Unfortunately for thousands of UK tenants, eczema can be severely aggravated by poor housing conditions which can be caused as a direct result of a landlord failing to maintain their rental property. This is especially bad in the social housing sector, with many Council and Housing Association landlords managing and renting out inadequately maintained housing.In this article we look at what eczema is, how this is impacted by poor living conditions, and what can be done by the tenant.
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin condition that causes your skin to become red, sore, itchy, dry and may appear like a rash. Having eczema causes your skin to become very sensitive and you may find that you become more disposed to dry skin and infections. One of the biggest contributing factors to this is your environment.
If your surrounding are saturated in damp and mould, this may cause or aggravate severe skin allergies. As mould is an organisms which thrives in damp and moist conditions, sources of damp into your home such as; condensation, water ingress, leaks and other forms of housing damp will likely lead to the growth and spread of mould.
Mould may look like little black dots with tiny hairs spread around anywhere from ceilings, bathroom, bedroom or living room walls.
If you are experiencing damp and mould in your property this will most likely be as a result of structural damage.
If you are renting your property, your landlord will have an obligation to perform any repairs that are required immediately. If you have small children who are suffering from eczema, your landlord should treat any report as an absolute priority. This is because mould spores within your property can cause children to obtain breathing difficulties, skin dryness, cracks in skin, spread of rash from hands to their feet as well as becoming distressed and upset,
This type of eczema can be caused by an excessive amount of mould within your surroundings. This can show up on your hands or feet and looks like small blisters and may appear to be itchy. When your skin appears to be very dry it can start cracking which leads to bleeding.
This is believed to be caused by a reaction from mid-air moulds.
If you are living in a property which has mould, this can be traced back to a responsibility of you landlord to fix, your landlord has been made aware of this, and this is exacerbating eczema or other heath conditions, you may be entitled to compensation.
Compensation is generally awarded for loss of use of areas of your home, possession damages, general inconvenience, and in this instance; diminished health.
You can try our compensation calculator here.
When living with damp and mould, you may also find that you may experience many health related issues, including eczema. We understand that defective rental housing as well as aggravated medical conditions can be very distressing to live in. We also understand that this can have an negative effect on your mental health; e.g., stress, depression and anxiety.
Fortunately, as a tenant you have legal rights, these are there to protect you, and ensure there is a resolution to any disrepair you are suffering from as a result of landlord apathy. Here at Home Disrepair Helpline, we'll help you set up a claim, and the best bit, we'll also act on your behalf on a No Win No Fee Basis.
As specialists in housing disrepair, we will:
To get started or find out more, simply complete the form on this page or call us on 0161 697 5958.