Indoor Air Quality: Ideas for a Fit and Sustainable Rental
Maintaining healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for a sustainable rental property environment, as poor IAQ can lead to health issues like allergies, asthma, respiratory ailments, energy wastage, and environmental pollution. This article provides practical suggestions for landlords and tenants to improve IAQ, promoting tenant well-being and environmental sustainability.
Landlords can take proactive measures to maintain high standards of IAQ in their rental properties. To do so, landlords can conduct regular assessments and inspections of their ventilation system, which consists of HVAC filters, exhaust fans, and ductwork. Regular assessments and replacement of air filters are critical in keeping dust, allergens, and pollutants under control and must occur often to protect tenants’ well-being.
Landlords should prioritize using eco-friendly materials and furnishings in their rentals to minimize off-gassing and harmful chemicals that off-gas during use, like low VOC paints and adhesives that improve IAQ and create healthier living spaces for their tenants. To further lower pollution indoors, landlords should encourage tenants to stop smoking altogether and utilize non-toxic cleaners when cleaning.
Landlords may opt to invest in monitoring systems for indoor air quality to identify pollutant levels early and address potential problems quickly. Such systems offer real-time information regarding parameters like temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds which allow landlords to make necessary corrections to achieve an optimum indoor air quality environment.
Landlords should prioritize maintaining their heating and cooling systems for optimal operation. Regular professional HVAC tune-ups are essential, and air ducts should be cleaned as needed. A well-functioning HVAC system can effectively control indoor air temperatures and humidity, reduce mold growth, and address indoor air quality issues.
Renters play an instrumental role in upholding healthy indoor air-quality conditions in their rental property. Renters can boost IAQ by keeping living spaces clean and well-ventilated; vacuuming, dusting, and mopping regularly remove dust, allergens, and pollutants while opening windows or using exhaust fans to help promote air circulation.
Renters should also be cognizant of indoor air pollution and take appropriate action to lower their exposure. Smoking indoors must be prohibited and non-toxic cleaning agents used instead, proper storage of household chemicals like paints and solvents is key, along with investing in indoor plants that filter airborne pollutants to improve IAQ.
Lastly, renters should inform their landlord if they experience issues in terms of IAQ. Renters must inform their landlords about mold, mildew, or moisture concerns in their rental properties and report it immediately to them.
Maintaining good indoor air quality is vital to creating eco-friendly and healthy rental communities, so these tips offer landlords and tenants ways to work together toward improving IAQ for tenant health and sustainability. Working as one, together we can build rental communities that prioritize tenant health.