Mold and moisture in a Rent house

Thorstein

Hello Boards, just signed up. I've a big problem with my apartment.
I recently moved here in Ireland and I've found an apartment close to the City Centre of my town. This is a 1 double room in a basement. I'm paying 900euro per month plus 900euro for the deposit with 1 year contract.
At the first look the house was ok, no moquette, clean, nice temp but only with a strong smell (I thought that it deserves for a nice clean).
But after one month this house became unlivable, it is really cold even with the heating opened, the bad smell is still here and now I can see why, it all dependes by the mold.
The wall was good at the beginning, now the mold starting to appear. I keep the windows opened for the whole day, but nothing change. After every night the windows are totally wet, and I'm starting to feel really bad (articolar pains, headache, cervical and rheumatic pains).
In this house there isn't a dryier and I set to dry my clothes inside.

I really want to leave this house, but I don't know what I can do with the Agency and if there is something to be fixed to keep this house livable.
Just in case, there is any chance to get the deposit back? Anyone can help me please?

ps. Mold and moisture aren't the only problems in there, there are a planty of other problem but the Agency/Landlord aren't fixed yet.

newacc2015

I imagine since the house has a basement, that it is old. There probably isnt a damp proof coursing, meaning dampness is coming up from the ground below and coming from the walls.

A dehumidifier will help a lot. It will take the dampness out of the air. They arent cheap to run, as they are basically like a fridge ie condescending warm air into cold water. But they technically energy neutral as the heat it will produce will stay in the room

BryanF

Contact 'threshold'they can advise on your options. Also stop drying clothes indoors, open the windows, and clean the mound with some watered down bleach.

Pkiernan

You certainly are entitled to leave your lease without penalty if the mould is as you describe.
Contact Threshold (as much as I hate them).
Assuming that you are in Dublin you can also contact an Environmental Health Officer here:

http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-housing/private-rented-housing-environmental-health

Pkiernan

The landlord is obliged to provide a dryer if there is no outside space for you to dry your clothes.

Thorstein

Thank you very much for your help. I'm living in Cork, but yes there is a Threshold office near my house.
What is the best way to do: go to the threshold first or communicate with the agency before to go to the threshold?

I don't want to negotiate with agency/landlord because this house is horrible, I only take it because it was my last chance to stay in Ireland since the house situation in September was a nightmare.
And also, the mold and moisture aren't the only problems (even though are the most important), but the door inside the house are broken, the door of the toilet doesn't close, near my house there is a 24/7 supermarket and keep their stuff in front of my door, all the toilet stuff are broken; basically this house isn't a really house!

Can I write an email or a letter to the threshold or I need to go personally to them? Because I need to manage with my work shifts.

Thanks again

ps. Pkiernarn: why do you hate Threshold?

newacc2015

Thorstein wrote: »

ps. Pkiernarn: why do you hate Threshold?

A lot of people strongly dislike them. They give out advice which they say is the law and it actually isnt. They have been warned in the past that some of their advice is actually illegal. I phoned them in the past to ask them a question about social welfare re rent allowance. They asked the advice for myself, I said no it was for a landlord who is a family friend. I was told "we dont deal with you people or give you any advice". So an organisation that states they want to "prevent homeless", would rather a landlord evicts a non-paying social welfare tenant, than give him advice to help the non-national tenant who has very limited english to get their social welfare payment and stay in the house

Threshold are so anti-landlord, that are actually counterproductive.

737max

from a pragmatic POV try to get a loan of a dehumidifier for a while and see if the damp problem improves and then buy one or get the landlord to get one. If not then move out for the sake of your health.
It would be helpful to record how much damp the dehumidifier sucks out of the air daily.

Thorstein

News from today, from a wall a huge mold spot appear with a water dripping, and today isn't so wet outside.
I'll take a photo for all the mold spot in my house, and I've passed only 3 weeks here. I couldn't image during the winter time!

But the way I can buy a dehumidifier but I don't think is the best solution, I can clearly see that this house has a huge lack of insulation.
I'll go to the threshold office, if they are anti-landlord is much better, because one landlord can't make an house from a garage and rent it at almost 1000 euro. It is a crime!

I hope to get back my deposit to move away from here, otherwise I'll lost my health!

murphaph

If you're seeing dripping water then 10 dehumidifiers won't help because there's a leak somewhere.

It sounds like a terrible dump and you should try to get out of it. Your health will suffer if you stay there.

737max

hygrometers are cheap too.
If you go to the RTB and are able to say that the dehumidifier was filling up every day and the humidity was still above 95% then there can be no argument that the place wasn't fit for human habitation. In fact I wouldn't keep a farm animal in conditions like that.
If the dehumidifier has a rating on a sticker on the back you can figure out how much electricity it consumes in a day and say that is a supplemental cost of living in the apartment.

Ms Doubtfire1

go to threshold OP and the county council.Those issues are not yours to fix.