Health department role in unsanitary or unhealthy rental apartments or offices. When and how to contact your local health department for help with dangerous or unsanitary rental home or apartment conditions.

We discuss how building owners and managers can be expected to react to health department involvement, and when such a call is probably justified.

An easy-to-print PDF version of this article is here too.

Should a tenant call the health department about an unhealthy or unsafe apartment?

This document discusses whether or not a tenant should call their local health department officials about a known or suspected health & safety concerns such as a an apartment or rental home where there is open sewage or a sewage backup, or concerning moldy rental apartment, home, or office.

In some egregious cases tenants have taken their health & safety concern complaint to the local health department.

If there is a serious and obvious problem with mold or other health concerns in a rental apartment, the health department may condemn the property and require the owners to act. In our opinion this is a rather drastic step though it may be appropriate in dire circumstances. In our opinion you should:

1. Protect yourself and other building occupants from immediate life-safety hazards
   
   such as gas odors, fire, signs of building collapse or other such risks by leaving the building and advising others to leave.
2. Notify emergency services 
   
   such as your local fire, police, or emergency rescue services as appropriate.
3. For other hazards notify your building management 
   
   both orally and in writing if you believe that there are unsafe or unhealthy conditions where you rent. Include a brief, accurate, complete description of the concern, the evidence, and include your documentation.
4. Document the conditions and concerns in writing and in media:
   
   Photographs, video recordings, sound recordings can all provide clear and compelling evidence that can help both in the diagnosis and response to building or building environment concerns.
   
   

   Keep in mind that sometimes a little public exposure of unsafe and improper conditions will help spur a property owner to get going on making their property safe and habitable.

   If you would like to name your location - landlord, rental property, city, county, state - and post some photos of your conditions, that may help your cause. (You can only post one photo per comment, but as many comments and thus photos as you wish.)

   "Recordings often figure in the city's housing disputes, ... tenants have caught on to the usefulness of the electronic devices in their pockets, even in cases with little physical evidence.
   
   Housing Court judges say tenants have been submitting videos of leaks and other bad conditions in their apartments in recent years..." - The New York Times, 19 October 2015, p. A-1 & A-20.
   
   SeeReferences or Citations
5. Get help from local agencies:
   
   If for the other hazards named in step 2 above you cannot obtain a response from your building management, it may be necessary to seek help from your local officials as we list next.

Sources of Help for Renters in Un-Healthy or Un-Safe Apartments or Homes

• Local building department: 
  
  your local building authority may offer inspection and enforcement services where building adequacy and safety are concerned.
• Local (city, county, state, provincial) rental housing agency:
  
  some cities such as New York City, provide a City Housing Authority who may be able to help with health services, emergency housing, health services
  
  Example: NEW YORK STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONTACT INFORMATION & DIRECTORY
• Local emergency services:
  
  your fire department or 911 emergency services should be called if you believe that there is an immediate life-safety hazard at your building. Examples of such hazards include fire, evidence of imminent building collapse, sewer gas or gas leaks.
  
  Watch out: methane or sewer gas leaks risk a dangerous even fatal explosion. Do not use a cell phone, press a doorbell, turn a light on or off, nor operate anything electrical where there is a gas odor, since a spark can ignite an explosion.
  
  If there is a gas leak at your building you should notify other occupants, leave the building, and call emergency services from a location well away from the gas odors.
• Local health department in your city or county:
  
  usually offers health and safety advice and may provide health & safety enforcement services.
  
  Contact your local department of health for assistance in deciding if living conditions are so un-healthy or un-sanitary that the department of health needs to step in to require the landlord to perform clean up or make repairs, or if conditions are so unsafe or unhealthy that you need to move to temporary or emergency housing.
  
  A local search for "Contact Department of Health in -CITY NAME- or -COUNTY NAME- or - STATE NAME - or - PROVINCE NAME - " will usually give you immediate contact information such as a telephone number and address.
  
  Watch out: Calling in local building authorities will also be likely to end any cooperation between landlord and tenant. If health officials agree that a serious health problem is present the tenant is likely to be required to move immediately.
  
  If this becomes the case, the tenant may need to evaluate the condition of and possibly clean their belongings before moving in order to avoid importing a problem to their new home.
• Local or state or even national Legal Aid resources
  
  If you need help from a lawyer regarding rental agreements, or to encourage a property owner to assure that your rental home is safe and habitable,
  
  see LEGAL AID ATTORNEY HELP SOURCES
  
  In the U.S., most states and many cities provide free legal aid to people of low income; if that's your case, you may qualify for pro-bono, free legal services.

