As a landlord, it’s your responsibility to provide high-quality, damp-free housing for your tenants, and to ensure that your property is kept in good repair.
However, this can prove tricky because condensation can be a major contributor to mould and damp problems. If left unresolved, it can lead to severe (and very costly!) damage to housing.
What’s more, there are some upcoming changes to legislation with the introduction of Awaab’s Law, which means that landlords may soon have increased responsibilities to resolve damp and mould issues in a timely manner.
Condensation is when water vapour in the air forms droplets on a cold surface, such as walls and ceilings. It’s typically caused by common household activities such as cooking, bathing and washing, but even people breathing can contribute.
Unfortunately for landlords, it is the most common cause of mould in domestic properties. While condensation itself isn’t a big issue, if it’s not dealt with properly, it can result in damp patches developing which then encourages mould growth.
Damp patches can also cause damage to the fabric of a building, and create an environment where dust mites and mould can thrive - which can negatively affect the health of anyone living in the property.
Even though, in most cases, it is the people living in the property who are causing the condensation, it is your responsibility as the landlord to deal with damp and mould problems as soon as possible.
This is why it’s important to work with your tenants to prevent the amount of condensation that they produce. In turn, it should help to prevent these issues from developing, saving you time and money!
Here are a few recommendations you can make to your tenants:
By asking your tenants to regularly keep a look out for mould and damp patches, not only will this help to keep them safe and healthy, but it should also minimise repair costs if it’s caught early enough.
Even though these are simple steps, tenants may still not oblige so you may need to take matters into your own hands by improving ventilation throughout the property. This is especially advisable for high-value rental property, where a good ventilation system may be an expected commodity.
If damp is not dealt with in a timely manner, a room may need to be replastered, as the water vapour can cause significant damage that cannot be patch-repaired.
According to Rated People, plastering a single room could set you back anywhere between £500 to £1,500, depending on its size.
Toxic mould, however, needs to be removed professionally as it is hazardous to human health, and therefore can be similarly costly too. Checkatrade states that the average cost of removing mould from a whole house in 2023 was £1,200.
It may be a common saying, but in this case it really is true - prevention is better than a cure when it comes to condensation. The most effective way to prevent condensation (and subsequently mould and damp) is to improve airflow.
Make sure that you have good quality, effective extractor fans installed in all areas of the home that generate considerable water vapour, such as kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. Fans will remove a good amount of moisture in the air before it is able to spread into the rest of the home.
However, the most effective way to remove water vapour (and any other harmful pollutants) is whole house ventilation. A mechanical heat recovery ventilation (MVHR) system will circulate filtered air from outside into the property while removing moisture-laden air, preventing condensation from building up.
The additional benefit of a MVHR system is that it provides fresh heated air, meaning that it will also help to keep the home warm in winter months. We often find that installing a whole house ventilation unit is considerably cheaper than repairing damage caused by mould and damp, and it also helps the property to feel fresher, healthier and all-round more pleasant to be in!
If you’re a landlord and interested in protecting your property with a ventilation system, get in touch with our team of experts today!
Condensation forms when warm, moist air cools quickly. The warmer the air in your home, the more water vapour it can hold. When the temperature then drops - usually at night - it cannot hold as much moisture, so droplets will form on cooler surfaces such as windows and walls.
Without good ventilation to keep the air circulating and remove humid air, all houses can be prone to condensation. However, these problems tend to be more present in older homes.
A warmer house will typically have less condensation because the air doesn’t reach the dew point as frequently, causing less water vapour to turn into liquid.
Newer, more modern houses are required to be more airtight and energy efficient to comply with strict building regulations. This means that these properties are likely to have more insulation, and will be better at retaining heat.
Newer homes, if built to specification, generally feature double glazing, thick insulation in the loft, and dual-skinned walls with cavity insulation. This setup helps prevent heat loss through walls, ceilings, and the roof, keeping stable internal temperatures compared to older houses.
Older homes were built when building regulations weren’t as strict, and therefore tend to have considerably lower levels of insulation throughout. This is especially the case if your home was built before the 1920s, when solid walls were commonplace, meaning there’s no insulation or airflow within the wall to retain heat and prevent damp.
