If you’re a landlord, you may be reluctant to let your property out to students out of fear that they may trash the place or fail to pay their rent. This group does get an unfair reputation however and research has shown that student properties do in fact offer a steady income and produce one of the highest rental yields.
Regardless of who you’re renting your property out to, as a landlord, it’s important to stay on top of any maintenance issues that could cause long-term damage. Winter can be particularly tough on a house and one of the most prominent issues during this time is condensation. In order to prevent this becoming an issue for you, below are some great tips on how to protect your property investment from condensation.
Allow proper ventilation
Efficient ventilation is one of the best ways to prevent condensation from occurring. Ensure there’s an extractor fan in the bathroom and ask tenants to use it every time they have a bath or shower.
When it’s cold outside, it’s very unlikely that we’re going to open any windows. While it makes sense that we don’t want to let the warm air out, not letting in any air means that properties get very little or even no ventilation. A great way to encourage tenants to do this is to ask them to air out one room at a time so if they’re downstairs watching television for example, this would be a great time to open a window in the bedroom.
Don’t dry clothes inside
If the property comes with any outdoor space, provide a washing line so that tenants can use this. When we dry our clothes inside, excess moisture escapes into the property and causes condensation. If indoor drying is unavoidable, it’s advisable to open a window in the room the clothes are being dried in.
Close doors
Many people assume that it’s beneficial to leave doors open when cooking, boiling a kettle or having a shower. After all, surely this prevents steam from building up in the room? You should actually always keep doors closed when doing any of these activities to prevent steam from going into colder rooms and causing condensation to form.
Use a dehumidifier
If you know that your property is prone to damp and condensation, install a dehumidifier and show your tenants how to use it. A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air and can dramatically help to reduce condensation.
Think about your furnishings
Most student properties come fully furnished which allows you to have complete control of the layout. Unbeknown to many, this can play a huge part in how much condensation is produced in your home.
Try to ensure that any furniture is at least 50mm away from the surrounding walls so that air can move around properly. If possible, also make sure that wardrobes are placed against internal walls because they’re not as cold as external walls.
If you would like more information about how to prevent condensation from forming in your property, feel free to visit our Condensation Treatment page or contact us for more information.
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