Know your home’s humidity while you are away.

What the EPA recommends

The EPA advises keeping relative humidity below 60% where possible, with 30–50% described as ideal. It also identifies moisture control as the key to controlling mold. These are general guidelines, not a diagnosis or a guarantee for a particular home.

Choose settings with your HVAC provider

There is no single thermostat setting we can recommend for every Florida property. Ask your HVAC professional how the home’s cooling, humidity controls and ventilation should operate during an extended absence.

Record the agreed settings and who may change them. A Home Watch visit can document a reading and an apparent concern; it does not replace equipment servicing or performance testing.

What to record during a visit

At Lantern, agreed readings appear alongside your checklist and observations. A useful record identifies the visit date, reading location, temperature, relative humidity and anything visibly different.

• Note condensation, visible staining or unusual odors.
• Compare findings with the property’s recorded baseline.
• Contact the homeowner when an agreed threshold or visible concern is reached.

What a reading cannot tell you

A single reading describes that place and time. It cannot show what happened between visits, rule out hidden moisture or identify the cause of a problem.

If a condition needs investigation, authorize the appropriate HVAC or moisture specialist. Lantern can document the concern and coordinate approved access.