There are many issues that no tenant wants to face, whether that be structural repairs or issues with things that are problematic to health and living conditions, such as damp. This article will give some advice on how to report an issue with damp to your landlord, as well as what your rights are legally as a tenant if they don’t contact a damp specialist in Glasgow or attempt to fix the problem.
Types of Damp
When getting in contact with your landlord, if you can figure out what type of damp it is, then they may be able to work faster to get the issue resolved or be able to give you some advice on how to stop the problem getting worse while they arrange for repairs from a damp specialist in Glasgow.
There are different types of damp that you may be experiencing in your property, in the UK some of the most common ones include;
Condensation
Condensation is the most common type of damp, it occurs when excess moisture in the air comes into contact with cold surfaces, such as windows or a cold wall. This can lead to mould growth and is typically worse in the winter. Without adequate ventilation, heating or insulation, this problem will likely only get worse.
Penetrating Damp
Penetrating damp occurs when water comes in through the external walls or roof, whether this be through cracks in the masonry or tiles on the roof. It can also be caused by a leaking gutter or a leak or plumbing problem within the property.
Rising Damp
Rising damp happens when moisture from the ground soaks up through the bricks or concrete in the property. This most commonly happens on the ground floor and in the basement of older properties.
Reporting the Problem
You are perfectly within your right to contact your landlord if you are experiencing damp related issues and other types of problems in the property, including;
- Repair issues in the property
- Damage to furniture and belongings
- Impact on your health
What Your Landlord Should Do
When you report a damp or another type of repair problem to your landlord, they should arrange for repairs to be done for you in a reasonable amount of time. Some examples of problems that landlords must fix include;
- Leaking internal pipes
- Cracked walls or rotten window frames
- Missing roof tiles or faulty guttering
They should also replace any damage to plaster, skirting boards or flooring and redecorate the repaired area (if needed) once the issue has been fixed.
Once the problem has been reported your landlord should arrange an inspection and carry out any repairs that they are responsible for.
Unfortunately. there are some private landlords that would rather evict their tenants than pay for repairs, if this happens you may have protection from getting kicked out. You already have protection if you have an;
- Assured tenancy
- Regulated tenancy
If you have an assured shorthold tenancy, then it may be more likely that your landlord would try and kick you out as it is easier, however, if you renewed your tenancy after 1st October 2015, then there are been some new laws put in place to protect you;
If you receive an eviction notice after you have complained, then the court will refuse to order the eviction if all of the following apply;
- You complained to your landlord or letting agent in writing before receiving the eviction
- You have complained to your local council because your landlord didn’t take steps to fix the problem
- The council sent your landlord a notice telling them to make improvements or they would carry about emergency work
Complain to Environmental Health
If you rent your current place residence and your landlord isn’t fixing your damp problem, then you may be able to get in contact with the environmental health or the housing standards departments at your local council.
The environmental health team can send out a damp specialist in Glasgow, who will use the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) to determine the risk to your health under the current conditions.
They can then mediate between you and the landlord and if there is still no resolution they can;
- Order the landlord to carry out the repairs
- Do the work themselves and charge the landlords
When to Consider Legal Action
If you have gone through all appropriate forms of contact with your landlord and for whatever reason they are refusing to repair the property and rid it of the damp problem, then you may have grounds to take them to court. This may get you the work done that the property requires, as well as compensation. However, taking legal action can be an extremely long and expensive process, so this should only be done as a very last result.
