Landlord Mould Responsibility – Should Landlords Install PIV Units?

Tenants are told that they shouldn’t dry clothes inside and should keep windows open if they’re cooking or washing.

But making tenants solely responsible for condensation places unreasonable demands on them, especially if they have nowhere else to dry their cloths or they live in a period house which is already a struggle to keep warm in winter months.

Often, ventilation in rented homes is so poor that even if tenants do everything they can to reduce condensation, just normal day-to-day life adds enough moisture in the air to cause damp and mould problems.

This isn’t just bad for the state of the property, it’s bad for the health of the tenants too.

The NHS state that “…if you have damp and mould you’re more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.”

No one should have to make a choice between being warm and enjoying fresh air, and thanks to PIV units, no one has to.

The costs of having to remove mould, repaint walls, replace plaster or carry out even more expensive structural works all adds up to be far greater than what a you would spend on a PIV unit.

Damp also has an obvious smell, and condensation is hard to hide. It’s a huge turn off for tenants, and you’ll struggle to find high quality tenants if your property clearly suffers from poor air quality.

Your tenants may also be able to take you to court for damp and condensation problems. Given the low cost of a PIV unit, it becomes very hard to make a case that improving the air quality in the home isn’t your responsibility and within your means.

It’s much easier to save yourself the trouble of repairs, tenant dissatisfaction and even legal action by simply installing a PIV unit. It’ll keep your tenants happy and healthy and your property in good condition.