Breaking your tenacy agreement?
Dear Yahoo Answers Users, Please my rented apartment property has moulds and my landlord is wasting time treating the flat, this has been the case since I moved in less than a year ago, can I park out of the house even though I have 2 more months left in my contract? I just had a baby and dont want to expose him to mould due to health implications, there is a clause in my contract that states
i did not initially know the health risk of mold so did not act well, but my landlady is a nurse and mother and knows the implication but she has a non challant attitude
"20 Interruptions to the Tenancy
20.1 If the Property is destroyed or made uninhabitable by fire or any other risk against which the
Landlord’s Policy of Insurance has insured, Rent shall cease to be payable until the Property is
reinstated and rendered habitable unless the insurance monies are not recoverable (whether in whole
or in part) because of anything done or not done by the Tenant or his visitors,
20.2 If the Property is not made habitable within one month, either party may terminate this Agreement
with immediate effect, by giving written Notice to the other party."
Can I evoke this clause. Please kindly advise me so as not to be seen breaking the law
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
England/Wales
You can not leave the property without paying the rent until the end of the tenancy.
80% of mould problems in rented properties are caused by tenants (maybe not in this case). You need to look at where the moisture is getting into the place. If it is a fault with the building, then the landlord is liable, if not, it is probably regular moisture (breathing, laundry, bathing, cooking) that you are not allowing to leave the property, so it condenses and forms a lovely moist environment tat the mould spores love. Heating and ventilation are key.
Bleach cleans the mould off easily, or use a product like 'Dettol Mould and Mildew Spray' (brilliant) which should involve no effort whatsoever. It may take a few goes to get it to go for good, and obviously you have to deal with the cause.
If you genuinely believe it is not your fault, talk to the environmental health officer at your local council. If it is genuinely the landlords problem they can ultimately do work to fix it even without the landlords co-operation.
In most cases mould turns out to be because of poor ventilation...open the windows as often as possible and clean the place with bleach
no. Do some housework with bleach, open the windows occasionally and wipe up condensation. That will clear the mould.
the place is not uninhabitable, you are just lazy. The baby was your choice and is irrelevant.
if you can get a court to agree then yes you will win. your landlord will not agree easily so this could take several months.
if you are not overreacting and this is a real health issue, call the health department to come look at apartment. they can cause your landlord immediate trouble so he will fix it. also if really a serious health hazard then move out today and worry abour rent later.