According to a new report by the World Health Organisation, rental properties in Australia are more damp than is considered safe, with homes in New South Wales singled out as so humid that they promote mould growth.
Tenant adovcacy group, Better Renting, installed tracking devices in 75 rental properties to monitor temperature and humidity levels, and researchers noted that the average relative humidity in New South Wales properties was 70.3% and levels were higher than that more than half the time.
Relative humidity indoors above 70% increases the risk of mould and dampness, with ideal conditions considered between 40 and 60%. Renters in NSW corroborate what was uncovered in the study, with increasing numbers reporting problems with mould outbreaks during the la Nina period.
One participant in the survey said that “we’re just constantly cleaning mould… My son’s bedroom is full of mould – black mould in the ceiling that spreads across the window, and since the floods it’s gotten worse and it’s happening in my room now.”
The report noted that renters are more likely to be affected by substandard insulation and associated issues because in most states they cannot make any modifications to the property under tenancy legislation.