Mould everywhere!

By far the most common problem is mould. Mould is not, by itself, disrepair. However, it is often caused or made much worse because there is something wrong with the property. If mould becomes very bad, it can mean the property is not fit to live in. Mould tends to grow in areas that are damp. For example small amounts of mould are quite common in and around baths and showers. The mould develops when water cannot evaporate and causes surfaces to become damp. Normally, small amounts of mould like this are not caused by a problem with your property and can easily be dealt with. However, if there is large amounts of damp or not enough air movement (ventilation) mould can quickly get out of control. It can then cause health problems – like difficulty breathing. If there is large amounts of mould in your property, it is probably disrepair.

Broken boilers, doors and everything in between

Another very common problem that we see, are broken bits and bobs. Your landlord is not responsible for everything in your property that they own. Usually, things like blown light bulbs, furniture and in many cases white goods are your responsibility to repair or replace. However, most other things are the Landlords responsibility. Chief among these are: Boilers and heating issues, burst or faulty pipes, toilets, problems with electricity supply, issues with washing facilities, windows, walls and issues with the structure of the house. These problems are serious enough. Unfortunately, they tend to lead to other problems as well, particularly mould and dampness.

Damage in other parts of a building

The landlord does not just have to keep your property in good order. If your property is a flat and shares hallways or other common parts of a building with other tenants the Landlord nearly always has to keep those parts of the building in good shape. This ranges from fixing burst pipes in other parts of a building, that are leaking into your flat through to making sure electrical installations are safe.