Unfortunately for owners, this means that ceilings, windows and walls will be cooler, and the overall air temperature will fall faster once the heating is switched off - meaning it’s more likely that condensation will be able to form.
Without good insulation and ventilation, condensation is more likely to become a major issue in older homes - especially around windows. While modern houses have UPVC window frames, older properties typically have windows made from wood which can be permeated by water. Even if your window looks ok on the outside, there could still be rot and mould lurking beneath the surface.
Older homes can also suffer from damp build-up in walls, as moisture can soak through the paint and reach the plaster, which then can result in damp patches arising. These patches are likely to cause the plaster to crumble and encourage mould to grow. If left unnoticed, it can turn into a very expensive repair job and a serious health risk.
In both new and old homes, the best way to reduce condensation is to improve ventilation - particularly in those rooms where it is more likely to occur, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
The first step is to ensure that you have modern, effective extractor fans to remove moisture at its source and prevent it from spreading throughout the property. The most efficient types tend to be those that are motion sensored, which will start and stop on their own, depending on humidity levels.
Extractor fans are absolutely essential, but it’s also a great idea to invest in a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system (MVHR) to further improve your ventilation, while helping to keep your home warm at the same time.
MVHR units will remove the humid, moist air from your home and replace it with fresh, filtered air from outside. It’ll also recover heat energy from the property and transfer it into the new incoming air via a heat exchanger, helping to reduce those heating bills at the same time.
Are you worried about the effect of condensation on your older property? We can help! Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation.
If damp is allowed to develop within your home, it can result in the growth of mould and potential damage to the structure of your property. If you find damp in your home, then you must act as quickly as possible to remove the cause and prevent the issue from getting worse.
Essentially, damp is able to form when moisture soaks into porous surfaces in the home, making them saturated. The most common form of damp is condensation, which forms when moist, warm air touches a cold surface, such as a wall or window but it can also build up in other ways.
There are three main sources of moisture within a home that can result in damp:
Penetrating damp
Penetrating damp is caused by water soaking through a wall or a ceiling. It may be caused by gaps around windows and doors, holes in the roof, leaking pipes, or damage to any external walls within the property.
It is usually identified by dark stains on the walls which are caused by pigments from underlying plaster, or rust, coming through the layers of paint.
Rising damp
Rising damp is caused by water soaking up into the walls of your home through the ground, due to a lack of a damp-proof barrier at the bottom of walls. It will only affect the ground floor of a property due to the nature of how it is caused. It can best be identified by stains on the plasterwork, located approximately up to one metre above the ground.
Both rising damp and penetrating damp need to be fixed professionally as soon as possible - typically by a builder or plumber. Once resolved, you may find that you need to redecorate due to the staining it has caused.
Condensation damp
The third main cause of damp is condensation, which forms when moisture inside your home soaks into the internal walls. In a house that is poorly ventilated, humidity levels can build up quickly - causing condensation to form on walls and ceilings.
If allowed to continue over time, this condensation can soak through the paint layers and saturate the plaster underneath, leading to significant problems if not resolved quickly.
The answer to this question is yes, it can help - however, it most definitely is more of a short-term solution rather than a long-term, permanent fix. Although heating can temporarily reduce dampness in your home, you’ll always need to address the underlying cause of the damp to prevent it from getting worse.
Nonetheless, using heating to keep a property warm is still essential and highly recommended, as it can help to slow down any spreading of damp. Whilst heating your home isn’t cheap at the moment, it can actually help to save you money in the long run by ensuring that your home remains structurally sound.
Condensation damp is caused by water from the air inside your home soaking into cold walls, so by warming these walls up and maintaining heat in the property, you will reduce the amount of condensation that is able to form.
Heating can also contribute to drying out damp surfaces once the moisture source has been removed, however, it is only a good solution if you identify the cause and stop the damp from occurring in the first place.
However, there is a downside to using heating to reduce damp. Unless you can dry out an area completely, heat can also speed up the growth of mould, so it could become a double edged-sword.
