Every landlord is always on the lookout for tips that help boost profits of their rental property but sometimes advice can be key to saving time and costly repairs.

Here at landlordmoneysaving.com we are always keen that landlords and tenants can work together to have a property that is safe and comfortable to live in and does not require lots of maintenance through improper use of it.

Which brings us nicely to the question of mould and condensation complaints which start to roll in at this time of year.

Tackle condensation in rental properties

Now the winter weather is upon us, we are spending more time indoors which is when tenants begin to notice condensation and damp issues in their property.

Condensation is perhaps the most obvious since it causes damp patches to appear on walls, wallpaper to peel and there’s moisture on the windows too.

Most tenants will generally ignore these early signs of condensation but this will then escalate into a problem of mould which will spread across windows, walls and ceilings.

Then the tenant will mention the problem to the landlord despite the fact it takes weeks and months for mould to develop in this way.

Highlight to tenants that prevention is better

It’s also easier to resolve in the early stages which means that landlords should highlight potential problems with condensation when a tenant moves in and also on their regular inspection visits.

Essentially, the reason condensation begins is because there isn’t enough ventilation or heating. By spending more time indoors the humidity and moisture will increase – and because our properties are more energy efficient then the problems increase more quickly.

To illustrate this to tenants, a landlord could explain that when four people are living in a three bed property they will create around 112 pints of moisture every week just from their cooking, showering, breathing and boiling a kettle!

If a landlord is having a regular problem with condensation and mould then the easiest solution, and a permanent one, is to install whole house ventilation which will prevent the problem from occurring and damaging the property itself.

Tips to prevent condensation and mould building-up

Otherwise, a landlord should highlight these following tips to prevent the build-up of condensation in the property:

• Dry clothes outdoors rather than indoors, if you cannot do so outdoors ensure windows and doors are open to prevent the build-up of moisture
• Ensure that tumble dryers and washing machines are properly vented
• Keep the doors to colder rooms closed to prevent steam going in there from things like cooking, showering and boiling kettle, as this will cause condensation
• When cooking use an extractor fan or open a window, particularly when cooking without lids on a pan (it’s also worth pointing out that the window or the extractor fan should be left open for at least 20 minutes after cooking too)
• Likewise, when showering or bathing, open a window to allow moisture to escape

Landlords and tenants should appreciate there needs to an adequate amount of heating that will boost the internal temperature of surfaces at the property and reduce condensation as well.

Essentially, these tips are common sense and for many people they are natural thing to do but some tenants may need encouraging to form new habits and appreciate that their activities are usually directly responsible for the build-up of condensation which then becomes mould.