UK Landlord Forum / Life

I have a rental property that doesn't have an extractor fan in the bathroom.  There is a window and so far it seems like tenants do open it as there haven't been any mould issues so far (touch wood).  I am wondering though if I should retrofit an extractor fan and I wonder how easy it would be and the ballpark cost.

The property is a top floor flat in Aberdeen so the outside walls are made of granite.  Has anyone retrofitted a bathroom extractor fan and how easy was it?

Quote from: Doric Pixie on October 30, 2023, 12:43:34 PMThe property is a top floor flat in Aberdeen so the outside walls are made of granite.  Has anyone retrofitted a bathroom extractor fan and how easy was it?

You'll either have to get someone to core-drill a 100mm hole through the thickness of your wall; this will be hard work and expensive. They will need access to the outside of the wall, so unless you have a balcony outside the bathroom or the top floor of the building is ladder accessible, scaffolding or a cherry picker will be needed.

Alternatively, you can have a fan fitted to your window. This is relatively easy if the window is single-glazed as the fitter just needs to cut a circular hole. For double-glazed windows, you will have to have the existing sealed unit replaced with one that has been purpose made with a suitable hole. Have a word with your local glazing company.

Quote from: HandyMan on October 30, 2023, 06:38:23 PM

Quote from: Doric Pixie on October 30, 2023, 12:43:34 PMThe property is a top floor flat in Aberdeen so the outside walls are made of granite.  Has anyone retrofitted a bathroom extractor fan and how easy was it?

You'll either have to get someone to core-drill a 100mm hole through the thickness of your wall; this will be hard work and expensive. They will need access to the outside of the wall, so unless you have a balcony outside the bathroom or the top floor of the building is ladder accessible, scaffolding or a cherry picker will be needed.

Alternatively, you can have a fan fitted to your window. This is relatively easy if the window is single-glazed as the fitter just needs to cut a circular hole. For double-glazed windows, you will have to have the existing sealed unit replaced with one that has been purpose made with a suitable hole. Have a word with your local glazing company.

Thank you very much HandyMan.  There is no balcony so I would need to have scaffolding or a cherry picker.  I think a window mounted fan might be the way to go.  It is a double glazed window and I need to speak to a glazing company now about blown double glazing in another room.  It never rains but it pours

Quote from: Doric Pixie on October 30, 2023, 12:43:34 PMThe property is a top floor flat in Aberdeen so the outside walls are made of granite.  Has anyone retrofitted a bathroom extractor fan and how easy was it?

If you've got access to the roof space you could look at venting out through the eaves. That would also allow you to use an inline fan which would be quieter and thus less likely to get switched off by your tenant.

Quote from: Simon Pambin on November 07, 2023, 12:26:22 PM

Quote from: Doric Pixie on October 30, 2023, 12:43:34 PMThe property is a top floor flat in Aberdeen so the outside walls are made of granite.  Has anyone retrofitted a bathroom extractor fan and how easy was it?

If you've got access to the roof space you could look at venting out through the eaves. That would also allow you to use an inline fan which would be quieter and thus less likely to get switched off by your tenant.

The bathroom is in a dormer extension and I exclusively own the attic so perhaps that is an option.  Thank you for the suggestion. 

You've got two main choices for the fan. If you go through the wall, you'll need a pro to drill a hole, which can be tricky and may require scaffolding.a simpler option is to install it in the window. If it's single-glazed, that's easy