Improper Mold Cleanup FAQs for Renters

Mold shouldn't be painted over or sprayed

Improper Mold Cleanup or Repair in Rental Apartment or Home FAQs

My landlord painted over mold - what do I do?

Need of advice. I lived in my last apartment that had the mold for 2 years, within those 2 years I had multiple mold issues.

The first time I called in a work order. the maintenance came by they just painted it, then my second they came to demolished and place new drywall on all walls of the dining room, after all that the mold just kept coming back. I was never ask to move to a different building.

I was just offered $400 to keep my mouth shut. Well more mold was then starting to grow in the kitchen. I was done dealing with it and decided to leave 2 weeks prior to my actual move out date.

I just said to myself,they should have more than enough time to demolish the whole apartment. NOW, I'm being slapped with a debt of oweing the apartments for the 15 days I couldnt stand to be.

Should I take this to: A State Housing Authority office near me?

Or should I contact the apartments along with the Better Business Bureau? I never thought to WRITE the apartments while residing there to let them know my concerns, I gave my thoughts in just words. :/ But have pictures of most of it. (Jan 2, 2016) CPR

Reply by (mod):

Just painting mold without removing it and finding and fixing its cause is a sign of lack of understanding of effective mold remediation procedures. But its not clear that what you've seen means that a building needs to be demolished. If you need to get help from local authorities,

Continue reading at HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP for RENTERS

Landlord sprays bleach on black mold in my apartment

Ive been living with blackmold here in my apt for 10 years they havent fixed it every year they spray bleach on it then paint over it and it still comes back its in the wall

and theres a water leak under the building they wont fix but charge us all 90 dollars a month for water amd 60 dollars a month for sewer

there is also a coin operated washer dryer room so were paying for everybodys clothes to wash its not right i been a good tennant for 10 years goin on 11 never been late on my rent once never had 1 complaint and i have to live this way its so sad - On 2020-11-26 by Lisa albrecht

Reply by (mod) - don't just treat mold with bleach

Bleaching mold is fundamentally wrong, can not fix a mold contamination problem, and can leave toxic (even if "dead") mold spores and particles in a building.

The proper repair requires

Find and remove all of the mold contamination - including in building cavities

Clean hard surfaces that can be cleaned

DIspose of soft materials that are moldy and can't be cleaned (carpets, insulation, drywall)

Find and fix the leaks that caused the mold.

You may need help from your health department.

Watch out: prolonged exposure to mold contamination can cause a person to become sensitized and very sick or worse even if she had no reaction initially; and individual's sensitivity to mold varies considerably so someone who enters a moldy apartment and who is at extra risk (elderly, infant, immune-compromised, asthmatic, allergic) could have an immediate and extremely serious reaction.

Landlord keeps putting some liquid stuff over moldy drywall - moho

I found moho [sic: mold] on my house that im renting landlord send people to fix it by just putting a liquid and painting over mold on the walls and ceilings.

So it keeps coming back i told the landlord again and they just told me to clean it with Clorox every time it comes back. What can I do now? On 2017-03-31 by Mariposa

by (mod) - The correct procedure if drywall is moldy is to remove it clean any other hard surfaces that are mold contaminated, and of course correct the source of moisture or leak.

Painting over mold contamination, especially if it is on a soft surface that cannot be cleaned, such as sheetrock or drywall, is not an effective practice.

The correct procedure if drywall is moldy is to remove it clean any other hard surfaces that are mold contaminated, and of course correct the source of moisture or leak. Unless the source of water or moisture is corrected the mold will continue to return.

If there is a large area more than 30 square feet contiguous mold then professional cleaning is needed. There are possible health risks from exposure to large moldy areas for most people. You're welcome to show these comments to your landlord.

Other courses of action which are more extreme such as contacting your health department might be necessary.

If the Amount of Visible Mold is Small Can we Just Spray It?

I live in a rent apartment and like couples mons ago I call to the manager cause I find moho in a wall of the window and patio doors. They send somebody of put it some skin of spring liquid and tell me that can be the heat of was low and tell me that we going to pay for any issues in the apartment for that. But that is no true because the heat is automatically what mean that they control that.

Well now I recorded a video and take some pictures cause the moho is backing and the wall in a window and patio doors drying water inside the our apartament.