The more you know about proper procedures to find and clean up sewage backups or spills, clean moldy buildings or how to deal with other unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, the better you can assure that your situation is handled properly. The links to our Recommended Articles, found at the end of this article, will be helpful.

Moldy House Blog

When is mold a problem in buildings? What should be done about it? Find expert field and lab testing, inspection, remediation advice, but ... avoid "fear of mold" and bogus advice which can both cost you and yet may not really address the problem effectively.

At our Mold Weblog, MOLD CENTRAL: INDOOR AIR QUALITY INVESTIGATION CASE HISTORIES, we may post summaries of field and lab toxic or allergenic mold and other indoor air quality investigations.

We omit private information. We describe observations, procedures, and findings helpful to readers who are trying to remedy their own mold, allergenic, carbon monoxide, odor, or other indoor air and related health concerns in their indoor environment.

Ethical Questions Surround Abuse of Service Dog Priveleges in Buildings

Tenants usually get the short end of the stick - but we don't want to pay pet rent for our therapy dog

It seems to me, tenants usually get the short end of the stick when renting. From Outrageous security deposits that you never see again, to added "ista" or water/sewer/trash fees that are billed to you each month. I'm not talking about DMV and gas bills.

There is also the new standard "pet rent" each month if you have one, as well as the pet deposit you have to pay with your regular deposit....

I have yet to receive a deposit back after moving out, in all my years of renting. This would be understandable if I had left the apartment in bad condition but I have never done so,

Obviously if you're renting you probably are doing so because buying a house is too expensive, therefore having to seek legal counsel to help with getting your deposit back or with mold or unsafe living conditions is quite expensive and in the long run most people are too busy or don't have enough money and time to pursue their rights legally…

I now claim my animal as a therapy pet. It is a one time fee to do this and is a lot less expensive than having to pay rent for the animal each month etc, as they cannot charge you for a therapy animal. - On 2017-08-19 Anonymous-

Reply (mod) - More Ethical Questions about Getting your Dog in Rent-Free as a "therapy dog"

Thanks for your comments, Anon. Your experience and complaint about the imbalance of power between tenant and landlord is certainly one that is voiced alot.

About your Therapy Dog, let's think about service dogs a moment: my big sister used to remind me that two wrongs don't make a right.

Kwame Anthony Appiah, writing as "The Ethicist" for the NY Times (30 November 2016) put the issue this way:

Given the needs of the genuinely disabled, there’s good reason to have a presumption in favor of allowing service animals. But people who abuse the privilege are breaking a fundamental social principle: They’re taking unfair advantage of the compliance of others. In doing so, they undermine the legitimacy of the system.

As more and more people take advantage, genuinely disabled people with real service animals will face increasing skepticism. ... And support for the statutory accommodations may wane - The New York Times, The Ethicist, 30 Nov. 2016

You might want to have a copy of the

ADA STATEMENT on SERVICE ANIMALS [PDF] - U.S. ADA

By U.S. federal law and the ADA, Service Dog handlers must be disabled.

People who are disabled and need a service dog can but hope that as others take advantage of the therapy-dog label to skirt rules and to enjoy the ease of taking their dog places that otherwise are difficult or prohibited, they must hope that the result doesn't ultimately lead to doing away with that certification or restricting it severely, or for people who make casual use of the service dog vest and label, that those don't face fines.

The following excerpt is from

The Hidden Complications of Fake Service Dogs

First, per U.S. federal law and the ADA, Service Dog handlers must be disabled. Service Dogs perform tasks that their disabled owners would otherwise have difficulty completing on their own.

If you do not have a disability, then you do not qualify for a Service Dog. Period. End of story. Full stop. There are no exceptions.

By expressing a desire for a Service Dog, you’re also wishing for the accompanying disability

For a disabled person, hearing an able-bodied person openly wish for a disability (even if you don’t actually say those words) is deeply hurtful.

