Temporary Accommodation: Your Rights When Mould Removal Requires Decanting

The Dreaded “Decant”: What It Actually Means

It’s the phone call no tenant wants. You’ve reported the damp, we’ve come round to inspect it, and the verdict is in: the work is too extensive for you to stay put. In the industry, we call this “decanting.”

It sounds like something you do with a bottle of red wine. In reality, it means packing a bag on a Tuesday night because your bedroom walls need to be stripped back to the brick.

After twelve years fixing London homes, we know how stressful this is. You aren’t just losing a room; you’re losing your base. But here is the truth: if a professional company suggests you move out, it’s not for our convenience. It’s for your safety.

The Trigger Points: When Is Stay Impossible?

Not every spot of mildew requires a hotel stay. Most jobs we do are completed within a day while you’re at work. However, specific scenarios trigger an immediate need for temporary accommodation:

• Category 3 Water Damage: If the mould is caused by sewage or contaminated water (like a flood), the property is biologically hazardous.
• Structural Drying: Industrial dehumidifiers and air movers are incredibly loud—think “jet engine” loud. You cannot sleep through them.
• Chemical Treatments: Some mould removal treatments require the property to be vacant for 24-48 hours to ensure safe air levels.
• Loss of Facilities: If we have to remove the only toilet or shut off water/electricity for safety reasons.

We recently handled a Victorian conversion in Ealing where the floor joists were rotten from fungal decay. The floor literally had to come up. You can’t ask a family to live hovering three feet above the ground.

The Big Question: Who Pays for the Hotel?

Let’s cut through the noise. If you rent, your landlord (whether private or council) has a legal duty to ensure the home is “fit for human habitation.” If repairs make the home uninhabitable, they need to sort it out.

Scenario A: The Landlord Provides Accommodation

Usually, the landlord books and pays for a hotel, B&B, or short-let apartment. This is the smoothest path. You continue paying your normal rent to the landlord, and they cover the cost of the temporary stay.

Scenario B: You Find Your Own Place

Sometimes landlords ask you to stay with friends or book your own hotel. If you stay with mum and dad, you might negotiate a rent reduction for those days. If you book a hotel, get the agreement in writing regarding reimbursement limits before you hand over your credit card.

Eating Out and Travel Costs

This is where arguments often start. If you are moved to a hotel room with no kitchen (just a kettle and a tiny fridge), your food costs skyrocket. You can’t boil pasta; you’re stuck buying sandwiches or takeaways.

Your Rights:

• Meal Allowance: If you have no cooking facilities, you can ask for a daily food allowance. A reasonable amount (often around £15-£25 per person/day) covers the extra cost of eating out vs cooking at home.
• Laundry: No washing machine? You can claim reasonable laundry costs.
• Travel: If the temporary accommodation is miles away from your work or your child’s school, you can claim the extra travel costs.

Keep every single receipt. We mean it. Buy a sandwich? Keep the receipt. Bus ticket? Keep it. Without paper proof, getting reimbursed is a nightmare.

Social Housing vs. Private Landlords

The rules differ slightly depending on who you pay rent to.

A client in Bermondsey (Housing Association tenant) was decanted for three weeks. Because it was a formal process, she received £500 up front for expenses. A private renter in the same situation might have to fight to get reimbursed weeks later.

What Happens to Your Stuff?

When we come in to remove mould, we need access to the walls and floors. We can’t work if your wardrobe is in the way.

Protection is Key

Standard procedure involves:

1. Grouping: Moving furniture to the centre of the room.
2. Sheeting: Covering everything in heavy-duty plastic to prevent spore cross-contamination.
3. Storage: In extreme cases, furniture might need to go into storage. If the mould has penetrated the sofa or mattress, we might recommend disposal (which is a contents insurance claim).

How Mould Removal Specialists Handle Decanting

We aren’t landlords, but we are the technical experts who trigger the process. When we assess a property, we provide a detailed report categorising the risk.

If we mark a property as “Unsafe for Occupancy,” that is your golden ticket. It gives you the evidence you need to force a landlord’s hand or support an insurance claim for accommodation.

Our goal is to get you back home fast. By using industrial-grade heaters and HEPA filtration scrubbers, we can often turn a 2-week drying job into a 4-day job. Less time in a hotel, sooner back in your own bed.

Your Questions Answered