Dealing with tenants complaints about mould?

Do not be bullied.

Contact an eviction specialist and let them guide you through the process.

It would seem you have done what you can and what you should have.

Sorry to hear about your health problems but this is a business you are running – you have made it personal and because there are family connections to the house, you are too emotionally involved.

Give them a firm NO, stick to it, and get shot of them

I have found that installing humidity sensor extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom, (with the on/off switches inaccessible), plus Passyfier vents in all other rooms sorts most damp and therefore mould issues.

The agent you used should have provided you with a tenancy agreement that allows YOU to give notice after 4 months and a day, then serve a Section 21, even though it’s a fixed term contract.
Thankfully, you appear to have well documented evidence regarding the conditions inside the property and hopefully, that will protect you and prove that the mould they complained about was entirely of their own making!
Keeping themselves and the property warm is a waste of energy and money! Hilarious! Don’t be bullied by them and get them out asap.

You must have an EPC in place. If you have all your compliance and they are not using the heating can they even afford to run the property. How much are their bills compared to the previous people who lived there, has there ever been a mould problem in the past, have they given you proof of it.
If you can show all of this keep a diary of everything and check with the letting agent they did the relavant reference checks. I would always get landlord insurance with legal cover because it can be daunting when you’re not sure what your rights are. You can always defend yourself if they do issue legal proceedings and if you keep all your evidence and invoices and have always been reasonable i wouldn’t worry.

Sorry to hear that – unfortunately, that is how this “business” works nowadays.

Options (also proposed above)
(1) Sell
(2) Forced ventilation like @TimRoger said. I had installed extractor fan in a bedroom on either humidity stat or timer.

The key is to get humidity under 50%/60%.

Sometimes, cold bridging – i.e. uneven insulation at the end of the room can also cause issues as water vapour condenses there but forced ventilation will probably fix it.

Tim’s response above is great. A humidity sensor extractor fan in kitchen and bathroom would be good. However I would suggest that there are positive flow ventilation systems that can be fitted into the loft. E.g nuaire. They cost a few hundred to buy and a few hundred to get someone to install it for you. If they are hard wired in they can’t be disconnected.

I had similar problems with a mould in a victorian mid terrace property. However I got 2 large meaco dehumidifiers – one for upstairs and one for down and that has significantly cleared up most of the problem. But, and this is the big but, I have fantastic tenants who are helpful and superb and make my life easy. You, however, do not. The error you are making is emotional. Because there is a family connection to the property, you are emotional about it. Because you (probably) overshared your own personal circumstances, your error is thinking these tenants are as kind hearted and considerate as you. They are not. This is a cold, hard transaction to them, Its not to you. You need to push firmly back. Now it also depends on your tenancy agreement and what it says, as to whether they are in breach of it or not. Are you a member of a landlord organisation? if not, become one, as you are going to need some help. I’m a member of iHowz, which has been brilliant, but there are others, eg. National Landlords Association. Join one. You are going to need help here. Everything needs to be in writing. You have to be seen to be reasonable, if the tenancy paperwork supports it, you need to be able to tell them that they are in breach of their tenancy agreement. You are not liable for the electricity bills etc to dehumify the place. They will not use any dehumidifiers anyway. Thats why the positive pressure ventillation system, hardwired bypasses that one. I would not spend one more penny on the property except for maintenance, until this is sorted. Do not improve the property while they are there. Have they stopped paying rent too? That isn’t clear. This is a most unfortunate experience for you and I’m so sorry for you. Not all tenants are like this, as many of us would testify. However you must recognise the situation you are in. I hope all your paperwork was in place at the outset, otherwise it will get even more difficult. Hope this helps. Get back for further advice/help/comments. There are great people on this site.

Taken from Shelters website. Note the last paragraph.
How to deal with condensation
Condensation happens when wet air forms water droplets on a cold surface, like a wall or window.
It’s often a cause of mould.
Some everyday things can cause condensation. These include: cooking baths and showers
drying clothes indoors
Even breathing causes condensation because the air we breathe out contains water.
Your landlord should not tell you to stop doing everyday things because of condensation.
But it’s your responsibility to take simple steps to reduce condensation in your home.

The advice given is spot on, and in particular, I echo the suggestion to get an eviction specialist. You need to put your own interests first, particularly whilst you are recovering from ill health, and also because you are an inexperienced LL. I understand the emotional side completely, but hard as it is to detach from the fact that it was your dad’s house and you have taken care to provide a lovely home, it is not relevant to the law nor important to the tenants.

Whilst there will be payment involved getting a specialist to act for you, their specialist knowledge and objectivity in these matters should relieve you of the additional burden of anxiety trying to manage the situation yourself, and you can distance yourself from much of the tenants’ shenanigans.

I would focus my efforts on eviction. As a business (which is what you have) you should hire professional support where you are unable to do the work yourself. I would suggest this applies to you given your limited experience, but more so this is an investment in your health and wellbeing. What you pay to an eviction specialist who will guide you through the tangled web of evicting bad tenants will repay you tenfold in reducing your stress and distancing you from the emotional turmoil of bad actors in your dad’s home.
Get rid of these lowlifes and get on with living a fulfilling post-cancer life. You don’t need luck, but best wishes all the same.