It suggests you don’t take them or their disability seriously and furthermore, it makes light of the thousands of hours of training and socialization their partner has undergone to perform his job. - retrieved 2017/08/18 original source: https://www.anythingpawsable.com/fake-service-dog-complications/

Also see

• Herzog, Harold. SERVICE ANIMAL SCAMS: A GROWING PROBLEM [PDF] (2014)
• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PROVIDES INFORMATION ON SERVICE DOGS (2015) [PDF]

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Need help with a toxic odor in my apartment

I just moved into village Green apartments in South River New jersey, and the landlady that we dealt with told us that the office that we were looking at was the same as the apartment that we were getting, technically she was wrong

however there's a toxic odor in the apartment that we cannot get rid of it's been since December 1st when I picked up the key I have tried to contact them I've been getting the runaround they're not doing anything about it I don't know what else to do

I have tried every chemical I can I've looked on Google to find out what I can use I've gone to paint stores to see what I can use it's like paint thinner nail polish remover and polyurethane base mixed together it is a health hazard

I have asthma and COPD and it is hard to breathe in that apartment we have trying everything, if anybody knows what else I can do I would truly appreciate it thank you - On 2022-12-11 by Angelia

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) -what to do about a toxic odor in the apartment

@Angelia,

Sounds as if you will need to either bring in an environmental expert or move out, breaking the lease under the aegis of the landlord's inability or unwillingness to provide safe, habitable housing.

In addition to the article above, you may find additional information and resources helpful that we discuss and list at

HAVE TO LIVE IN AN UNSAFE RENTAL?

Worried abo0ut dust and crud on HVAC filters

Hello, I am an onsite manager at an old 1965 to 1970s storage facility. When I moved here the place was a mess. Anyway the owner said he had the apartment fixed. But the heats and air system are at least 3 decades old.

Anyway I am responsible for changing the AC filters when I opened then there was like badge whitish dust or not sure what it was all caked up in them both. The place is super dust everyday I dust and everyday it's back. I cleaned my fan the other day and it also had the same kind of dust caked up In it.

My mom we are always sick when we are home. Even my dog we are still sick we have both been wheezing coughing and sneezing and difficult breathing. Thanks. - On 2022-12-08 by Ruby C

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) - notify the owner, in writing, of a health-safety concern

@Ruby C,

I'm sure you'll understand that from just your text we can't even guess at what the "whitish dust" might be - commonly it might be house dust (normal), drywall dust, or something else.

If you are confident that your health complaints originate in - occur only after you've been in - your building and its apartment, you may want to notify the owner, in writing, of a health-safety concern and ask that it be addressed immediately for the health and safety of everyone who enters or occupies the building. If there's no response you may need to leave.

About your specific description of health complaints, we in no way minimize the seriousness of your concerns. Although there can be numerous environmental contributors to health issues, please understand that we can't offer medical advice nor diagnosis: we're not doctors and frankly your concerns are too serious and complex to allow guessing at an answer.

Find a doctor whom you trust, and listen to her advice, starting with your general practitioner, in order to find the medical help you need. Ask your doctor if your health concerns might be caused-by or aggravated-by the indoor environments where you spend time.

If your doctor says yes, ask for some direction as to the type of indoor condition that should be the target of your on-site inspector.

We welcome your further questions about any articles you may read at InspectApedia.com.

On 2022-12-07 by Anonymous Really worried about many environmental issues in my apartment

After so much time going by, mostly due to not putting the pieces together or having all of the knowledge I do as of now, and for the fact when I have seen my doctor I have not brought up any of my health issues/symptoms mostly due to the fact when I priviously brought up one of my major symptoms to her (and other doctors-at ER), at the time I did not know how to address it properly and did not know what it was or from what.

So I was dismissed, not checked out, not taken seriously, not listened to, and talked to as well as made me as well as insinuating it was in my head and that I was crazy. By all my primary care, several visits to different hospitals, and even a horrible specialist I was referred to.

ALL occasions, non of them took a look at me/checked me out, non listened to me, and the one or two that did, wasn't listening to what I was actually trying to explain to them. One discharged me with the paperwork saying delusions, most of them just wanted me to get a psych evaluation or refer me to a psych. After that it made me feel like I couldn't open up.

So now, I really need to (and have been needing to for quite some time) to come out with everything to discuss with my primary care doctor. I now am a lot more educated on everything, and connected everything together.

I just REALLY don't know how to address this all to her now, with the anxiety it's given me, with the amount I now know and would have to explain, along with going over the fact not only do I experience these symptoms, but how do I also tell her how and why I believe it all relates to my living conditions? (Which is a BOATLOAD more to explain to her),

and how do I do this all in a way she will actually believe me with everything and believe my apartment could be the cause of it all too?! I really need some advice and help with all this. I've got too much to go over all at once with her, and too much anxiety as it is, nvm the horrible docs ive experienced in past.

