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Niel
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  #1088980 15-Jul-2014 03:04
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If you do decide to stay, then you can clean the mould but it will take a few weeks.  This is what I've done with our tiled shower after lots of frustration:  It is not as simple as using Exit Mould or whatever, all those products are just bleach which just removes the colour.  You need to use 80% vinegar, 20% water in a spray bottle and frequently spray the mould especially after each shower.  Better still, but I don't have time for that, is to put damp paper towels over the mould and keep it wet with vinegar.  It tricks the mould into overeating and then the cells literally burst, killing it.  Then you have to scrub it off (after a week or so).  It will stay black, but will come off easily.  Then repeat the process, spraying for a week or so.  Once you are satisfied it is gone, and if there are some left you can't scrub out, then use Exit Mould.  From there on, use 20% vinegar as a maintenance spray.  Consider painting a sealer over the grout to prevent it from taking root again.

Long term solution for painted surfaces is to use a mould resistant paint.  The one we've used in our old home on the bathroom ceiling had this oil oozing out of it for some time, but never had any mould ever again.  Also no bugs as the oil attracted and killed them ;-).  We did not care much for the old home and actually only used sugar soap and then Exit Mould and then painted, and the anti-mould paint killed off the mould.  Bought it from Bunnings.




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michaelmurfy

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  #1089653 16-Jul-2014 00:19
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Dynamic: I suggest deciding whether you otherwise like the house. SNIP

 

Thanks for that Dynamic, yes we did really like the house and location however the landlord has not been the most helpful with finding a solution other than putting more dehumidifiers in. I feel I have been more than patient with allowing for her to find a solution before she sent us an email pretty-much saying she is not going to spend the money to have somebody look at it. We thought we had something happening which by one email has all the sudden put us back to square one again. This is when we asked her to reconsider and then slapped her with the 14 day notice, I have never had to use that in a previous tenancy to solve problems as I prefer just talking to people than going all legal on them. I have given her the options you've said and she is really not keen on doing any by the sounds, just wants us to keep using dehumidifiers.

We've left the dehumidifier off for a day and noticed the walls are damp, carpet feels wet and there is actually pooling of water under the carpet in our "test corner"

Niel: If you do decide to stay, then you can clean the mould but it will take a few weeks.  SNIP


Yep that is what we were also doing :) Vinegar works great on mould! We've been spraying this bugger each and every day with 80% white vinegar.




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sir1963
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  #1089688 16-Jul-2014 07:36
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mattwnz:
xpd: Also HRV will prob cost the same if not more as running 2x dehumidifiers. 



I thought they were supposed to be really cheap to run. I recall they used to be advertised to cost about 20 cents a day, and really they are just a fan connected to venting with a controller, so there isn't much to them. Dehumidifiers however have heating and cooling to them as well as  a fan..


Dehumidifiers have a refrigeration system, so the compressor is doing the heating and cooling all in 1 go.
The compressor is  is likely to be in the 100-300 watts range
However they also have a fan to force the air through them.

The HRV system just has the fan.





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  #1089718 16-Jul-2014 08:34
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mattwnz:
xpd: Also HRV will prob cost the same if not more as running 2x dehumidifiers. 



I thought they were supposed to be really cheap to run. I recall they used to be advertised to cost about 20 cents a day, and really they are just a fan connected to venting with a controller, so there isn't much to them. Dehumidifiers however have heating and cooling to them as well as  a fan..


I know of a couple of ppl who have had them (one rental, one owner), and both have said their power bills increased by a noticeable chunk. Wont get into it here, its been thrashed to death multiple times on multiple forums :)





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timmmay
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  #1089724 16-Jul-2014 08:43
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I think you should get out of there, going via the tennancy tribunal otherwise you'll pay huge fees for leaving early. The landlord won't fix the problem properly.

graemeh
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  #1089761 16-Jul-2014 09:35
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Following on from timmmay's suggestion you should contact Tenancy Services now.

Ask them about how to issue a 14 day notice to the landlord about the dampness, focus on the water under the carpet as they can't say "oh you just need to air the place out".

At the same time as issuing the 14 day notice make an application to the tenancy tribunal for termination.

michaelmurfy

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  #1091754 18-Jul-2014 20:54
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An update: I don't think you can air out this kind of dampness: https://imgur.com/a/pHelt

Landlord has been operating 2x dehumidifiers for 2 days straight and the place actually somehow got worse when we left, we were still unpacking so I had boxes stacked in my room and a washing basket in the corner however returned to find my room has been quite literally trashed in her attempt to get into my closet: https://i.imgur.com/RzgFvMx.png

I can't wait until this is over :( we found out the other day the place is back on Trademe (she didn't tell us about this) and she has also entered the house multiple times while we were at work without asking us first. This has to be the most stressful place I have ever stayed in.

