How would i go about suing my land lord?

Question

my property has severe damp in both bedrooms, living room and kitchen. the landlord has washed his hands of us because we have a tumble dryer and dry clothes through out the property.

i have 2 children one is 3 and the other is 18 months. the baby has severe asthma and is in and out of hospital constantly with breathing difficulties. she has just spent the last 24hrs in hospital on an oxygen mask, shes on different types of steroides to widen her tubes in her lungs to make breathing more easy.

the last tenants didnt have a tumble dryer and suffered the same problems.

environmental health, my health visitor, pediatrcian, local councillor, housing improvements officer have all been envolved to try and make them sort it but yet still wont do anything. we have treated the damp itself and leave the windows open and have stopped using the tumble dryer yet the problem is still there. please help i dont no what to do. is it worth suing? how do i go about it? im in the uk by the way.

Answer 1

In the US we have Tenant Unions you can go to they can help you and you can sue in small claims but not sure about the UK I would google suing landlord in the UK and see what options you have also call a lawyer in the phonebook and ask him/her for a reference they should be able to point you in the right direction also you probably should send certified letter to your landlord demanding repairs etc.  Just as a good starting point simply state that you will take legal action if they do not respond then you can start a process of sueing

Answer 2

First and foremost the health of your baby comes first. If you believe that it's health is endangered by continuing to live there then you should move out ASAP!!!!

Once you have moved. Then you should decide whether or not the landlord caused you harm.

Answer 3

If environmental health was already there and did nothing there is nothing that the landlord can do.

You should not be drying clothing inside.

I am not sure what you would sue for, you have no damages and all of the authorities have already cleared the property.

Answer 4

you should make a call to a lawyer to see if you can sue for that. Afterall, it can be a coinsidence.

Answer 5

I certainly hope that you have the vent from that dryer vented properly outdoors.  If not, that's the major cause of your dampness, along with drying clothing inside.  If there are no leaks in the property, there is nothing which the landlord can do to lessen the moisture in the air.

If you live in an area with high humidity levels, perhaps you could look into a dehumidifier to dry out that air.

There are many resident caused levels of high humidity.  Cooking with uncovered pots containing liquid emits a lot of moisture as do extended hot showers in your shower. A large number of houseplants will also contribute. Check to see what YOU might be doing to cause such high humidity.

Answer 6

Save your money and buy a dehumidifier.

Answer 7

Something I would seriously consider is finding out whether or not you have a black mold problem (which can be deadly) as well as a dampness problem.  

Your landlord is saying there is dampness because of the tumble dryer and that you are hanging clothes "throughout" the property.    Aren't tumble dryers vented to the outside?  Why would this create the problem?  He isn't necessarily right about the tumble dryer.  But if you're hanging wet clothes all over the place there may be a humidity/condensation problem here.

I would do 3 things before thinking about suing.

Firstly, get an inspector in who specializes in black mold to see if there is any evidence especially having an asthmatic child in the house.

Secondly, get a building inspector to track down the source of the dampness to make sure it isn't caused by drying clothes in the house.

Lastly, do it right away before the weather begins to get colder.

Before you sue you have to have a reason for suing.  You have to have proof that it is the landlord who is negligent and not you.  He is saying it is you.  Good luck.