I spent all of last week sik - like if I have allergies and I don't know if are from this. What you recommend to me please?
Thanks On 2017-03-18 by Yorly

by (mod) -

Yorly

If the total amount of visible mold is just around window and door openings or frames, it's not likely to explain a building-related illness. Just use normal household cleaners to remove the mold.

But if the mold or wet conditions you see also indicate a risk of a larger mold reservoir, say in a wall or ceiling cavity, that is worth exploring.

Just under the first Recommended Articles link , see

MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? - figure out when to hire someone - for more detailed help about deciding how to proceed.

To send photos for comment you can find our email at the page top or bottom CONTACT link

 

Bleach and paint were put over mold - dealing with mold for 6 months and it's still moldy

I've been dealing with mold in my apartment for 6 months now. I even called the health inspector to come and look and all she did was laugh at me.

Finally had a big leak in the ceiling and wall which caused paint to peel off and revealed the mold underneath. I got screamed at several times by the repairmen telling me there was no mold even when they stared straight at it. When they got word that I called the health inspector they came and yelled at me until I was in tears. I am extremely Ill and I believe the mold is to blame.

My children are also Ill with symptoms ranging from coughing, persistent sinusitis and bloody noses, itchy eyes, sneezing. They are unwilling to properly fix the issue.

Their remedy is to bleach it and paint over it. The last straw had been pulled after that. I hired a 5 star mold investigator and don't know what to do when I get the test results back. We already know from testing that we have aspergillis penicillium cladosporium and stachybotrys. I am terrified and for some reason the state does not care.

Even my cat is being affected by this.

I don't have money to stay in a hotel. I don't know where to go. They are coming back in 2 days and I believe they are going to try to bleach it again but the inspector I hired told me to not let them touch it.

He made me aware of how bleach is ineffective and can make the issue worse. As well as informing me that even dead mold can cause reactions. I'm disgusted and terrified. I live in a Housing Authority and I'm certain the Health dpt has been paid off to shut people up. (Mar 20, 2016) Anonymous said:

Reply: Bleach and paint are not an effective mold remediation plan

Bleach and paint are not an effective mold remediation plan.

MOLD CLEANUP, BLEACH explains why this is so.

Anonymous:

You need to start with a consult with your doctor, asking if your illness complaints are likely to be aggravated by or caused by mold exposure in the home.

Keep in mind that every mold genera/species are everywhere, all the time. It's when there is a high concentration of harmful or allergenic molds present in our living environment that it can be a problem.

In the Recommended Articles advice see the live link at

Continue reading at HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP for RENTERS or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or see our complete INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES at the end of this article.

Reader follow-up:

(Mar 26, 2016) Anonymous said:

Update dealing with mold for 6 months : In reply we got air quality results back and there was over 260000% + spores of penicillium. 26000%+ stachybotrys. 12000% + chaetomium.

Living in a hotel at my own expense with my young kids for a week now. After giving the IAQ results they gave me an eviction notice. I have sought legal council.

Reply by (mod):

While air testing alone for mold contamination is very unreliable (results can vary by 4 orders of magnitude depending on how a sample is collected), very high levels such as your results are not ambiguous: they indicate that the building is unsafe.

What's ugly about "air tests for mold" is not only are they expensive, but they don't deliver what's needed. What's needed is a thorough visual inspection to find all of the mold reservoirs, define the cleanup needed, and figure out the cause of mold growth so that can be fixed.

Watch out also: if your things, particularly soft goods like curtains, bedding, upholstered furniture, have been exposed to high levels of moldy dust or airborne mold, you could import problematic levels of mold to a new home even if you move out. Such items need to be laundered, dry cleaned, or in some cases HEPA vacuumed (a couch for example).

If an upholstered couch has actual mold growth (as opposed to settled airborne spores or moldy dust on it) the it cannot be reliably cleaned and probably has to be discarded. Clean your things before bringing them into a new home.

Discuss your rights and costs with an attorney.

Anonymous said:

We did have a full inspection with a thorough report and other tests were done as well. I have the full report I just wanted to give you an idea of the problem. Full contained remediation was recommended.

The manager did have a remediation company come in but from listoning I can hear the sound of like a fan. All of our things are still in the house. We have nothing. They asked us to not go in on Friday because they said there were chemicals sprayed. But I'm scared to even go back in.

Reply:

A fan, if it was part of a negative air system - blowing OUT of the work area - might have been part of a proper dust containment regimen.

