have left. However, nothing could have prepared me for the level of damage they had perpetrated. Woodblock floors in kitchen and bathroom perished, (all hidden by various mats), huge bathroom mirror ruined, walls throughout the property stained and flaking. My flat was only 10 years old and they managed to do in 22 months what no other tenant had done in the previous 8 years. The repairs have cost ÂŁ4000 and theyâre still not finished.
Issue a Section 21 or a Section 8 immediately, become the complainant not their victim. They are ruining your property with their negligence, that should be your argument. I think you have to turn the tables and become the aggressor in this situation. You should have the original inventory so arrange an inspection visit to document the deterioration and get them out. Youâre being bullied and manipulated and come May 1st you will be on the back foot in this dispute.
thanks Bernice for advice and sorry for your financial losses and nightmare. i am deeply concerned how u would have resolved these bad tenants if this happened to u after May 2026-renterâs bill? being able to evict a tenant unconditionally after fixed period of AST should always b possible. i m surprised landlords r not challenging this govt law in courts. it is business and landlords should choose. i am confident my tenants r not going to pay rent now on. on 1 jan rent is due so i can serve section 8 then only. did u serve notice yourself or solicitor? i think it is straightforward and i can manage myself
ok but i think i have to wait 2-3 more days and then will involve council thanks
thanks but current topmost issue is that after emailing complaint, tenants r not responding to my emails, calls, sms. from friday night. 4 adult tenants i have been emailing
i do not think rising, penetrating damp or gutters. it is lifestyle condensation. it could be that the wall type is purely insulated as these r solid as this is old build
@ChawalChawalChawalChawal
Arrange a visit (give 24h notice) to inspect and if they can, to meet them in the next week given the seriousness of their complaints. They cannot refuse or say unreasonable. Take someone who is an expert otherwise itâs just your opinion of cause vs theirs. âWhat I thinkâ has some value but past evidence of lack of a problem when previous tenants occupied, and when you occupied counts a little bit, but none of it is as authoritative as an expert opinion. Worth it to dismiss their claim basis properly.
Epc c is not poorly insulated it is the new standard that will be required (new tenancies) from 2028. In any case as others have said poor insulation doesnât cause damp.
Donât use s8 which is discretion of judge. Use s21.
You canât affect if they refuse to communicate but it will be evidence against them if you keep trying and offeringto try to resolve and they wonât reply that they are trying to scam you and are not behaving in a âtenant like wayâ. keep trying to communicate with them [document it] offering to meet or speak to resolve ; it will be evidence of your good intentions and their non response will speak volumes if the council or a court then gets involved. 4 adults canât be scared of meeting you face to face or by phone & having an adult conversation with you. They have raised an issue with you it is reasonable for them to engage with you to help resolve it.
Good luck
@chawalchawalchawalchawal
after rra can still evict if breaching contract by not meeting responsibility to take care of property properly
Ground
â13 Deterioration of property The tenant has caused the condition of the property to deteriorate.â
Google âGuide to the Rentersâ Rights Act
Published 6 November 2025â
You just have to actually have evidence (so you can persuade a judge)
Best
they used to be v responsive. they have changed as a plan is in place to stop paying rent and/or extort compensation. we have written 3 times till yesterday morning. i will send one final email on wednesday 17 dec - saying if i do not hear from you by 23rd december then i will be forced to explore other options to gain access to property as it is health and safety inspection and to repair reported in email.
@chawal2 well done
but you dont need to say you will âexplore other options to gain accessâ. You just have to tell them with 24h notice the date and time which you [and your contractors] will be coming. They cannot reasonably refuse you access
Quote to them Shelterâs webpage [google âShelter Access to your rented home for repairs and inspectionsâ - extract below
good luck
â
âAccess to your rented home for repairs and inspections
You need to let your landlord into your home to:
-
check gas and electrical safety
-
fix problems that you have reported
-
deal with problems that make your home unfit to live in
-
deal with serious damp and mould that affects your health
â
thanks David. i am thinking that without their written confirmation i cannot turn up at property and i do not want to waste mine and contractor time. i m wondering y u deleted last message of yours 
David, can i serve s21 tomorrow? or will that be null and void as they have reported issues? or will it be too soon after their email? or will it be considered retaliatory eviction? i want to serve s21 as i know they will not pay rent
@chawal2 read the shelter page. They canât refuse you access if you have given them notice and proposed a reasonable time. Thereâs no written approval from them needed they canât say this is preventing their âquiet enjoymentâ of the property you are explicitly visiting to inspect an issue they have reported. Give them time to reply if you want and try to arrange a time that suits them but as they have reported a problem they canât deny you access to inspect it. Either itâs serious in which case you and your contractor need to see it to work out how best to remedy or its not.
(I only deleted a message because I put its contents re keep communicating into my earlier one instead)