Bleurgh. Damp. Not only does it smell horrible, but if it’s left too long, it can look dreadful too. Not good news if you ever want to find a new tenant again. Nor if you want to keep the current tenants happy either – even if they are the ones who’ve allowed your property to suffer from the damp dilemma.

And as for condensation on the windows? It’s anybody’s guess how that happens. Either that or the water vapour in the air has deposited itself on a surface that’s a lower temperature. But I’m no expert.

Whether it’s wet windows, a growing damp patch under the eaves or even a spot of mould on the ceiling, as the owner you’ll want to sort it as quickly as possible to minimise damage to your property.

How do you know if you’re responsible for damp?

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I’m guessing you’re not a damp-proofer in your spare time. Thing is, damp left undiagnosed and unsolved by an expert can lead to some seriously manky mould growing.

Not only is the fungus gross to look at and terrible to smell, but it’s potentially dangerous for the health of the people inside your property too – and the value of the property itself.

Proper diagnosis is the only way to determine whether you’re going to be liable for making repairs and footing the bill of any damage done. Legally-speaking, if the problem’s been caused by rising or penetrating damp then it’s up to you to solve it. Both issues are caused by problems with the property’s structure so you can’t really expect your tenant to pick up the bill if that’s the case.

But if the complaint was focused more around condensation, or condensation is clearly what’s causing a damp patch or two, then you might not find yourself liable. Condensation problems are often caused by irresponsibility on the tenant’s part, like hanging washing inside and not ventilating the place properly during showers and the like.

Either way, the reality is that no matter how much your tenant changes their lifestyle to minimise condensation, it’ll probably be impossible for them to cut it out altogether – even in well-insulated homes.

Your best bet? Stop thinking about who’s to blame and invest in better ventilation to prevent the same problem happening with future tenants. Oh, and if you’re adhering to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) then it’s definitely up to you to solve the problem, since treating damp is counted as a mandatory repair.

So what do you do when your tenant reports a condensation issue?

Get to the source

Contact your tenant and arrange a date and time for you to swing by and take a look at the problem.

When you’re there, do a thorough inspection – not just of the area that the tenant’s mentioned – to establish exactly where the issue’s coming from and to work out if there are any other potential hotspots on the horizon. Make sure you take plenty of “before” photos too.

Offer some advice

You don’t need to be a damp expert to give your tenant the crucial advice that they’ve probably been missing. There are several steps they can try out to minimise the effects of the damp and to reduce any nasty smells or dodgy sights while you’re waiting for the issue to be solved by contractors:

• Leave background heating on all day
• Make sure the house is plenty warm during cold weather
• Open windows and close doors while cooking and showering
• Check that air vents and airbricks aren’t blocked
• Avoid drying clothes on radiators – do it outside instead if possible
• Keep windows open to improve air flow as often as you can

Get it sorted! But how?

For starters, you need to get a proper diagnosis that points out where the problems are appearing, what’s causing them and what treatment is necessary.

Kenwood are the leading company for damp-proofing properties in London and the South East, and their reports will tell you what sort of damp you’re dealing with, and point out the steps that’ll correct it.

They’ll give you a quote to carry out the repairs to damp-proof your property, but it’s always worth shopping around and seeing if you can find better value with another contractor. Get quotations from various providers, not only to remedy the issue but to sort out any cosmetic appearance too. That might mean contacting your plasterers and painters, for example.

Make sure that any new paint that goes on the walls of your property is damp-proof and water-resistant. It might be slightly more expensive but if it saves you money and hassle in the long-run? It’s well worth the investment.

Then, when everything’s been sorted, make sure you take your “after” pictures too – so you’ve got records of the measures you took to sort out the issue for your tenant. Keep an eye on the issue throughout the months that follow and contact your tenant from time to time to check they’re not having any more problems.

When to get help

While you could sort out all this this yourself, you’d save yourself a massive headache and a whole load of time by having the Hello Owl team do it for you. Dealing with issues like damp complaints is just a teeny tiny part of the things we do here at the back office for property entrepreneurs.

Want to know more? Call us today on 020 3432 3888.