Damp - mould etc Help!

[flyingcloud]

I live overseas but have a property in the UK which is let privately.

The tenants have complained about damp and, by the sounds of things, fairly extensive mould - I think it may be the guttering in the first instance, but sounds like it has gotten a bit out of control.

Who fixes this? Who should I call in the first instance to come and visit the property and survey the damage?

Please help - I am hoping to put the property on the market and am very desperate and panicky.

[lalalonglegs]

If it is the guttering, then a general builder will be able to fix that and replaster where necessary. Could you ask the tenants to look at the suspect drainpipe next time it rains heavily to see if it is the water is gushing over/out of it.

The good news is that if it is the guttering, then it's not a big job.

[flyingcloud]

Thanks for your reply. Am dashing out so apols for hasty response.

[midnightexpress]

Do you have an agent dealing with the rental? If so I'd contact them first, as they usually have people they use for repairs.

Dear ole Sarah Beeny was with a mouldy family the other week and she said that it is generally fairly straightforward to fix. Most important issues are adequate ventilation and heat.

If it's coming up from the base of the wall it may be something in the cavity. We have a problem in our flat and the damp course people have explained that it's caused by rubble and dust (it's an old building) falling down into the cavity between the outside wall and the plaster wall. This acts as a bridge between the wet outside wall and the inner wall and can cause damp. It should be a case of removing the skirtings and getting the debris out then replacing the skirtings.

[Nettlerash]

You need to work out the cause first. Often it is just a case of bad condensation (our current place is bad)We got damp specialists out to determine the cause. It needs to be sorted asap and properly otherwise it will just come back.

Our damp was coming up from the bottom of the walls too and I initially thought rising damp but apparently its not.
Do you have anywhere they can hang their washing outside? This is our main problem because we are constantly having to dry clothes indoors because there is nowhere else to dry them.