Mould

[aspirin]

Does anybody know if the mould killer sprays are a health risk?

My tenant is witholding rent and in my opinion trying to frustrate my attempts at repair. He is looking to be put in a hotel but there's probably a good chance he will be too sick to go to a hotel when the time comes.

Do I need a lawyer or is there enough info. on here to do it myself?

[theartfullodger]

Mould itself can definitely be a health risk. Turned me from Scottish mountain serious walker to breathless going up slight slope. Get it sorted, then forced ventilation eg envirovent
treatment much better than mould, but I've no idea which chemicals you plan to use. Read instructions!

[Hudson01]

I use the HG mold spray...... i find it the most effective, is it a health risk.... probably if you drink it or spray it in your eyes, but if you follow the instructions on the container and ventilate the room and do not use it in a stew i cannot see the issue, if you look at the active ingredients in all household cleaners etc they are awful, lots of skull and crossbones on the containers....... what is the alternative ? i use it in my home and i also issue a bottle to each of my properties with a pamphlet on how to avoid mold and damp etc, the tenants are happy i take such an interest and find the information useful.

The tenant you have seems like hard work and i doubt he will assist you at all. Good luck.

[aspirin]

Thanks Hudson01.

>The tenant you have seems like hard work and i doubt he will assist you at all.

I suppose this is the area I need advice on. I've seen you can get a court order and pass on some of the costs if they have unreasonably refused access.

I really wanted to get in there and do it myself but if they can turn round and say I'm not qualified then I could fail and end up paying all the costs.

I'm wondering if there's any case law on these issues for example. Or am I best taking legal advice?

[Codger]

I would not think you need to be qualified to use household cleaning products. That kind of tenant tries to protect their mould and hate to see it wiped off easily.

[Mrs Mug]

I use the HG mold spray...... i find it the most effective, is it a health risk.... probably if you drink it or spray it in your eyes, but if you follow the instructions on the container and ventilate the room and do not use it in a stew i cannot see the issue, if you look at the active ingredients in all household cleaners etc they are awful, lots of skull and crossbones on the containers....... what is the alternative ?

I've got damaged lungs. I'm on the covid shielding list, just waiting for the vaccine.
I use Dettol mould spray. As said, all household cleaners and some air freshners affect me, it's the fine droplets produced by the spray. Therefore, I use a face mask when I use them in my home. So tell your tenant to wear a face mask when using the mould spray.

[Hudson01]

Agree with Mrs Mug, tell this tenant to wear gloves, mask, goggles ...... what ever they wish but if they refuse you know exactly what their game is.

[DPT57]

What is the extent of the mould? If its so extensive that the tenant wants to move out to a hotel then it may take more than a bottle of mould spray to sort it. You may need to have it professionally cleaned by people in hazmat suits who would use a fungicidal wash.

[jpkeates]

It's very unusual for mould to be caused by anything other than the tenant's lifestyle (unless the property is essentially uninhabitable).
So the tenant should probably be addressing the issue and booking their own hotel.

[DPT57]

Agreed, but the landlord would not just be able to let a situation persist where there was extreme levels of mould in the property. A specialist should probably check the property for leaks or structural issues in case they are a contributory factor and then address the issue accordingly. If it is due to lifestyle, then the costs of treatment are down to the tenant as you say.

[jpkeates]

Agreed, but the landlord would not just be able to let a situation persist where there was extreme levels of mould in the property. A specialist should probably check the property for leaks or structural issues in case they are a contributory factor and then address the issue accordingly. If it is due to lifestyle, then the costs of treatment are down to the tenant as you say.

With you 100%
At the moment, the tenant is not only not addressing the issue, but they're withholding rent and complaining of the risk to their health of attempting to fix the issue.

My point was more intended to shift the issue back on the tenant.
At the moment the tenant sees the landlord as responsible and is being obstructive (and looking at hotels!).
They need to have it pointed out to them that the person calling the specialist should be them (and then they can discuss the toxicity of the sprays with them direct).

[MdeB]

I use Dettol mould spray. As said, all household cleaners and some air freshners affect me, it's the fine droplets produced by the spray. Therefore, I use a face mask when I use them in my home. So tell your tenant to wear a face mask when using the mould spray.

I use a paint brush to avoid mist, which can go anywhere and bleach what it lands on.

I "spray" into a jam jar, then apply with the paint brush: a 2" brush for large areas; an artist's brush for grout lines and silicone.