diff --git a/picard/ui/options/releases.py b/picard/ui/options/releases.py
index 24c85e908..825d19dab 100644
--- a/picard/ui/options/releases.py
+++ b/picard/ui/options/releases.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class ReleaseTypeScore:
 class RowColIter:
 
     def __init__(self, max_cells, max_cols=6, step=2):
-        assert(max_cols % step == 0)
+        assert max_cols % step == 0
         self.step = step
         self.cols = max_cols
         self.rows = int((max_cells - 1) / (self.cols / step)) + 1
diff --git a/picard/webservice/ratecontrol.py b/picard/webservice/ratecontrol.py
index 1a2d5424b..82e33feab 100644
--- a/picard/webservice/ratecontrol.py
+++ b/picard/webservice/ratecontrol.py
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def increment_requests(hostkey):
 def decrement_requests(hostkey):
     """Decrement counter, it has to be called on each reply
     """
-    assert(CONGESTION_UNACK[hostkey] > 0)
+    assert CONGESTION_UNACK[hostkey] > 0
     CONGESTION_UNACK[hostkey] -= 1
     log.debug("%s: Decrementing requests to: %d", hostkey, CONGESTION_UNACK[hostkey])
 
diff --git a/test/test_file.py b/test/test_file.py
index 132edd23b..564528059 100644
--- a/test/test_file.py
+++ b/test/test_file.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ class TestPreserveTimes(PicardTestCase):
         # access times may not be equal
         # time difference should be positive and reasonably low (if no access in between, it should be 0)
         delta = after_atime_ns - before_atime_ns
-        tolerance = 10**7  #  0.01 seconds
+        tolerance = 10**7  # 0.01 seconds
         self.assertTrue(0 <= delta < tolerance, "0 <= %s < %s" % (delta, tolerance))
 
         # ensure written data can be read back