Note - we have not been living there for a week now.




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networkn
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  #1091762 18-Jul-2014 21:22
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I really feel for you, I hate a bad run with landlords and some crazy people I boarded with as well. Tenancy Tribunal is your only option at this point, any advice here would be less legally useful than what they will tell you since they deal with this every day. 

Keep careful notes of your interactions and do it as soon as they occur so they are fresh and more likely accurate. 

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  #1091775 18-Jul-2014 21:29
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Make sure this goes through the tribunal!

It can be a stressful process (it's seriously worth it!), but I'm not convinced you should have to pay anything at all for this place (she may actually have to pay you your costs) and, you owe it to others to have it on record that this has happened. If nobody does anything, she'll just keep doing it.

I've been to the tenancy tribunal, the process was fair and did not favor either party. You just have to be able to prove everything you claim.
My landlord got quite a lesson in being a landlord. I left with a lot more confidence and knowledge about the renting... but it was probably (hopefully) my last rental.

michaelmurfy

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  #1091776 18-Jul-2014 21:30
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networkn: I really feel for you, I hate a bad run with landlords and some crazy people I boarded with as well. Tenancy Tribunal is your only option at this point, any advice here would be less legally useful than what they will tell you since they deal with this every day. 

Keep careful notes of your interactions and do it as soon as they occur so they are fresh and more likely accurate. 


I totally agree with you. I've also stated to her I'll be recording her phonecalls and have some crazies recorded - can't share them however but they are more cringe-worthy than that Comcast rep + you end up with permanent hearing damage after listening to them.

We're getting our stuff out of there regardless and putting it into storage for the time being and a nice shiny new 60mbit VDSL connection has been provisioned there just a week ago (have not been able to use yet nor is any modem connected). A real shame this house ended up being this bad as if it was dry + warm we'd have no complaints at all.




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michaelmurfy

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  #1091779 18-Jul-2014 21:32
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andrewNZ: Make sure this goes through the tribunal!

It can be a stressful process (it's seriously worth it!), but I'm not convinced you should have to pay anything at all for this place (she may actually have to pay you your costs) and, you owe it to others to have it on record that this has happened. If nobody does anything, she'll just keep doing it.

I've been to the tenancy tribunal, the process was fair and did not favor either party. You just have to be able to prove everything you claim.
My landlord got quite a lesson in being a landlord. I left with a lot more confidence and knowledge about the renting... but it was probably (hopefully) my last rental.


I was hoping this would have been my last rental before I bought a house of my very own but yes, it is on its way through the tribunal now. Has been very stressful at the moment but thank god that my partner still has a house I can stay at (plus she brings me food and looks after me which is a bonus)




Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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Dynamic
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  #1091787 18-Jul-2014 21:38
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michaelmurfy: ...and she has also entered the house multiple times while we were at work without asking us first...

I'd send a formal letter advising her of her obligation to give you 48 hours notice (or phone for verbal approval) immediately.  That's not on.




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andrewNZ
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  #1091788 18-Jul-2014 21:38
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Oh, be sure to have transcripts of the phone calls so you can quote parts of them if needed, there will probably be no opportunity to play them. The mediator at mine was in no mood to muck around.



michaelmurfy

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  #1091807 18-Jul-2014 21:44
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andrewNZ: Oh, be sure to have transcripts of the phone calls so you can quote parts of them if needed, there will probably be no opportunity to play them. The mediator at mine was in no mood to muck around.

 

I've got full transcripts of the phonecalls so we can refer to them in the tribunal as well as the files sitting in Onedrive just in case.

Dynamic:
michaelmurfy: ...and she has also entered the house multiple times while we were at work without asking us first...

I'd send a formal letter advising her of her obligation to give you 48 hours notice (or phone for verbal approval) immediately.  That's not on.


Yep done that too. She doesn't answer the phone from me anymore nor even wants to talk to us.




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Glassboy
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  #1091813 18-Jul-2014 21:57
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michaelmurfy: An update: I don't think you can air out this kind of dampness: https://imgur.com/a/pHelt 


That's not damp, that's infiltration.  The landlord is out of her mind not getting a plumber in to investigate.  She's likely to have a wall or ceiling collapse at some stage.

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