How to prevent & handle mould in your holiday apartment
Strategies to prevent and tackle mould in your holiday flat
June 2025
Mould in holiday apartments isn’t just unpleasant to look at. It’s actually a serious problem that can damage your home and even your guests’ health. If you find mould in your holiday rental, you may need to close it down immediately for safety. We take a look at how to prevent mould from forming and what to do in the worst-case scenario.
How can you spot mould in holiday apartments?
Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to identify mould in its early stages —and the earlier you can spot it, the better. Here are some of the telltale signs of mould. Generally, you’ll find the ones that are higher on our list first; the later ones take longer to appear.
- A musty smell in the room.
- Damp areas, particularly on the walls or on the floor. In the early stages, they may just feel, but not look, damp.
- The wallpaper starts to peel.
- Rotting wooden fittings.
- Finally, visible growth of mould.
Checking your property regularly for any of these signs is a good strategy. It’s important to remember that mould can appear anywhere in the house. Some people assume that it’s limited to naturally damp areas like bathrooms, but you might find it in any room, in fact, even on the outside of your home. Carefully inspect every part of the home. For example, some owners have found mould in silicone joints in their rental property.
Unfortunately, if you already have mould in the holiday apartment, people may start to suffer from exposure. The symptoms of mould exposure range from mild to extremely dangerous and include:
- Breathing difficulties
- Rashes or other skin irritations
- Asthma attacks
- Red, weeping or itchy eyes
- Flu-like symptoms
- Extreme fatigue
- Memory loss (in severe cases)
If anyone staying in your property starts to experience some of these symptoms, it’s time to look seriously at the possibility of a mould infestation.
How to handle mould in your holiday rental
If you think your holiday apartment is infested with mould, you should act quickly. Here are the key steps to take:
- Turn off the heating or air conditioning. When air circulates around a home, it can spread mould spores.
- You may want to get a professional cleaner in to handle this task, as you’ll need some serious scrubbing. Some people recommend using rubbing alcohol for mould in the property, but it’s better to pick up a specific mould solution.
- Wait a few days to check that the cleaning job has worked.
- Going forward, take precautions to stop mould from forming.
If you have a severe case of mould, you will need to go through a mould remediation process. This involves calling a team of professionals in. They’ll be able to assess how far your problem has spread and decide on the best way to deal with it.
Preventing mould from forming in your holiday home
Prevention is always better than cure. If you want to avoid the possibility of mould, here’s what you need to do:
- Monitor the humidity levels in your property. Mould requires humidity levels above 60% to grow. Check to see if any areas of the home are regularly recording humidity levels above 60%, as they could be potential problems.
- Install a dehumidifier. If you find that humidity levels are frequently above 60%, a dehumidifier is the answer. These handy gadgets will dry out the air, lowering the humidity levels. If your property is located in a particularly damp or humid area, a dehumidifier is particularly important.
- Install a fan in the bathroom. Bathrooms are a major danger zone for mould, as they are humid by nature. If there’s no window in your bathroom, make sure you have a fan or vent to dry out the air.
- Use mould-resistant materials. For example, when you’re painting your property, you can use a mould-resistant primer as the first layer. Lay wall-resistant wallboard below the tiles in the bathroom.
- Regularly replace products that can grow mould. These include sponges and loofahs, hand towels and wooden chopping boards.
- Do not lay carpets in high-risk areas. Mould may spread under the carpet without you realising it.
If you follow these steps diligently, you may be able to prevent mould from forming in your holiday rental. Add mould detection to your regular property inspection schedule. Remember, you can’t control what your guests do during their stay. They may not be ventilating the apartment during holidays, so you’ll have to do all you can to make up for it.
How to handle guests when you have a holiday apartment with mould
When a guest rents your house for holidays, the last thing they want to find is mould. As a holiday rental owner, there are two scenarios to consider. Firstly, what will you do if you have guests staying when mould is discovered? Secondly, what happens if you find mould but guests have already booked to stay with you?
First of all, it’s important to remember that mould is dangerous to human health. You should be honest about the problem with your guests. This isn’t simply a case of trying to avoid bad reviews on holiday rental portals; you have to consider the health risks involved. This is an extremely serious situation, and you should not try to downplay it.
Remain calm and professional at all times, and pay attention to your guests’ concerns. If you have guests staying in the home, do your best to find them alternative accommodation. A rental reduction due to mould in your holiday apartment is the absolute minimum you should offer. Your guests may have suffered a physical reaction to the mould; in this case, you may want to advise them about local medical services they can consult.
If you find mould when guests have already booked to rent your holiday flat, get in touch with them and explain the situation. Cancel the booking and, if you can, help them find alternative accommodation nearby. By behaving in a reasonable, professional manner, you may be able to salvage the situation. And if guests do end up leaving a bad review regardless, it’s best to remain calm and above all – apologise to them!
It goes without saying that if you have mould, you should not advertise your holiday home or take any more bookings on your holiday rental website until you’ve found a solution. Guests should only be staying when you have received the all clear and are sure that your property is free from mould.