Q: Around six months ago I purchased a new bedroom. Recently I noticed that the outer back of the wardrobe is covered with mould. My bedroom walls have no sign of mould. Even the wall behind the wardrobe does not have any mould. The mould has also spread inside the wardrobe and affected some of my clothes.

When I contacted the seller he brushed off responsibility by saying that mould is a common problem in Malta. He also told me to clean the mould and to keep the room ventilated.

Since I do not have any sign of mould anywhere else in the bedroom, am I entitled to ask the seller to solve this problem?

A: If you can submit evidence that the mould on the wardrobe’s back has not been caused by mouldy walls in your bedroom, then yes, you may request the seller to either clean the back of the wardrobe at no cost to you or if such a remedy won’t solve the problem permanently, then you may ask the seller to replace the wardrobe or at least replace the part where mould developed.

Should the seller insist he is not responsible and refuses to provide you with an acceptable solution, you may file a complaint with the Office for Consumer Affairs through http://www.mccaa.org.mt/en/online-complaints-form .