Advice sought about leaking roof nightmare
Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:57 pm
Hi, I'm seeking some advice about a leaking roof in a property I am renting.
Background
I've been renting a bungalow for the last three years. Ever since I moved in, there was a patch of damp on the ceiling in the kitchen. It was patched up around three times, but would always reappear after a few months.
It appeared again in June of last year. The landlord arranged for some people to fix it, but three times they were scheduled to visit and each time the people didn't turn up. The landlord arranged with someone else, but then told me that that had fallen through and no further arrangements were made.
So winter came, and, when the snow appeared, it cracked the roof and I woke up to find water damage to the ceilings of three rooms, with very large pools of red water on the floor in two rooms (fortunately, the tiled kitchen and bathroom). The landlord arranged for the whole roof layer to be redone, which was a bit of a nightmare for me and my neighbours as it was the days around Christmas, and also because the roofers trashed my front garden.
Current situation
In March this year, a new damp patch appeared in my living room. The roofers came and did a bit of repairing, but when rain came again, the damp patch grew and new ones appeared.
Five months later, there are now eight damp patches in three rooms. The roofers have been back five times now to "do repairs", but the patches keep growing and new ones appear.
It's really getting me down as it's not pleasant spending time in a room with lots of growing damp patches, and so I've not been spending much time in my living room. I like to play the piano, and I have one in the living room, but haven't played for months now because of the damp patches.
My tenancy contract finishes in a couple of months and I'm in two minds about whether to renew. The one previous damp patch, upon freezing/cracking, caused damage to the ceilings of three rooms and let large amounts of red water reach the floor in two rooms. As things stand, with eight damp patches in three rooms, I fear a disaster when snow comes again. Many of my possessions could be destroyed and the bungalow could even become uninhabitable.
So my questions are:
1) How can this roof nightmare be resolved and the damp patches be fixed?
2) I have no confidence in either these roofers' professional integrity or competence, and therefore have little confidence in the quality of the work done on the roof. If it can be confirmed that the damp patches have stopped - repair work done, ceiling repainted, and no new damp patches appearing - do you think the roof will be safe come winter?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Background
I've been renting a bungalow for the last three years. Ever since I moved in, there was a patch of damp on the ceiling in the kitchen. It was patched up around three times, but would always reappear after a few months.
It appeared again in June of last year. The landlord arranged for some people to fix it, but three times they were scheduled to visit and each time the people didn't turn up. The landlord arranged with someone else, but then told me that that had fallen through and no further arrangements were made.
So winter came, and, when the snow appeared, it cracked the roof and I woke up to find water damage to the ceilings of three rooms, with very large pools of red water on the floor in two rooms (fortunately, the tiled kitchen and bathroom). The landlord arranged for the whole roof layer to be redone, which was a bit of a nightmare for me and my neighbours as it was the days around Christmas, and also because the roofers trashed my front garden.
Current situation
In March this year, a new damp patch appeared in my living room. The roofers came and did a bit of repairing, but when rain came again, the damp patch grew and new ones appeared.
Five months later, there are now eight damp patches in three rooms. The roofers have been back five times now to "do repairs", but the patches keep growing and new ones appear.
It's really getting me down as it's not pleasant spending time in a room with lots of growing damp patches, and so I've not been spending much time in my living room. I like to play the piano, and I have one in the living room, but haven't played for months now because of the damp patches.
My tenancy contract finishes in a couple of months and I'm in two minds about whether to renew. The one previous damp patch, upon freezing/cracking, caused damage to the ceilings of three rooms and let large amounts of red water reach the floor in two rooms. As things stand, with eight damp patches in three rooms, I fear a disaster when snow comes again. Many of my possessions could be destroyed and the bungalow could even become uninhabitable.
So my questions are:
1) How can this roof nightmare be resolved and the damp patches be fixed?
2) I have no confidence in either these roofers' professional integrity or competence, and therefore have little confidence in the quality of the work done on the roof. If it can be confirmed that the damp patches have stopped - repair work done, ceiling repainted, and no new damp patches appearing - do you think the roof will be safe come winter?
Thanks in advance for any feedback.