Robin Burden answered
It might be possible to bring a case against your landlord for neglect of his duties, or for breach of contract.
However, the process could be lengthy, and the damages you'd be likely to recover might not be worth the hassle.
In my opinion, therefore, court should only be the option of last resort.
Suing your landlord for mold.
If your landlord has been made aware of the presence of mold in your house, then he/she should be given a reasonable amount of time to do something about it.
If no action is taken, here are the steps you should be looking at taking:
Go over your contract.
Take some time to work out exactly where you stand legally, and to see what contractual obligations your landlord is in breach of. You may also want to make sure your landlord can't just serve you with an eviction notice before you take things any further.
Get evidence.
The more, the better. Photos of the mold and doctors' reports on the effect it's having on your health will be useful when claiming damages. Any effect that the mold has on your life should be documented.
However, the process could be lengthy, and the damages you'd be likely to recover might not be worth the hassle.
In my opinion, therefore, court should only be the option of last resort.
Suing your landlord for mold.
If your landlord has been made aware of the presence of mold in your house, then he/she should be given a reasonable amount of time to do something about it.
If no action is taken, here are the steps you should be looking at taking:
Go over your contract.
Take some time to work out exactly where you stand legally, and to see what contractual obligations your landlord is in breach of. You may also want to make sure your landlord can't just serve you with an eviction notice before you take things any further.
Get evidence.
The more, the better. Photos of the mold and doctors' reports on the effect it's having on your health will be useful when claiming damages. Any effect that the mold has on your life should be documented.
Also keep copies of all correspondence with your landlord. You'll need to prove that you've exhausted all the other ways to get the problem resolved, before taking him to court.
Get in touch with your local environmental health department.
They might be able to help you deal with the mold. In the UK, the Citizen's Advice Bureau will be of great help as well. In many areas, the local council may have some authority over private landlords too.
Only after you've gone through all the above steps should you consider legal action. You can then look at claiming damages or forcing your landlord to do the work.
Get in touch with your local environmental health department.
They might be able to help you deal with the mold. In the UK, the Citizen's Advice Bureau will be of great help as well. In many areas, the local council may have some authority over private landlords too.
Only after you've gone through all the above steps should you consider legal action. You can then look at claiming damages or forcing your landlord to do the work.
