Areca Palm isn't thriving the way I expected

Question

So, here's a photo of my dypsus lutescens. As you can see from above, the plant is very much alive, and new leaves (?) are sprouting. However, they immediately drool. It's as if the weight of the leaves is too heavy for the thickness of the stalks. So instead of having it growing vertically, as I usually see them doing, it's growing horizontally and occupying the area around (not above) it.

I keep the soil relatively moist, although the top 2 inches look... weird. As if it has some kind of mould? Not sure. I used a fork to get rid of the clumps, and the deeper soil seems normal. You can observe some leaves with brown tips, which might indicate underwatering. There's also some browning of the stalks, that can point towards a fungal or bacterial disease?

The plant is kept inside, with indirect lighting (4m and 2m away from windows A and B). The temperature is always between 23 and 26ºC; humidity is usually less than 50% (London, UK); not ideal. The coffee shop right across the street has some luxurious Areca Palms, and I would say that the light it gets there is way less than mine (but maybe the artificial lighting in the ceiling helps them). The hardness of the water here is crazy (25 <= DH < 50) though.

My current plan is to repot it (try to get rid of that mould like appearance in the soil). I have a feeling that I will find some rotten roots. The overall plant size is not that big, but I can observe dark roots coming out from the drain holes. I am also thinking in potentially use some physical help (a cord?) around the stems/stalks to force them to stay vertical.

What would you recommend?

Answer 1

Much more light, remove the stones and odd things that are on top of the soil

No need to repot, just water less

Answer 2

Replanting is not needed - in my subjective opinion - but in an year will. Preferably do it during the cold and Sun-less months but don't get too hung over it - it will survive even if a drunk kicked it into the soil. Water before moving as to prevent rootball break-up.

Google says(source is a mess to read) it prefers pH of 6.0. which means - unfinished compost or sulfur or idk. But is close enough to soil from the shop. Perhaps a couple of drops of vinegar when You water as I do to my oats and they're fairing pretty well.

"Have the top soil dry up and then water until it drains from the bottom" is a standard advice but I cared for a palm and it's dead now.

(a cord?) around the stems/stalks to force them to stay vertical.

Please make that a thick and lose rope, plants like growing around cords and I've seen plenty a time a fist-sized object permanently embedded in a tree.