Ventilation in a rental property

L

Leesider32

Registered User
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192
Hi all,

A house that I rent out got inspected recently by the council and of course there are a number of things I have to do. Most of them are ok but there is the need to "arrange for supplementary wall window vents to be installed to ensure that a minimum sectional area of 6500 sq. mm is provided to each habitable room."

Now it is an old house with very thick walls so I am not going to be making holes in the walls so is my only option to have a vent 6.5cm x 6.5cm into each window? I presume they can fitted into the existing windows?

Another one was to do with a gas cooker - "Provide suitable facilities for the effective and safe removal of fumes to the external air by means of a cooker hood or extractor fan, within the timeframe indicated,"

Again my only option is to have something going out the window, is this even possible?
 
Had similar a few years ago, argued successfully that the house was built in accordance with spec of the 1990s and wasn't going to retrospectively superimpose today's regulatory specs on that house, which would be a nonsence.
The argument was accecpted.
 
I had similar in an old D12 property a few years back, last thing it needed was new holes in the wall but that's what they insist on. What I did though was fit anti-draught vents. They don't meet the minimum free area requirement, but the inspector just noted vents had been fitted and moved on.
 
We had similar. We put the vent in as requested and the tenant filled it with socks because the room was too cold!!!
 
MaryBe said:
We had similar. We put the vent in as requested and the tenant filled it with socks because the room was too cold!!!
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Had similar experience years ago, mould appeared in bedroom and sitting room, had told tenants at lease signing not to block vents.

On examining the vents found old pages from Nortside news...wasn't us said the tenants immediately.

The date on the classified ads said different, a week after they moved in.
 
I have lived in my house and had tenants in it in the past.

At least 50% of mould issues are down to lack of basic effort by occupants such as opening windows after use of bath/shower and drying clothes indoors.

Ventilation such as the above helps but it’s not a panacea.
 

It is for this reason I always advise landlords to assume the tenants won't ventilate efficiently and to take the control of ventilation out of the hands of the tenants. This can be quite readily achieved in most properties.


I wonder is it lack of basic effort or a lack of basic understanding (knowledge) in general on how to ventilate a dwelling efficiently.
 
Micks'r said:
This can be quite readily achieved in most properties.
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Mechanical extraction in a shower room can only achieve so much.

Wipedown of damp surfaces and 5-minute ventilation via a wide open window achieve a lot more. My experience is most tenants won’t do the latter two and you will never be able to compel them.
 
If you are referring to the typical single intermittent ceiling or wall fan, agreed.

However, there are far better continually running solutions readily available which buys you plenty of margin and pretty much eliminates the need to compel tenants to do anything.
 
Micks'r said:
However, there are far better continually running solutions readily available which buys you plenty of margin and pretty much eliminates the need to compel tenants to do anything.
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Not without putting holes in walls though ? I'd be intrigued to know a solution which could be attached to trickles fans on windows.
 
elcato said:
Not without putting holes in walls though ? I'd be intrigued to know a solution which could be attached to trickles fans on windows.
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I'm not referring to either 'hole in wall' or window trickle vents here which, in our relatively mild climate, have been proven to be ineffective (for a host of reasons, one being the perception that they are draughty and are blocked up by the occupants) so I'm not exactly sure what you are thinking of.
The optimal solution is invariably specific to the particular situation and one size fits all is not an approach I think is smart. Essentially you are talking about a 24/7 running centralised extract system of some sort. Dwelling age, type, size, use, layout, thermal envelope quality & heat loss characteristics, expected moisture loading, household makeup etc plus occupant knowledge / understanding or lack thereof all have an impact / effect and need to be considered.
 
Do the council follow up on the inspection though? I had one several years ago. I got very worked up about one issue in particular, finally worked out a solution, with much back and forth with the council. They never actually checked that I had taken any action.

I had another inspection just recently with just one significant issue. They want heaters in the bathroom. I just completely redid the bathroom 3 years ago, no heater included. Unlike the previous issue this is black and white, it is a requirement. My plan is just to ignore it. What’s the worst that can happen?
 
Yes Councils very definitely follow up, last one I had it was only to hang a fire blanket and put in a C02 alarm.

I didn't expect he'd follow up and accecpt the photos I sent, however he came out and inspected.

This is just my experience based on five or so inspections over the years. Others experience may differ.
 
Anyway it looks like getting all the items sorted would be in the region of €5k, I was going to spend €1k anyway to sort a bathroom ceiling as had got the roof replaced last year.

Seriously considering selling, I am on interest only but any extra money goes on fixing issues or gradually doing some bigger ticket items rather than paying off the capital. This is the last straw and even with capital gains I would be €40k or so up!

Shame really but it isn’t worth the hassle especially when getting taxed to the hilt as well.
 
If you have PVC windows usually adding trickle vents might satisfy the requirement, though many years ago I lived in a rented apartment that had several 1 cm holes drilled into the bedroom wall which I assume was for this purpose (bedroom was still stuffy and the rest of the flat was frozen from all the drafts).
 
I own a century plus old house in limerick City which I've let to the council for ten years, they allowed me fit a duct from a vent in the ceiling in the upstairs rooms through the roof, they accepted that it wasn't possible downstairs
 
I own a century plus old house in limerick City which I've let to the council for ten years, they allowed me fit a duct from a vent in the ceiling in the upstairs rooms through the roof, they accepted that it wasn't possible downstairs

Load of nonsense, open a window
 
Open a window. Except people don't open a window especially in old uninsulated properties that are already Baltic.

@ The op if it's a very old house with thick walls does in not have chimneys you could ventilate through?
 
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