UK Landlord Forum / Life

I am hoping to get some advise and guidance in regards of an issue i am facing with the Block manager of the agency where i am renting from for over 2 years and half as he doesn't reply to any emails and fails consistently to perform any action. I  rent a flat on the top floor which is one of 7 in the block and the freeholder it is also the owner of my flat as well as other 3 who have been rented . I am currently facing an issue with brown mould scattered on one of the slope wall in the bedroom ( warmest room in the host and next to the boiler room ) which is concerning me health wise. I have been having this issue for the past year and i always took care of it by cleaning the mould and repainting it at my own expenses but i have noticed that the mould is becoming more aggressive as it builds up much quicker so i have reported the agency and after chasing several times , the Block Manager finally came to inspect and said it is due to condensation because the sun doesn't reach that part of the roof in winter and because at night i breath out 10,000 droplets of water in the air ( beyond ridiculous as based on this theory everyone should have mould in their bedroom) When i asked what is was the solution , he said there is none and only advised me to buy a mould cleaner which i did, then i also used an anti stain primer and also an anti mould paint  . After 3 weeks regrettably the mould started to build up again and After trying to get the refund for the expenses , i was told that Mould is not responsibility of the landlord . Researching online, i read in fact the opposite  if it not caused by poor ventilation and negligence of the tenant which i am 100% sure it isn't. I ventilate every day no matter the weather, there are no issues with condensation and the bedroom is the warmest room in the flat . My theory is that it could be a cracked tile on the roof which is causing little leaks through the wall.
Now 2 months have passed and the mould is spreading fast and it is also staining my white wardrobe however i am getting ignored as usual as i asked to have a written report or email on the block manager visit and to get a professional assessment on the mould. My main concern is my health as i started to get a cough and i believe it might be related some mould allergy. What i shall i do ? I am bit scared that they will try to give me a revenge eviction  as i am on an Assured Periodic tenancy and I love the flat and looking after it very well.  I was thinking to write to the landlord to make him aware about the fact that the block manager has been negligent for over 2 years in various circumstances. I never liaised directly with my landlord before as i rent through the agency.  I would like to get a good guidance. I have been a very conscientious tenant and repaired many things on my own , also saved lot of money by installing things myself which avoided expenses invoiced  to my landlord as they would have called the contractors to do it .
I can see from the review of the Agency that many other landlords as well as other tenants have left very negative reviews about this building manager which is completely inefficient and unprofessional as well as rude and dismissive. Any advice is highly appreciate it

Is this really brown mould, not black?

yes it is brown mould not black on one of the slope wall of the bedroom

I'd start with a dehumidifier.

And I'd take a different approach with the landlord. Brown mould might damage the structure of the property, as some of it will eat into the fabric of the building. I'd suggest that the management company might have misdiagnosed the mould and suggest he gets someone to survey the mould.

This is a difficult situation if you really want to stay there. As I understand it, you could not be evicted if there are outstanding valid complaints about such a problem. They could get a report that clears them, or rectify the issue if there is a leak, then serve notice.

Follow the advice from JPK, but be prepared to have to move. Brown mould is not always down to lifestyle, and it sounds like you have done all the right things.   

Thank you so much . I will start with the dehumidifier but then it will certainly not removed the mould . I have spent already over £ 60 just to treat a small part of the wall and treated the mould with Ronseal 3 in 1 mould spray remover , then applied a anti stain mould and then used an anti mould resistant professional paint and yet after only 3 weeks , the mould reappeared quickly in the warmest part of the room ( next to the boiler room). I do not even get condensation on the windows and i ventilate for few hours every day also before going to bed .

I think once you're running the dehumidifier, it's time to talk to the agent again (or your landlord if you can), because that would eliminate the "normal" mould the agent thinks (or claims) it is. If it's coming from a warm part of the property, it's not condensation and it's probably serious.

And if that doesn't work, you need to decide whether you want to stay regardless - because I don't think that you do really, and if not, try the council or pay for a mould survey yourself. Have a look online for the government's guidance for mould in rental properties and forward it to the agent.

I actually contacted the Environmental Health and they want my landlord contacts . I was suggested this on another Forum however i found myself in a difficult situation as I do not want them to contact my landlord who has no idea about this issue as he is paying the agency to manage his property but I would like to get an advice what i shall do to report the building manager who works for the Estate Agency and completely ignores my emails and never took any actions also over a year ago in regards of other highlighted issues
I know the bedroom has definitely no issue with condensation but if if i tell , i don't think this will produce any result?
What do you suggest?

You don' t seem to know what you want, which makes it very difficult to advise you. You want the mould to be removed,  and the landlord/ building manager to take your complaints seriously and act,  and you also want to remain living there, but you may not be able to do this. 

The agency work for the landlord,  and take instruction from him. It is very likely that he does know all about this.  The property is his investment and I cannot think it is in his interests to let a building defect cause structural damage. You have presumably already told the agency about the complaints you have with the building manager,  so what was their response?

You should do as advised and give Environmental Health the information they requested, and wait to see the outcome. You can come back here if you need further guidance. Personally I would be handing in my notice as soon as EH take action.

Thank you for your advise.

I know what i want , i am just trying to find the best way to approach the issue ! Not the best advise to be totally honest in my opinion

I will definitely proceed to report the building manager as his dismissive behaviour needs addressing considering i found several bad reviews online about him all for very similar reason, lack of responses and dismissive behaviour. I asked the email of who he report to and found out he report to the owner of the agency so i will have to cc him when i will complain or perhaps I need to write an email separately !

It is a bit too easy for you  to say to hand my notice when the rental prices have sky rocketed and i will not be able to rent another property !

Where i live is perfect to be honest , it is just this issue that needs addressing. Whether i go or not , it still needs to be addressed as it might cause structural issue long term

I am not sure what answer will satisfy you. Whatever is suggested to you, you come back with a reason why that is not going to work, or that you don't want to risk having to leave. The fact is that if you want to get the mould sorted out  you are going to run the risk of getting evicted.I can' t help the rent increases,  blame that on the government who have made life so impossible for good landlords that they are selling up and creating a shortage of rentals.

You complain on here about the building manager, but you have not taken the very obvious step of putting those complaints to the people who employ him. They might have ignored you of course, but you have not even tried. 

You could pay for a builder to report, but if the problem is structural you cannot get that corrected, only the landlord can.You mention another forum who gave advice, that you have also rejected. Why contact Environmental Health and waste their time if you are not prepared to co-operate with them and get the landlord involved?

I repeat, I don't know what you want, and I no longer care. 

COngratulations for your acidic comments..... Thanks for your advice, i appreciate it !