I don't object to spraying chemicals but hearing that anyone is spraying puts me on red alert for shortcuts: spraying instead of adequate removal, demolition, cleaning.

Frankly I would be surprised if a professional, competent mold remediation company would leave the occupants' possessions in place and exposed to the dust and debris created by a professional mold remediation job.

Usually contents are removed or sometimes gathered together in the center of a room and tightly sealed in plastic. Of course the things themselves may need separate cleaning depending on what has been going on.

Anonymous said: Basically they have the fans going blowing air around

Yes that was my concern as well because it is my belongings including my children's toys and clothes. We just looked and there is no ventilation.

Basically they have the fans going blowing air around with no negative pressure. There's a fan blowing on the curtains... all of the windows of the apartment are closed.

I find it odd they aren't considering the adjoining apartments above and below which have a shared wall with the biggest contaminated walls that were in our apartment. I very much appreciate your input. As far as I know they are not doing this remediation properly. Just add it into the lost of things they have done wrong to me.

Landlord intentionally covered up black mold in my apartment

I have been in a unit for about 6 months and we had (intentional) covered up black mold in the unit. Landlord sent inexperienced contractor to fix the problems with bleach, they did not look in any other areas for black mold but the visible mold. Also recently found a large patch behind my washer and dryer in my furnace room.

This means they failed at getting rid of it and what can i do, can i take land lord compensation or charge her for leading sicknesses that have been delt to me over time? I am 20 and i do not make a whole lot of money so i can't get a health inspector in here and land lord refuses to pay for one. I need help! (Aug 28, 2011) Kelly V

Reply by (mod):

Kelly V:

Covering up black mold? First of all "black mold" is not the only mold to worry about - it's just easiest to see.
Second, covering up is not removing. It's leaving in place a material that may nevertheless find its way into the occupied space in form of mold spores or even gases (MVOCs).

More than 30 sqft. is what I consider a "large" mold reservoir that merits professional cleaning. Amateur cleanups risk being ineffective, spreading the problem, making the workers sick, contaminating other building areas, increasing the ultimate cost of the job.

If the health department is not going to take a look or help you, and the landlord is not going to fix the problem, and you are convinced it's a large problem area of harmful mold, if you've taken reasonable steps to confirm that such is the case, and you've notified those parties in writing of your concerns, then I'm not sure what further recourse you have without consulting an attorney or abandoning your lease.

What's worse, breathing mold or breathing TileX used to clean up mold in my apartment?

I have lived with mold in my old apt for over 9 years with my son who has asthma and and my daughter who has now allergy's.

I now have lung damage.

We were told to use tilex now cair's who are federally funded had to move me .What was more damaging breathing the mold or tilex?

Reply by (mod):

Breathing mold presents a wide range of risks depending on what mold spores or MVOCs are present, as well as the level of exposure in time, concentration, recurrence.

Breathing fumes from a cleaning agent may be a respiratory irritant or depending on what the product's MSDS tells you, it may have other effects.

TileX MSDS data:

TileX is a product sold by the Clorox Company, for which a TileX MSDS is easily found online.

Basically it's a bleach product (Sodium hypochlorite 1-5% and Sodium Hydroxide 0.1-1%. There are worker exposure limits set for the second ingredient. None of the ingredients are on the IARC, OSHA, or NTP carcinogenlists.

The Company's MSDS states that "Moderate eye irritant. Mild to moderat e skin irritant. Occasional clinical reports suggest a low potential fo r skin sensitization upon exaggerated exposure to sodium hypochlorite if ski n damage (e.g. irritation) occurs during exposure.

Routine clinical tests c onducted on intact skin with this product found no sensitization in the test subjects.

Exposure to vapor or mist may irritate eyes, nose, throat, lungs. Ha\rmful if swallowed.

May cause nausea and vomiting if swallowed. The following medical conditions may be aggravated by exposure to high concent rations of vapor or mist: heart conditions or chronic respiratory pr oblems such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or obstructive lung disease.

Under normal consumer-use conditions, the likelihood of any adv erse health effects is low. " - retrieved 5/19/14 original source http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/downloads/msds/tilex/tilexmoldmildewremover5-07.pdf

Improper Mold Inspection or Test in Rental Unit Q&A

Tip: See at MOLD & ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS where you might find a professional who will help you pro bono or at a reduced rate if you explain your concerns.

They said the mold in my apartment was harmless but I'm sick

They done mold testing in my apartmemt and i have 3 types of mold.

