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Cork is no stranger to wet winters, and all this damp raises the likelihood for mould to develop in your home - especially if you live in an older building or historic home! Preventing mould from getting a footing your home is key, so read our best tips for preventing mould below: Watch our video above for tips on preventing mould, or read the advice below. Here are some tips on how to prevent mould from beginning to grow and spreading: 💧 Tip 1: Avoid Condensation as Much as Possible Through a Combination of Heating and Ventilation When moist air is cooled by contact with cold surfaces (think mirrors, windows, and walls), it condenses into water droplets on that surface You can often see this happen on the windows of bedrooms in the morning, or on windows and mirrors in bathrooms after a shower 💧 Tip 2: Always Use Your Extraction Fan When Cooking and Showering/Bathing Turn your bathroom extractor fan on before  you start showering, not after, and keep it on for at least 15 minutes after you finish This will help get rid of the moist air rather than letting it build up and stay stagnant 💧 Tip 3: Keep Bathroom Doors Closed When Showering/Bathing, and Open Windows After Keeping your bathroom door closed helps keep the moisture from travelling to your other rooms, especially if you have an ensuite Opening your windows after will allow fresh air to circulate and ventilate the room - stagnate air can increase your likelihood of mould 💧 Tip 4: Don't Dry Clothes on Your Radiators or a Clothes Horse Where possible, try to get clothes mostly dry before using a clothes horse, and open a window for ventilation if you do have to use on e 💧 Tip 5: Open Your Windows and/or Trickle Vents Opening your windows or trickle vents (small vents in your windows or walls) for a little while every day for ventilation/fresh air - an hour should do the trick, but if you are just opening your trickle vents and not your windows you may need to keep them open a bit longer 💧 Tip 6: Keep Your Home Warm! Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air and keeping the internals of your house warm will help prevent the drastic differences between air and surface temperatures that cause condensation 💧 Tip 7: Wipe Away Condensation If you notice condensation, be sure to wipe it dry with a towel straight away It is likely to appear on your windows in your bathroom and your bedroom, and possibly on any mirrors and even potentially on your walls Check your bedroom windows every morning when you wake up and be sure to open your curtains and blinds so they do not trap in any moisture 💧 Tip 8: Promptly Clean Any Mould That Appears Mould may start to appear as small black dots, clean it as soon as possible with this spray (or a similar one) once you notice it beginning to grow. If mould does to start to grow in any room in your house, do not let it get worse - spray it as soon as possible with an anti-mould spray before wiping away We highly recommend Astonish Mould & Mildew Blaster, which you can get for around €1.75 from shops like EuroGiant and Mr. Price! Check any areas prone to condensation - mould often starts along window frames or the window reveal (the sides of the wall that the window is set into); it will often look like small black dots at first

With the council inspecting rental properties across the country, we take a look at why they are doing it and what they are looking for. Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, you have likely heard something recently about the Cork City and County Councils conducting inspections of rental properties. Essentially, the councils are conducting mandatory inspections of all privately rented properties in their respective jurisdictions. The inspections aim to ensure that all private rental properties meet the minimum standards for rented residential accommodation. A graphic from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) showing the minimum standards. What are they looking for? All rental properties must meet the minimum standards outlined in the photo above. Our maintenance team has been working hard to ensure that the properties we manage will pass inspection - in their experience, the five most common issues that need to be addressed are: Window restrictors Window/trickle vents Extractor fans in bathrooms must be on separate timer Evacuation Plans* CO and 10-year battery (or mains-wired) smoke alarms *Required for apartments/blocks only How do the inspections work? First, a letter will be sent to the tenants of the property advising them of the date and approximate time the inspection will take place - they will usually give a window of a few hours (i.e. between 9am-12pm), not a specific time. The letter may come from the council, but it is more likely to come from a company they have hired to do the inspections on their behalf. Most often, it is Niall Keely & Associates Ltd. or Thornton Group. Tenants: If you are have received a letter and you are unable to be present at that time, don't worry - they will need to accommodate your availability as at least one tenant must be present during the inspection. Just call the number on your letter and they will reschedule the inspection. The inspection must be rescheduled with the company who sent you the letter, it cannot be scheduled through your landlord or estate agency as the inspections are completely separate from them. If a re-inspection needs to be scheduled, it will be after three months and you will receive notice by letter again. Once the property is found to be fully compliant, a re-inspection occurs every 5 years. Landlords: A letter will also be sent out informing you of the inspection. If you look after your property yourself, you will receive it directly. If you have enlisted an estate agency to manage the property, they will receive it on your behalf. You can be present for the inspection if you wish, but you are not required to be. The inspections are mandatory, so you cannot cancel or opt-out. Once the inspection has been completed an inspection report will be sent out, again either to you if you are independent or your appointed agency. If there are issues that need to be addressed, you or your agency have three months to do so, after which time a re-inspection will be scheduled. This will again come by letter. Once the property is found to be fully compliant, a re-inspection occurs every 5 years. At Powell Property, we are working ahead of the inspection schedule wherever possible in order to make sure all properties managed by us are compliant. We do not know ahead of time which properties the council is intending to inspect next until we receive the notice letters, but we are well-versed in what they are looking for and have developed a cooperative working relationship with the inspectors to ensure a smooth process for all and to minimise re-inspections where possible. If you are a landlord who is unsure if their rental property will meet the minimum standards, call us today and we can schedule an advisory inspection. The inspection is free for those who sign up for management services! Contact us today to schedule your inspection and safeguard your investment.