Cypriot flats can be cold and damp in winter: many buildings lack central heating and insulation, and windows lose heat. A dehumidifier helps reduce humidity.
How to heat the place
- Air conditioning in heating mode — the cheapest way per kilowatt of heat, and it dries the air too. The main option for a flat.
- Oil-filled radiators are simple but expensive to run.
- Bottled-gas heaters release moisture and carbon dioxide — only with ventilation.
- Houses often have a diesel boiler — warm, but costly.
- An electric towel rail makes a big difference to winter quality of life.
Mould: why it appears
Black mould under aluminium frames without a thermal break is condensation at the dew point: at +23 °C indoors and 60% humidity the frame surface cools to about +15 °C and water condenses on it. North-facing flats and buildings by the sea suffer most. After fitting UPVC windows mould sometimes appears precisely because the natural ventilation is gone.
What works
- A class A dehumidifier rated at 12–20 litres a day. In winter a room with one is noticeably warmer and drier.
- Air the place every day, ideally in the morning.
- Don't dry laundry indoors.
- Keep split systems sealed and clean the filters.
- When choosing a flat, look for an energy rating of B or better and windows on two sides.
Insects and dust
- Cockroaches — the season starts in June, and they are worse by the sea and on lower floors. In apartment blocks it matters that the whole building is treated, not one flat.
- Mosquitoes — ordinary plug-ins and tablets work; window screens are essential.
- Dust storms arrive from Africa. The official sensors are on the Department of Labour Inspection portal; the independent network is sensors.social. During a storm, don't run outdoors, close the windows and set the air conditioning to recirculate.
- A yellow haze in the air is often just humidity rather than dust — check the sensors before cancelling your plans.