Have landlords tried dealing with mould the German way?
9:17 AM, 26th March 2025, 1 year ago
25
Although I’ve been a landlord for over twenty years, I only recently came across luften, the German way of dealing with mould.
Briefly, the householder opens all the doors and windows in the morning. They are left open for five minutes in the winter, ten minutes in spring and autumn, and fifteen minutes in summer. This ensures a complete change of air in a property, replacing all the warm moist air with clean fresh air.
I read about this in an article by Kirsty Allsopp, and she has a video about it on YouTube.
In Germany, tenants can be required to do this in tenancy agreements, and any mould formed is attributed to their failure to comply with the tenancy agreement. Obviously, this description of the procedure is short and simple, and many questions are raised, but I advise landlords to find out more about this.
Has anyone else come across luften before?
Thanks,
Tom
Tags:
German ventilation method, landlord tips, lüften, mould, mould prevention, prevent mould, Tenant Responsibilities
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Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1575
10:14 AM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
I’ve known this for decades.
Sadly, landlords cannot go into the property to open all doors and windows. Tenants are like teenagers and know everything about everything so won’t listen.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3508 - Articles: 5
12:34 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Explained all this to one particular tenant …
The reply.
‘I don’t live in Germany. Its cold. I’m not opening the windows it lets cold air in. You don’t pay my bills’
Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 4
1:45 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Yes repeatedly even provided literature
But people in UK prefer not airing.
In Germany we air even on the coldest days – just a few minutes and it has a huge impact
Member Since March 2022 - Comments: 13
1:54 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
You wont get tenants to do that im afraid
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 50
2:12 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Tenants won’t open windows we fit positive pressure units these seem to work well
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1630 - Articles: 3
2:29 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
I remember my Mum coming into my bedroom of a morning, and throwing the window wide open, whatever time of year, whatever the weather. It’s what we used to do before we had central heating. We knew a few things back then.
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2188 - Articles: 2
2:56 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Derek t at 26/03/2025 – 14:12
An expensive way for the tenant to avoid black mould, both in the cost of electricity and extra rent. If that is what tenants, and Shelter, want, then I am happy to give it to them.
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 389
8:15 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
Why anyone wants to live in yesterday’s dirty stale smelly air is beyond me…dirty !
Member Since April 2023 - Comments: 5
11:00 PM, 26th March 2025, About 1 year ago
first of all uk houses are not build the way german houses are. second the “lüften” concept is taught from Kindergarten,
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1435 - Articles: 1
8:55 AM, 27th March 2025, About 1 year ago
It’s not just a German thing. Most European continental Countries do this.
Well before the UK started using duvets, instead of sheets, blankets, eiderdowns and bedspreads, households in Europe not only opened their bedroom windows every morning but also hung their duvets over the open window’s cill.
UK homes used to be built with high level air bricks to passively vent rooms. But nowadays these are plastered over or not even installed and double glazed windows are the norm. Sealed boxes with moisture laden air.