Mould is a health hazard and renters are most at risk. Here experts in health, law, building and construction examine the problem of mould in homes and offer guidance for both renters and landlords.
Tenants are rarely allowed to make permanent changes to a house. And many landlords know little about the conditions tenants endure, but most who do retrofit homes do it to improve renters’ comfort.
Housing standards in Australia have slipped behind the rest of the world. But momentum is growing to revive past ambitions to build the best homes we can.
Dehumidifiers can help if you’re clever with that you’re trying to achieve, but you should always look to solve the underlying cause. That means, where possible, improving exhaust and ventilation.
The aftermath of flooding provides the perfect breeding ground for mould in our homes. It’s important to properly remove it so it doesn’t affect our health.
Although fungal nail infections are not life-threatening, they’re an important health problem because of their high prevalence and poor response to therapy.
Exposure to harmful agents inside the home can have profound effects on our health. After all, we spend an average of 16 hours a day at home – and even more when aged under seven and over 64.
It is hard to escape indoor mould. It is most commonly found in the wet areas of the home, especially the bathroom and the kitchen, but it can grow anywhere. We all agree that it’s unsightly, but the bigger…
The floods have come and gone in Queensland and in their wake are heartbreak, devastation and months, if not years, of clean-up and rebuilding. Those affected now face a hidden risk to their health from…
We humans use our large brains to make and store maps of our environment; maps we then use everyday for getting around and for recalling where we’ve been. But we are nothing special – many other animals…
Professor of Social Epidemiology and Director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Healthy Housing at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne