Tackling dampness and ventilation creates a dry, healthy home that holds in the heat, reduces emissions and keeps money in your pocket. During a tenancy, tenants need to keep the house well-aired and remove any mould straight away. Here’s what steps you can take to ensure that you and your family stay safe and warm this winter:
Easy Ways to Ventilate and Reduce Damp:
• Air your home regularly. Open doors and windows for 10-15 minutes each morning. Airing out a room when you turn off the heater also helps to avoid condensation. Keep the curtains open during the day.
• Keep curtains open during the day Sunlight can kill most mould and spores, and they cannot grow under ultraviolet light (sunlight).
• Use energy efficient, low emissions heaters. Heat every room being used by someone to at least 18°C.
• Do not use unflued or portable gas heaters inside your rental property.
• Dry washing outside. Use a washing line or rack under a covered verandah, garage or carport. Use a clothes dryer only to finish them off, or if it's raining.
• Use extractor fans and rangehoods when fitted. Make sure they're regularly cleaned for maximum extraction.
• Turn on the bathroom fan before a shower or bath. Shut the door and open the window. Afterwards, leave the fan running until the moisture clears.
• Use lids on pots when you cook. This helps to stop the steam escaping.
• Move furniture away from walls in winter. A 10cm gap will discourage mould (especially on external walls).
• Maintain a clean, clutter-free environment in the property. To ensure adequate ventilation and minimise the buildup of dust. Dust accumulation can carry mould spores and other pollutants.
• Leave wardrobes slightly open. A little air circulation discourages mould from growing on fabric.
• Use a dehumidifier on damp days. This will help to reduce condensation, but it won't solve a dampness problem. It's better to tackle the sources of damp and heat as detailed above, and ventilate your home daily.
Heat Pumps – how to run your heat pump efficiently
• Use the timer to warm the room just before you get home and switch off when you don't need it.
• Set the thermostat to above 18ºC (to combat damp and mould) but below 21ºC (to save power).
• Set it to 'heating' mode 'auto' can make the heat pump waste energy by constantly changing between hot and cold.
• When it's really cold, set the fan to 'auto', 'low' and 'quiet' won’t give you full blast.
• Heat pumps sometimes blow cold air during very cold weather, to defrost the outdoor unit. This is normal, and it should be back to heating in a few minutes.
• Clean the filter with a vacuum cleaner or warm water every couple of weeks. It's easy and makes all the difference.
Other things to do to prevent mould and damp:
• Wipe condensation off walls and windows daily.
• Keep the shower curtain hanging inside the shower or bath so water doesn’t drip on the floor and wash the curtain every few weeks.
• Keep only a few plants inside.
• If you have a mattress on the floor, air the mattress every day by removing the covers and lifting the mattress onto its side. Consider getting a bed base that allows air to circulate.
If you’re doing all the right things, and the house is still damp and mouldy. If minor amount of mould starts to grow, clean the surface with warm soapy water and allow the area to dry thoroughly. If the mould returns, talk to your property manager, as there may be other issues and your property manager needs to be aware of any potential problems.
With all private rentals having to comply with the healthy homes standards by 1 July 2025, rental homes around the country are being made to be safer, dryer and warmer for the nearly 600,000 households that are for rent in New Zealand. By improving the quality of rental homes, New Zealanders who rent will experience improved health, as well as lower medical costs and lower levels of hospitalisation. Warmer and drier homes are also less likely to have issues with mould or mildew. Harcourts property managers are proud to be front footing compliance with the healthy homes standards and improving the standard of the approximately 26,000 rental properties managed throughout New Zealand.