How to keep your rental home warm in winter

[MitchellMc]

Keep your rental home warm this winter and your power bills as low as possible by following our simple tips.  

You don’t need to spend a lot of money or make drastic changes to help keep the cold out, the heat in, and your electricity bills down.

Seal windows and doors

Gaps around windows and doors can be a significant source of heat loss in your home. Seal windows and doors to keep draughts out and trap warm air in.

Door snakes are a great way to stop draughts. They are inexpensive and can be put away at the end of the season. Use them on your entrance door and to isolate living spaces, preventing heat loss.

For a semi-permanent solution, add draft excluders to your front door. You can use easy-off adhesive strips to avoid damage to the door.

For windows, use self-adhesive weatherstripping to seal gaps around the frames. They can be easily removed if needed.

Add rugs as floor coverings

Acting as insulation, rugs help prevent heat loss through floors while providing a warm, comfortable surface underfoot. Used as a barrier against draughts, rugs improve overall comfort, help reduce energy costs and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your living space, making it cozier and more inviting during the colder months.

Add or swap curtains

Curtains can help retain heat in a room. Sheer curtains are great at letting in light but poor at keeping draughts out and insulating your windows. Swap them or add heavy blockout curtains that are designed to retain heat.

You can get assistance from our guide How to hang curtains.

Add a portable heater

Portable space heaters can supplement central heating and save you money by only heating a single room. When coupled with an electric timer, they allow targeted heating at specific times. 

Check out our article on How to choose heating for your home.

Fill gaps and cracks

Gaps and cracks in your home can let draughts in and warm air escape. Use insulation foam strips to fill openings in spaces such as around windows and doors, blocking draughts and conserving heat. 

For delicate surfaces, compress the foam and push it into the gap with a flathead screwdriver instead of using the adhesive strip. 

Reverse ceiling fans

For winter efficiency, switch your ceiling fan's mode by finding the selector switch on the fan body. Turning it to winter mode (usually clockwise) prompts the fan blades to rotate slowly, redistributing warm air trapped near the ceiling downward. 

Speak to your landlord about insulation

If you know your rental property is lacking sufficient insulation, it’s worth discussing with your landlord. Insulation plays a key role in keeping your home warm and can significantly reduce energy bills. It’s an asset to any property. 

More advice for keeping your home warm in winter

Check practical tips on winter-proofing your home by experienced members of the Bunnings Workshop community and the guide How to keep your home warm in winter by Adam Woodhams. 

Need further help with how to keep your rental home warm this winter? Don't hesitate to ask the Bunnings Workshop community for assistance. We’re here to help.

[CodeFox]

* Switching the fan direction doesn't cause the fan blades to turn slowly - it makes them spin the opposite direction to  "blow upward" instead of downward, which causes the warm air at roof level to be distributed without causing a draft directly beneath the fan. Yes, it often works better when on low speed as you're only trying to redistribute the warm air.

More low-cost tips:

* Sliding windows and doors can often have damaged or missing brush seals. These are available in a few different sizes and colours, something like this one https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-6-x-7mm-x-5m-black-mws8-self-adhesive-brush-seal_p0127883 . These work on sliding windows because the brush helps stop the air from coming through the gap, but they only stick and grab on one side, so they can still move with the window/door when you open them. If you're careful, they can often be installed as "additional" seals without removing the window.

* Sectioning off the house - closing doors to unused areas - and keeping only the "in use" areas heated, can save a lot of energy. Just remember to warm and dry those extra areas occasionally, to prevent dampness from causing moisture damage or mould growth.

* Rugs and floor coverings are great for both insulation - keeping heat in the room, and protecting bare feet from the cold surface. However, they can slip easily on hard floors if they don't have a rubber backing of some kind. Extra-wide double sided tape, cut into squares instead of using long strips, works well to stop rugs and mats from sliding around on hard floors, but it can be difficult to remove the tape later, without adhesive remover ( https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?page=1&q=adhesive+remover ), but non-adhesive shelf liner such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/nuplastex-90cm-x-3m-natural-prepack-nonslip-magic-stop-shelf-liner_p0495... can also be easily laid down under almost any rug to keep it in place. This non-slip matting is easy to cut, comes in a few different pack sizes, does not adhere to the floor, and adds extra insulation.

[MitchellMc]

Great additions @CodeFox! I'm sure our members will appreciate them.

Mitchell