tell him you wish to go to court about it. Do you have Rechtschutz (legal cover) with your insurance?

Actually i do not have it. I was hoping MV would help. Will call private liability insurer to see what they say.

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Update:

1. The owner has still not come back but in the meantime, I have tried to air the flat more and use the special mould remover.

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On a related note (although different topic), the new owner of my buildingwho came in July 2007 had claimed to open up a new bank account for my deposit. I checked and has opened no account.

I do not have a copy of my bank account number with my deposit. The owner is not responding to my request.

Have contacted MV for help.

I have a mould problem in my bathroom and have found that Javelwasser (bleach) works very well. I reported the problem to my landlord and without question, he informed me it was a problem they had suspected this would happen as the bathrooms were aainted with the wrong paint, b: constructed badly without adequate ventilation.
Mould, as far as I know, is not your problem, it is a problem with the building and unless you are deliberately doing something to cause mould (highly unlikely), it is the landlords responsibility to take care of it. You are not liable for this. Sounds to me like someone is trying to sucker you for an existing problem and betting on the fact that you don't know any better. Try the Mieterverband again.

__________________
A valuable but incomplete strand of thought...

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Well he asked me to ventilate more than ever so that the mould did not come about in the first place.

Mieterverband is helping me as they realize that the owner is trying to sucker me.

We went through some major mold troube last year, so maybe I can give you some advice.

1. mold is almost never your fault. Mold appears when walls are inadequately insulated and because of that the humidity in the room gets so high that water condensates on the walls.

2. landlords very frequently try to blame tenants for mold

All of the following has to be done in writing and by registered mail:

What we did: first of all, we notified the landlord immediately that there's a mold problem. We then politely asked the landlord to remove the mold and set a deadline for the completion of the task. We set a deadline of 10 work days. Don't include any kind of unnecessary information in any letters you write to the landlord.

After 10 days, our landlord sent someone to paint over the mold. This, of course, was not acceptable. We wrote to the landlord again and got no answer. After about 3 days, there was mold again at the same areas that were painted over (as a matter of fact - the humidity in the room was so high, that the paint never dried). We wrote another letter, informing them about the patch of mold - and got no answer. We then field a complaint with the arbitration board for rental disagreements (Mieterschlichtungsstelle). They set a date for the arbitration and we had to send them all correspondence we had with the landlords.

As the date was approaching, we started getting mold on our mattress due to the high humidity. We then wrote another letter (a copy went to the arbitration board) of complaint and started asking for compensation.
About three days before the date with the board, we received a letter from the landlord in which he offered us roughly 500 Fr. for the mattress and coverage for all the damage. They dried the apartment, applied better insulation and repainted everything - didn't cost us a dime.

So, if your landlord doesn't offer to repair the problem, go ahead and write to the arbitration board - it's free and they're very helpful.

dawiz

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Thanks for the input. Well the Mieterverband wrote up a letter saying that if the mould did come back, the owner would be informed and for now that ended it. I was asked to ventilate more especially in the bath where the mould was coming about due to the condensation. I have not checked if there is any on the mattress or other places it was more in the bath and near the window frames.

I am not aware of the arbitration board i.e the Mieterschlichtungsstelle as I am just going through the MVerband.

d

You are partly right dawiz,but not all houeses suffer from poor insulation or whatever it may be.

Thus I beg to differ ....

-drying ones entire laundry in the flat,with closed windows
-having an indoor fountain and/or humidifiers ( especially in winter)and never airing
- not using the vents when cooking nor the ones in the bathroom ( or open a window after the shower/bath)

....are just a few things that can 'help' to cause mould and it's the tenants responsibilty to make sure that they air the flat sufficiently.

You may now think, that i am exxagerating,but sadly I am not,came across this in my 'landlady career'

__________________
Voluntary SWISS shoe -horn to Expats since 1999, do I get a medal now?

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Yes, not airing is considered the tenant's fault....I checked this out. Opening the windows after the bath is key, even though one might forget in the rush.
The owner has asked me to do all of this and I agreed.

As for the deposit, it is altogether another matter and i need to work on getting it resolved.

having been in court about this very thing, I can tell you that it is the tennant who should air the apartment correctly - but the landlord should provide instructions on how best to do so.

And to fight it out in court to one clear winner will cost $$$$ in expert fees.

Stig of the Rising Damp Wall

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REchtschutz for expert fees available ?

I had a mould problem in my bathroom the first winter I moved into this place, and was convinced there was a water leak from above (the guy upstairs was working in the Far East).

Being something of a fresh air freak, I usually have windows open, but during a sudden cold snap I didn't open the one in the bathroom. The landlord simply suggested that I make sure I opened the window after a shower and the problem went away.

My rule of thumb now is that if the bathroom mirror is misted up, the window needs opening, and I no longer leave wet towels in there.

I very much doubt it - but you can try with your insurance legal coverage people....

Seeing as a few people here seem to have more experience with mold problems than me, here's a request for advice:

We've been having a bit of a problem of mold appearing on the wall in one of our rooms. I've been trying to keep it at bay and for the most part it looks dead. The problem is that the wall is not smooth: the surface is very bumpy, and it is nigh impossible to properly clean the little dimples. As a result, there are still black marks on the wall, although I've sprayed it with so many rounds of anti-mold products I can't see how anything could still be alive in there.