They sent me a letter and told me the mold kind and that it wasnt the harmful kind.

I have been sick with sinus infections since i moved here and i have given my notice i am moving .

I just pray i dont take the stuff with me when I leave . I feel bad that this apt complex is preying on these elderly folks.

This building had been flooded numerous times and many people have moved because of mold. (May 12, 2011) Karen Hamilton

Reply by (mod):

The mold test results you report sound a bit suspicious, at least from the distance of the internet.

An onsite inspection by an expert who examines a building that has been flooded numerous times would be unusual to find only "harmless mold" unless previously there was an expert and thorough inspection, removal of problem mold, and cleanup.

The worry is that if the building was actually flooded, even if there were no significant VISIBLE areas of mold, there is a real risk of significant hidden mold reservoirs that could be a problem for the occupants.

Mold "testing" accuracy and reliability varies enormously depending on exactly what tests were done, how they were performed, and where in the building they were performed, and most importantly, the results are not reliable unless there was also an appropriately thorough visual inspection.

Most indoor molds are at least allergenic and some are more seriously harmful as we illustrate at

Examples of harmful mold found in buildings are at

• BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC
• MOLD TOXICITY VARIATION

A common example of harmless mold is at BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS 

We're in fragile health after mold exposure; doctor wants us to test our apartment for mold but we have moved out and have no access - can we justtest a moldy board game from that space?

I have an incurable type of anemia (Alpha Thalessemia) that often leaves me very weak and fatigued, and I am also currently receiving physical therapy for ortho-arthritis in both of my knees from a work injury 3 years ago.

I have three children and our monthly income is less than $700 per month. When I am unable to work because of my therapy schedule and treatment for my anemia, I volunteer a few hours a week just to stay productive.

We moved into a newly renovated, market rent apartment owned by the City of Decatur Housing Authority in April 2011.

A few weeks after we moved in, I noticed that the apartment had many unfinished construction issues (no air filters, brownish gray(sewage) plumbing would constantly back up in the tub and toilet and over flow onto the bathroom and hallway floor(hardwood), door and window frames had no weather stripping allowing wind, rain, and insects into the house,

broken pipes under the kitchen sink causing huge leaks and cabinets to be water damaged, broken stair rails on our porch causing my 3 year old and other children to often lean on them and fall off the stairs, no peepholes, opossums, and stray cats going through our trash bags every night(the building didn't have a dumpster and we were not allowed to have trash cans;

so the city issued trash bags were constantly ripped through and trash scattered everywhere in the mornings...their solution was for us to keep our trash inside our small apartments until garbage day(Mondays) which caused our apartments to smell bad.)

I wrote all of my complaints down and submitted them to the landlord for immediate repair and after 60 days, there was very little effort to repair and correct.

So I began paying my rent into the court until they could repair everything.

The landlord in turn also claimed that we were to be evicted due to non-payment of rent, in which I appealed, but they still proceeded to ask for collection of rent without repairing everything.

During our court dispute, there were two more huge plumbing issues, and after each sewage back up and plumbing leak, it took maintenance up to 4 days to come out and repair, which left a musty odor months after repair and clean up. My children and I kept getting serious respiratory infections, high fevers, headaches, and congestion at least 2 times per month.

After treating everything we were allergic to, our Allergy and Asthma doctor asked had we tested for mold and mildew in our apartment.

This had been the only allergy of ours that she had been unable to treat. I purchased the two test kits and placed them by the air vents in the areas where the musty odors were strongest. While waiting on the kits to collect enough to test, our doctor produced a letter to our landlord asking either if they could relocate us to a dry mold and mildew free unit because of our illness and allergies; or allow us to break our lease early because of the conditions of the rental.

The landlord refused my last two months of rent and ordered a writ based on their first filing for eviction from 2 months earlier. There was no paperwork warning us of the writ, I called the court and found out that one had been filed. I then in turn filed an cancellation of writ based on uninhabitable conditions.

My cancellation was approved on the same day that the maintenance crew began moving our items out. By the time I got to the property with the signed order to cancel the writ/eviction, the marshal said it was up to the landlord to decide if I could move back in or if they could transfer me into a new apartment. The mold test kits were the only items that were not moved out of the apartment and new locks were placed on the door.

The writ and eviction took place in November 2011, but our case is still ongoing because of the appeal and the cancellation based on uninhabitable conditions.

