@chawal2 I’d try an inspect first and show you are doing everything to respond to their reported issue. Once you have clear evidence of lack of Engagement to allow you to deal (eg if they repeatedly fail to agree a time for inspection) you’ll be in a better place. Till then they can just say they were on holiday or lost phones etc
I’m not a lawyer you should get advice but read the shelter page ‘Revenge eviction if you ask for repairs’
Issue section 21 or 8 ASAP
Sounds like they are planning to make a big claim from you!
thankfully tenant picked my call this evening and i have assured prompt action to her. I am considering offering her External Wall Insulation. this will be v expensive but better than going to courts and get fined. 
too much loss. any thoughts anyone? i hope this will fix lifestyle condensation related mould.
You have seen all the problems highlighted in the news recently about external insulation and the damp it is causing?
no Colin what do u suggest as a solution then? it is 100% lifestyle condensation - so what else can i do. i want to avoid dispute, complaints and courts and fine and loss of rent please can u advise?
I have insulated more houses than I can remember and I sell 1000 s of rolls and sheets now. Without seeing your property I cannot advise. What i have done with my properties is to line the inside of the external walls with PIR boards , plasterboard and skim. Insulated all floors and roof spaces . Trickle vents and extractors fans. No mould . Helps that I am a builder. Do NOT insulate outside and stop being in a panic be calm .( easier said than done ,I know)
You seem obsessed with insulating. And you won’t get fined as it’s not your fault.
I’ll repeat… more or better insulation won’t solve condensation related damp and mould inside caused by not ventilating. If anything EWI will make it worse as will trap moisture inside even better.
Get environmental health round and get them to give tenant advice on ventilating to avoid condensation related damp and mould. It’s free. Get some builders to look too.
Extractor fans with humidistats and or wired in dehumidifiers or a PIV will be a few £thousand at most a lot cheaper than EWI but even that should be unnecessary if it’s lifestyle.
If tenant still won’t listen to environmental health and won’t heat and ventilate the property the damage it will cause to your property will be very much more than the cost of EWI so you then need to evict them and get a tenant who understands they have some responsibilities and ways to avoid the damp and mould. If tenant comes from a dry climate (eg saudi) it may be new to them but we do cause condensation/moisture by breathing cooking showering the water has to escape from a house somewhere…or it causes mould
And Heating moist air costs more than Heating dry air. Opening the windows 15 mins per day will help an awful lot. Tell them that as they are causing the problem then either they solve by opening the windows or if you have to pay for remedial solutions like fans that previous tenants haven’t needed, you will have to increase the rent a lot to pay for the upgrades but it’s all totally unnecessary.
Get fans which are wired in and constantly on and boosted when Humidistat shows high rH.
Eg Vent Axia 473849 Lo-Carbon Revive 7 SELV dMEV Extractor Fan (designed for social housing)
Good luck
thanks Colin i appreciate your help a lot
as David says the tenants need to let the house breathe thru vents , fans and windows. . Even when a washing machine is used, the room fan should be extracting. When cooking also. Tenants have got to help themselves. I may be fortunate that my tenants understand this
after 10 years of smooth sailing-some tenants stayed upto 3 years-i had just one other similar nightmarish tenant in 2017, i have these ones. they r not willing to change anything. i might consider David’s ‘positive input ventilation system in the roofspace’ too. i have enough vents in house. there r extractor fans in bathrooms, not living area or kitchen
thanks David 
i appreciate your help
thanks David i have emailed environmental health
Ps look at the gov uk guidance
Google ‘Guidance
Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers’
And housing ombudsman training/info
Google ‘damp and mould housing ombudsman org uk’
Pps on same gov uk page there are schemes to help pay for energy efficiency tho note re EWI etc
“Two government schemes aimed at cutting energy use by insulating homes were botched on a vast scale, a spending watchdog has found, leaving tens of thousands of homes in need of remedial work.
According to the National Audit Office (NAO) 98% of homes that had external wall insulation installed under the schemes set up by the previous government have problems that will lead to damp and mould if left unaddressed.
Nearly a third, or 29%, of the homes that were given internal insulation also need fixing, it said”
-evidence ewi can cause damp problems..
thanks David i read online about these. I will not go ahead with EWI
Cheap emulsion paint finishes don’t help with mould getting a grip when high condensation levels are present. I always use kitchen and bathroom paint throughout as it is a far tougher finish, steam resistant and extremely wipeable. The trade name for this type of paint is Acrylic Matt or Acrylic eggshell (eggshell giving a sheen finish ) . Any existing mould must be dealt with prior to application. Crown ,Johnstones , McPhersons Dulux etc all manufacture there own version of these paints , which are best bought from a dedicated decorators merchants although Dulux kitchen/bathroom paint is sometimes on offer in Wickes etc.
thanks for top tip David. gratefully accepted
Section 21 whilst you still can. Concentrate on regaining possession.
In reality you can easily insulate a solid wall from the inside and that maybe gives you another possession avenue
With interior insulation you have to bump radiator’s out, reset sockets snd replaster and redecorate. Its simple enough but cost benefit comes into play
If tenants don’t respond to sms, phone or emails, send them a letter via Royal Mail, signed for.
Don’t issue S21 now, that will be considered a revenge eviction.
SERVE A SECTION 21 and GET THEM OUT!
Isn’t it odd that mould only seems to appear in rental properties? 
They probably NEVER turn on the dehumidifiers or heating, and dry all their clothes in the living room. RATS live better than some tenants.
I’ve been a landlord for years, and I’m sick of it all now - the government or legal system NEVER supports the Landlord.
Try the Citizens Advice Bureau. Good luck 
Maybe so, although section 21 best to get it out before May 2026 when it becomes tricky. Even a section 8 and move back in temporarily. I got rid of a tenant who refused to keep appointments with various remediation workers.