Just a thought about serving section 21, when did the tenancy commence? If you have 4 adults living at the property Is it a joint tenancy?and if tenants are not related are you registered as a HMO. If it is still in the initial period you may not be yet able to serve section 21. ?
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Consider if the local Citizens Advice office provides specific Housing Law. If they do, it is predominantly aimed at the tenant, and the do not actively support landlords to make people homeless. Their stance is that being a landlord is a business and so you can afford to pay a solicitor for legal advice.
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CA is all for tenants in their attitude, .not landlords
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Positive air input fans on loft really do work for condensation, and are relatively cheap and easy to install.
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This sounds very stressful, but try not to panic â based on what youâve described, you are already doing many of the right things.
Older, solid-wall properties are not illegal and there is no requirement to retrofit external wall insulation simply because a house has solid bricks. An EPC rating of C is actually a strong position to be in and shows the property meets current efficiency expectations. Councils and courts do take that into account.
Mould caused by condensation and lifestyle factors is unfortunately common, especially where windows are kept closed and moisture isnât ventilated properly. The fact that youâve previously had the property assessed, improved ventilation, and even provided two dehumidifiers demonstrates reasonable and proactive landlord behaviour.
Importantly, youâve offered to inspect again and to take further steps if evidence shows a building defect. If tenants are not responding or allowing access, that significantly limits what you can do and is something councils are very aware of. You canât investigate or remedy an issue without cooperation.
You are not automatically liable just because mould exists, and you canât be fined simply for having solid walls. Enforcement action usually only happens where a landlord ignores issues or refuses to engage â which clearly isnât the case here.
At this stage, the sensible thing is to keep everything in writing, remain calm and factual, and continue offering access and inspection. If it ever escalates to the council, being able to show your EPC, past reports, ventilation improvements, dehumidifier provision, and repeated attempts to inspect puts you in a strong position.
It may feel like theyâre building a case, but from the outside this reads as a landlord who has acted reasonably and responsibly. Just document everything, donât agree to blame or compensation prematurely, and keep offering practical solutions.
On a personal note, Iâve been through a very similar situation myself. In that case, the lack of cooperation meant the mould situation deteriorated to the point where I felt the environment was becoming unsafe and I was unable to take remedial action, which was also a breach of the access clause in our tenancy. I ultimately issued a Section 21 on that basis.
What brought the greatest sense of relief, honestly, was walking back into the property once the tenant had left and knowing that no further damage could be caused outside of my control. It allowed the situation to be properly addressed without obstruction and restored some peace of mind.
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Good Dehumidifiers (20L/day) should solve the damp in the air within a day AND reduce their need to heat the air for comfort, so reducing their running costs.
Then apply thermal wallpaper to bedrooms and living room (not bathroom, toilet or kitchen). Itâs backing paper with 3mm or 4mm polystyrene. Works like magic to prevent warm, moist air inside condensing on cold walls.
First, wipe off visible mould. Allow a ½ day to dry.
Second paint on a fungicide to ensure spores are dead, allow a day for it to work and dry.
Third, apply thermal wallpaper, apply xaulk to edges and gaps same day, allow a day to dry
Finally overpaint with (cheap and cheerful magnolia) emulsion.
99% impossible for new mould to grow.
My flat (1987 built, cavity wall insulation) had issues in every room, before Dehumidifiers and thermal wallpaper, no issues in the 3 years since them. Iâve now papered my neighbours flat to cure the mould issue for their tenants. Iâm confident this winter will halve their heating bill and they will never again see mould. They already had a good dehumidifier but DIDNâT USE IT!
Best advice, kick your problem tenants out, fungicide and paper, before new tenants come in.
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I think tenants switch off their dehumidifiers to save money on electricity.
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I have done up many properties and successfully removed mould issues. Itâs extremely rare to see mould in a property where the cause isnât immediately obvious.
Many tenants have mould issues simply because they donât treat the property like they would if they owned it. Mould is caused by two things: lack of heat and high humidity. If the walls are cold, moisture will condense on the surface, if not removed itâll create mould. Think about what happens when you take a cold coke can out of the fridge, water droplets form on the can.
Tenants typically shower or air dry their clothes then donât open windows -either because of security or to not lose heat. Homeownerâs would typically leave the extractor fan running or use tumble dryers etc. A washing load of clothes which are air dried will put a least 1.5 litres of water into the room- that the water has to go somewhere so itâll condense on the walls.
GIving them a third dehumidifier wonât solve your problem as tenants like that will simply switch it off to save money. What you need to install is a heated Vent Axia PIV unit. This will push fresh air around the property.
Also cover yourself, write via recorded delivery what steps you are taking to resolve the issue. Keep all records for the court case that they are clearly trying to build.
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yes agree i read too
thanks makes sense completely
thanks a lot Craig gratefully accepted and will implement it
but issue is, i cannot kick these tenants out as they have emailed complaint and i read that without resolving these issues i cannot kick them out.
Hi Samit, can u please tell me how i can issue S21 now-as they have not agreed that i have resolved issue-because mould is due to them not me. they have responded to my call so that is no longer issue. can i uissue s21 whilst the mould still exists? i do not have written reports as the insurer sent a surveyor and they do not issue written reports. i have arranged for another inspection on 9th january
really v useful advice Samit i am grateful
thanks a lot Rentyman i am getting these installed
so it is AST with 4 adults - husband, wife, their adult daughter and her husband and their two kids (3 double bedroom property). that fully qualifies as joint tenancy as per my understanding and not HMO-i have no intention of having HMO and hence do not have license. they have all signed a single AST. do u agree? thank you
6 months will be over on 30th dec 2025
hi Karina, did u serve him section 8 or 21? my worry is that till mould issue is considered resolved, i read i cannot serve s21 as they complained in email to me 1 week ago
how to insulate from inside? what is process called? thanks Candid1
thanks yes law should be unbiased. even if it is my business but i need to also earn fair money to pay my bills