We just received a court day for June 2012 last week, and I have had the hardest time locating a lawyer and toxic mold specialist to test our old apartment. I now have a respiratory condition that causes me to wheeze easily because of the exposure in the apartment.

I had placed a couple of board games that had been on the floor near the leak in a big thick black plastic bag and taped it up prior to the eviction and I still have them. That is the only sample I have from the apartment in my possession.

Is there a way that the board games can be tested or is there a way I can still get the old apartment tested? This whole case is a big headache, but so is the fact that my lungs are now super sensitive due to the bad maintenance of that apartment.

Please inform me on any options, referrals, or advise that will aid in my case. - S.C. 5/9/12

Reply: testing a board game for mold would not be a reliable indicator of your mold exposure

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem.

When an onsite inspection is no longer possible, because there is no access or because the original site has been cleaned or conditions there have changed, I agree that it's too bad but you just don't have that option as an information source that might help inform your doctor of conditions to which you have been exposed.

An accurate characterization of the mold to which you were exposed would require a visual inspection of the moldy apartment, some representative samples of the dominant mold genera/species growing in the home, possibly even some invasive measures to find large hidden mold reservoirs, and other measures.

I'm afraid that your mold test kits were most likely an unreliable approach to characterizing the mold in your apartment. What grows on the culture of a test kit may not be the dominant nor most harmful mold in the apartment but rather it's what fell onto the culture and liked to grow in that particular medium.

We could examine tape samples of the moldy surfaces of your board games, and I'd offer that work pro-bono for up to 4 tape samples (procedure

at MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS) but frankly it does not sound useful to do so. It would be a mistake to assume that the mold that grows on your board games is or ever was the dominant or most important mold that may have been in your home environment.

Your doctor can assist you in setting priorities for your time and attention but it seems to me (I am not a doctor) that your health comes first, and that the doctor will have advice on how your present health risks and complaints should be treated, considering that from your description alone you have probably been exposed to a variety of water-intrusion-type indoor mold growths.

A second concern is that if your home was very moldy, the contents that you have moved out of it into your new home may need to be cleaned, HEPA vacuumed, laundered, dry cleaned, washed, etc. to avoid importing a high level of moldy dust and debris into the new home.

Clean Mold-Contaminated Posessions, Clothing, Furnishings Before Moving into New Rental Unit

Mold is growing all over over my sofa and other furniture

Mold is growing in my living room all over my sofa, speakers,table and is even growing in the cabinet where my pot and pan's are so I have to was them every time I use them and everything in my basement is molded . Is my landlord responsible for any of my belongings? (Oct 5, 2011) Sherry

Reply by (mod):

Sherry, you will need to take a copy of your lease to a real estate attorney to obtain a solid answer to your question about the landlord's responsibility for mold contamination in you rental home. In my experience and so in my OPINION, most leases require the landlord to provide a habitable property.

And in my OPINION if the mold was not on your property before it was in your present home, AND if the mold growth is not due to your own negligence, then the landlord would typically have some responsibility. But as I said, a more accurate answer depends on the language of your lease, local laws and regulations, and case law. Let us know what your attorney advises.

Watch out: don't move moldy belongings into a new home without cleaning them first (if they can be cleaned) or you will just import a possible problem to the new premises.

What do I do about my furniture in a moldy apartment; asthmatic children;

What do I do about my furniture from a home where the test results came back 4x above 50 in concentration for black mold...Stachybotrys. do I need to get rid of my microfibre couch and my beds etc.? We were infiltrated while on a vacation with a leak in a water heater that went undetected and upon identification was not worked upon for weeks after by the landlord who failed to acknowledge the problem. I have six children and two are asthmatics on puffers. (July 18, 2011) Anonymous

Reply by (mod):

Cleaning up mold-exposed apartment contents before moving?

Hard surfaced items can be cleaned using any household cleaner, soap and water, etc.
Soft goods like linens that look or smell moldy or are suspect should be laundered or dry cleaned.

An upholstered couch that has been exposed to moldy DUST but doesn't smell moldy and has no mold GROWTH on it and has not been itself wet, may be simply HEPA vacuumed thoroughly and may be fine.

If that same couch was wet from some leak event, has mold growing on or in it, or you can't get rid of its moldy smell, most likely it needs to be replaced.

In a home with asthmatics, it's worth being extra careful to clean thoroughly.