Given that the wall can't be properly cleaned, will it have to be replaced (in case the mold gets into the structure?) or might a thorough cleaning followed by repainting with anti-mold paint be enough?

HM

We have noticed that mold is building up in one of our bathrooms and the 2nd bedroom (kinderzimmer). The first thing we did is to inform the rental agency. Later on we have a visit from some mold expert who checked both the rooms. He asked different questions like how do we ventilate and the frequency. Just to point out the bathroom is without any windows but equipped with a small ventilator.

Anyway we have three bedrooms, living room and any additional computer room. We are ventilating the property by opening up the windows (not fully open) but with a security lock (opening from upside). This is due to security reason as we live in the ground floor.

We have received a bill (300chf) from our rental agency to pay up the fees for this expert as he is blaming us for this trouble. The main reason is that property is not properly ventilated and the bathroom ventilator is not properly cleaned. He recommended to open all the windows (fully) and doors, three times a day, for ten minutes each. My missus is getting a bit nervous as she thinks its a clear problem of security to let open your house (heard some petty theft in neighborhood) with two small kids in the house.
Question is why the mold is building up only in one room.

The cleaning up of the ventilator is another issue as we have never been told how to clean it. I have checked with neighbour's and no one is aware of this cleaning job. The instructions of ventilation should be given to us in writing with the contract and put into the house rules.

Any suggestion how to proceed?

Hi,

if you haven't done so, join the local section of the "Mieterverband". Costs about 80 Fr. / year and is very much worth it. They offer you free legal counseling in these matters.

Then (unless the Miterverband's legal counsel tells you anything else) I'd write them a letter stating the following:

1. You're convinced that you didn't cause the mold problem
2. You're not going to pay the bill at this point
3. you give them 10 days to fix the issue
4. Take pictures and send them along

Only state facts and be firm but polite (this will later help you should the issue go to the arbitration board) . Do not try to explain why you think you're not responsible, other than stating that you adequately vented the rooms and that it doesn't say anywhere in the Hausordnung or your rental contract that you're supposed to clean the bathroom vent yourself.
It might also be helpful if you could get a written statement by one of your neighbors saying that they haven't been instructed to clean the vent, either.

Do not threaten them - just set a deadline 10 (working) days in the future. Do not threaten them to go to the arbitration board at this time. You can do that after the 10 day deadline hasn't been met.

If they don't meet the deadline, ask the legal counsel how to proceed. The usual way here is to ask for a reduction of your rent for the time since the issue has been reported until it is resolved. After that, one usually calls on the arbitration board (which is free, don't worry about that)...

Also: it is essential that henceforward all your communication is done in writing by registered mail. Don't ever try to settle things over the phone!

regards,

peter

ps: mold issues are almost always blamed on the landlord by the arbitration board.

You are not responsibel for the construction of the building, and if you were to clean the ventilator, you should have been shown how to do it. We were also told to open the doors and windows, and if you are both working during the day, the only option is leave tehm open. Also, as the walls have textured paper they provide a place for damp to hang around, and cellulose as potential 'food'- not good. A year on, our problem has not returned (we bleached, the building painted), BUT it did come out that it was NOT our problem. I found out that the whole building had a problem, and our apt. was the best managed (We don't dry clothing in it and open the windows. I am very allergic to mould, so am always checking). Be sensible with your own hygenic responsibilities, but make the landlord know it is a serious health issue for them to keep under control.

Mould can't be eliminated by painting over it.

If it is only superficial, you can use a spray that you will find at the drugstore.

If there are built in closets constructed on walls which are not completely inside the apt but have there otherside on the facade of the house, that is not allowed and the mould that builds up behind the closet will be considered the landlords fault.

In any event be sure to airate regularly, even 2x a day if possible.

Mould can be very bad for your health, especially that of children.

K

[QUOTE=Greenhill;227907]We have noticed that mold is building up in one of our bathrooms and the 2nd bedroom (kinderzimmer). The first thing we did is to inform the rental agency. Later on we have a visit from some mold expert who checked both the rooms. He asked different questions like how do we ventilate and the frequency. Just to point out the bathroom is without any windows but equipped with a small ventilator.

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I have had a lot of problems too on this one with the owner. Bought a mould remover and then me and a friend removed it. In this case I was asked to ventilate twice a day. If it happens due to lack of ventilation, it is up to the tenant to ventilate more, i think. So I have been doing that and also using the mould remover.

I told him I would do it myself with a mould remover (costs CHF 16) and ventilate frequently. He came in after a month to check, after making an appointment.

If it is something other than that, then i think it is the owner's fault, as mentioned by a few people here e.g. facade, behind closets or not knowing how to use the ventilator etc.

I did need help (a fair bit) from the renters association i.e. mieterverband.

i quickly realized he was trying to take advantage of me and that he will continue to do so in other forms and ways in the future as well.

I talked to a few people and they said ventilation is the tenant's responsibility.