Dealing with tenants complaints about mould?

Hello, I hope someone may be able to help. I seem to have tenants from hell. I have only one property which was my dad’s before he died. Now I own it with the bank. It’s a lovely little cottage with a south facing garden. I completely did it up and redecorated it to make it lovely for the new tenants and left them a welcome card and a bottle of champagne.

Five or six weeks after the moving in they sent me photos complaining of mould. The week before they moved in I had a major 4 1/2 hour operation as I found out I had cancer last year. The tenants know about this. A great friend of mine offered to help out and take mould treatment round for the tenants. When she was there she took readings of the temperature and humidity in the property. It was freezing.

The kitchen was 9.9°, with 80% humidity and this is where the mould was. The tenant had turned down the boiler to 43°c and the boiler was struggling to heat the radiators. They were drying clothes on electric dryers, even though they have a garden.I suggested that they heat and ventilated properly.

The tenant responded by saying he thought it was a waste of energy and money. My friend explained the necessity to ventilate and heat the property and created spreadsheets which they needed to fill-in so we could help them understand the situation get the property in a comfortable condition.

They have been repeatedly asking me for money. To start with to pay to run a dehumidifier. I suggested that I would give them £175 at the end of the tenancy and now I think I shouldn’t have done this.

I feel harassed by them, trying to extort money from me and they have been very unpleasant and aggressive.

When I was discharged from the hospital, they said to avoid stress at any cost. I had a financial void of four months before they moved in and haven’t been able to work since last summer so I’ve had virtually no income. However, I decided to pay the letting agents to manage the property to lessen the stress.

I am having works carried out on the property. Including new fascia boards, gutters, downpipes, and a new roof, for which I had to borrow the money. I think they broke the tenancy by not heating and ventilating, which they are doing now.

They threatened me with a lawyer, and went to Citizens Advice and the Environmental Health department at the council.

They have been continually all about the money. I feel I’m being blackmailed. They have asked for compensation for the house being uninhabitable. But it seems that they have created the situation.

The letting agents have said that they’ve gone to the court to start an initial claim for compensation.

They want a refund of rent since they moved in in November. They want me to pay for the gas and electricity bills. They want me to pay for a dehumidifier they bought even though I provided them with two. He wants me to pay for providing the temperature and humidity readings, 32 hours at £50 an hour.

I believe if I paid compensation which is ridiculous, they won’t stop coming at me for more.

I want them out as soon as possible and then I’ll sell the property. The letting agent said I can’t get them out as they have a contract until November and in the interim I believe the government are going to dissolve section 21.

I have a proper landlord friend, who suggested I contact Landlord Action, Paul Shamplina. I feel this could get really expensive though, but my friend suggested before I contact them to ask for help on Property118. I find that I’m physically and emotionally exhausted by all the worry and threats.

Any help or advice will be very very much appreciated and I thank you for your consideration.

Thanks,

Yasmin