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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Home & GardenOther - Home & Garden · 10 years ago

Rented basement flat - how to get rid of musty smell?

I am trying to explore every avenue!

We live in a basement flat of an old victorian building. We love the flat and when we first moved in, I couldn't detect any musty smells although the previous tenant said that sometimes, if you are out for a few days it can be a bit musty. There is no visible damp in the flat but the flooring is all carpet.

We moved into the property in Autumn and as the heating is included in the rent, the rooms were generally quite dry so we couldn't smell anything (heating is running between October and April). Over the summer there is no heating at all which is not a problem but as we don't have very warm summers (and this year was rather wet anyway), we realized that the hallway and the bedroom started smelling quite musty. There is no mold on the walls but there can be a bit of condensation on the bedroom windows in the morning if I am drying my clothes (not that much). The only rooms that don't smell at all are the living room, the bathroom and the kitchen. All rooms in the flat are very large so it can be difficult to cover the smell. The only opening in the hallway is the entrance door. The bathroom has an extractor fan - as it has no window - which is being switched on automatically when you turn on the lights. Then there is the bedroom which has windows but is quite dark (so is the hallway). Both rooms smell very musty. There is a built in vent in the bedroom-wall and the landlord provided a small dehumidifier for the bedroom (which I don't think is enough).

As it keeps raining I can't dry my clothing outside which contributes to the problem. I noticed that some suitcases that I stored in the bedroom caught some mold but I was able to wipe that off with antibacterial wipes and it didn't come back. However, the smell is always hanging in the air. I can't wipe the floors as they are all carpet and there is not much I can clean with bleach. I tried sprays and candles but I would have to keep using them as the solution is only temporary. Baking soda and all that stuff only helps in smaller rooms. As both rooms are very big I need a solution that keeps the smell away permanently and on a larger area. I know some will point out health hazards but I guess that's just the thing with basement flats - there is always a bit of a musty smell around them - Or is there anything that can be done? Do I have any rights at all since the walls are not covered in mold but there is only a bit of a smell?

Can anyone please give me some tips and hints how to cover the smell and/or to prevent the problem of damp all together?

Should I ask my landlord to get laminate and get rid of the carpet?

Would it help to put vinegar in an oil burner? (silly question but maybe it helps??)

5 Answers

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  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The carpet is usually a bad idea for basements because even in a dry basement, there is always some level of ground water seeping through the concrete slab, which is very porous.

    The carpet soaks up that moisture and mold starts to develop. That is the cause of the musty smell. You can smell mold long before you can see it, and the fact that you saw mold appear in your suitcases confirms that your apartment in simply humid enough for mold to grow.

    You probably have a high concentration of mold spores in the air, which can cause some allergies in sensitive people.

    The tricky part is that the apartment is not yours, so you will have to ask your landlord to fix the problem.

    The existing carpet, needs to go. According to the Center for Disease Control you can't kill mold in porous and absorbent materials like carpet.

    Ideally it should be replaced by tiles or laminates specifically engineered for use in basements.

    A good basement dehumidifier should then be used to keep relative humidity around 50% so that the mold will not come back.

    For the time being, the dehumidifier will definitely help with the smell, humidity and, if it has an air filter, will also filter out some of the spores out of the air. It will also cause the mold to dry out and stop releasing spores.

  • kevin
    Lv 6
    10 years ago

    The only thing that can be done is to re-concrete or patch the sidewalls. Your underground with a lot of moisture. If I were you I wouldn't live there too long, Black mold can be dangerous and you could catch a very serious infection and even experience life long problems with your health. If there is mold in your suitcase, then there could be mold in your lungs. I'm sorry to alarm you, but musty basements are hazardous places to live in, especially if its not completely sealed. Get a new place to live.

    Source(s): Realtor
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Rent or Buy an ozone generator. Ozone will (#1) take care of the musty odor. (#2) If there are airborne mold spores, ozone will completely kill that too. Read up on it... You will be amazed!

    Source(s): www.ozonesolutions.com
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    The smell is damp the only way you can get rid is venterlation meaning loads of fresh air needed... Do not spray air freshener it will obly make the smell worse

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  • 10 years ago

    problems with basements is they are all underground ..so they are allways damp ..especially the floors ..try and create through flow ventilation open windows front and back and leave doors open to allow airflow

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