You’ll also need to make sure that, once you’ve managed to dry up any damp patches or puddles, you can let the water vapour escape through good ventilation. If not, you’ll find all that vapour will settle again on your walls and windows the next time the temperature drops.
Rising and penetrating damp are both caused by physical issues with your house itself, and therefore are best being resolved by professionals - such as a plumber or builder. They will fix the source of the moisture, meaning that the damp will reduce over time and gradually return to its original state.
However, damp caused by condensation can be prevented by you, by making improvements to your home ventilation. Firstly, make sure that you’ve covered the basics - including having extractor fans installed in all bathrooms and the kitchen to allow moisture to escape.
Bathrooms and kitchens contribute to some of the moisture in your home but drying clothes indoors, leaving towels on radiators, and even breathing can also add to the airborne moisture.
By installing a whole-house ventilation system, such as a Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation unit (MVHR), this will greatly reduce moisture levels whilst keeping your home warm at the same time. They work by displacing the moist air from within your home and replacing it with fresh, heated air from outside. As a result, this will greatly reduce condensation, damp and mould.
Worried about damp caused by condensation? Get in touch with our team of professional industry experts today to find out how we can help!
The cold, wintery weather often tempts homeowners to try and preserve as much heat as possible inside their homes, which means that moisture-laden air produced by everyday activities has nowhere to escape to, with windows and doors (understandably) remaining closed.
Unfortunately, due to the large difference in temperature between the cold exterior and warm interior of your home, houses are much more prone to condensation and damp in the colder months. However, there is a solution to keep you warm whilst preventing condensation from forming…but before we explain, it’s important to understand what causes condensation and why it’s a problem.
There are several different causes of damp and condensation in winter - with each of your efforts to keep your household warm likely contributing.
In order to preserve as much heat as possible, homeowners are a lot more likely to keep their windows and doors closed during the winter months. Unfortunately, this ensures that any moisture created throughout the day - such as from showering, washing, bathing or cooking - will remain trapped inside. As a result, the moisture in the air will then be able to condense and settle on surfaces.
People also tend to invest in draught excluders for the winter months to keep any chilly air from the outside that may slip through gaps and into the home. This also means that any interior humidity and moisture won’t be able to escape through these ‘plugged’ gaps, and will be confined to the building.
In winter, you’re much more likely to have your traditional heating systems on full blast, such as fires and radiators. Whilst it keeps your household warm, it also results in increased water vapour in the air, which can then condense onto cooler surfaces such as windows.
Although you may think that condensation is more of an annoying inconvenience to deal with, it can actually cause major problems to your home if you’re not careful.
If causes of damp and condensation are not addressed, it can cause substantial damage to properties and may even result in a hefty bill to replace any affected plasterwork, window frames and door frames. If allowed to damage wooden frames, the fibres within the wood can spread apart, allowing more moisture to soak in - which may then freeze, causing the wood to split.
Treating wood rot is not an easy task, and will often require a professional to carry out expensive remedial works. Condensation can also result in peeling paint and plaster, which again, is not easy to fix and can cause homeowners some serious problems - especially if you ever want to sell up and move home.
Damp and condensation also lead to mould and fungus, which can be a serious health risk.
Luckily for all homeowners, there IS a simple solution to staying warm, whilst also keeping moisture and humidity in your home to a minimum.
At Ventilation Megastore, we are experts in providing Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation (MVHR) for your home - allowing you to have access to fresh, filtered (and heated!) air.
An MVHR system will remove the moist, humid air from your home and replace it with fresh, filtered air from outside. Heat energy from the property is also recovered, and then transferred to the fresh incoming air via a heat exchanger - meaning that the fresh air is also heating your home too, which is vital in the colder months (and will save you money on those heating bills!).
By removing the moisture laden air from your house before it has a chance to settle, this will dramatically reduce any dampness and condensation from occurring, whilst allowing you to keep those windows and doors firmly shut.
Are you interested in investing in an energy-efficient MVHR unit? Get in touch with our team of experts today for a free consultation.