The anxiety gets worse with the thought of knowing it looks odd and her questioning/wondering about the time length that's gone by until addressing this all to her. Along with the amount of explanation I will have to just randomly go in and give out of the blue.

I don't know how or where to start, how to explain everything, how to tell her why and how I know it's due to my apartment (which I've never mentioned in past either) and how to do this while getting her to understand, listen and AGREE AND BELIEVE... mostly I'd love to do so by summing it up, and not dragged out, not too random, and not leave or or forget any key important details.

I want to get it all out without sounding crazy, without over explaining and losing her, and making it so she can understand and agree with me!

If I could please get some advice, some sort of sample or template or anything at all regarding this issue of mine that would be wonderful!!!
I've waited too long, the longer I wait, the more weird I feel to come out with it. HELP AND ADVICE PLEASE!!! SOS! - On 2022-12-08 by Ruby C

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) - identify your top two health concerns, and ask your doctor about those

@Anonymous,

It must be extremely difficult to live with the health complaints that you have described, and we in no way minimize the seriousness of your concerns.

Although there can be numerous environmental contributors to health issues, please understand that we can't offer medical advice nor diagnosis: we're not doctors and frankly your concerns are too serious and complex to allow guessing at an answer.

But I can suggest a couple of things:

1. You had a less than satisfactory experience talking with your doctors. But try again:

Find a doctor whom you trust, and listen to her advice, starting with your general practitioner, in order to find the medical help you need. Ask your doctor if your health concerns might be caused-by or aggravated-by the indoor environments where you spend time. If your doctor says yes, ask for some direction as to the type of indoor condition that should be the target of your on-site inspector.

2. Think hard about what concerns to bring to the doctor. I understand that there may be many complaints that do (or don't) have a common concern. But too many complaints brought up in single visit are more than most professionals can process, and are so confusing as to be overwhelming to the doctor or consultant just as they are to you.

SO think about your top two health concerns, and ask your doctor about those. Wait until asked before risking burying the doctor alive in a blizzard of worries .

We welcome your further questions about any articles you may read at InspectApedia.com.

Bad windows, insujlation, other safety concerns at my rental house

I live in a rental house I've lived here for 11 years my manager has recently decided to take out my windows she took out one in each room and replace the remaining window with a plastic window and left a four inch Gap underneath the window.

it's been a year since she's done anything now she has decided that she is going to install insulation I told her that's illegal and it's extremely dangerous that we need a professional she is threatening to do it anyway this woman doesn't know what she's doing she tried to rewire a light in our bedroom it started a fire that almost killed us she wouldn't take responsibility for that either.

the light fixture in my bedroom is hanging and it has been for over 5 years she refuses to fix it. I became ill last year and she wanted to redo the bathroom I refused she came over I was in pain demanded the keys and said she didn't care they were coming anyway

I was in the hospital fighting for my life my appendix ruptured I became septic and I had a bacterial infection that didn't stop her.

not only did she remove windows and just put some boards up over the outside she also took our mailbox off of the house and refuse to put it back on she took our cable wires that were attached to the house and tie them onto the fence.

stating the law to this woman means absolutely nothing she threatens us every way she can she hires unlicensed contractors to do work that is not up to code.my rent is paid on time every single month

what can I do about this woman if she tries to put insulation in it could really harm us she doesn't know what she's doing it will get all over everything in the house. - On 2022-11-29 by TEXAKKIIMMIIE

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) - multiple problems with landlord actions

@TEXAKKIIMMIIE,

My goodness, what a rash of worries you describe. It's almost like a shotgun problem in which lots of pellets of individual problems or sprayed about where you live.

For this situation probably the best course of action for you if you can't move is to find out based on the country and city where you live who regulates and provides protective services for renters.

Then ask them for help. Let me know what you find and what happens. Or you can try to let the sun light of publicity shine on your landlord by naming the location and people involved. That gives that person a chance to respond.

 

Black mold around windows in Central City Concern

I live at the Sally McCracken, it's a Central City Concern building and I have Black mold around my windows.

I went to management about it and he told me that I would have to clean it myself and before I noticed the black mold, I was very sick for 3 days and after I reported I was sick for another 3 to 4 days. I can't open my window to get any air in my apartment. My # 503-547-9076 On 2022-11-07 by Marsha Davidson

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) - black mold around my windows

@Marsha Davidson,

Mold found on window sashes themselves could be a small- enough area (less than 30 sq. ft.) that professional cleaning is not required.

But if there have been leaks into the wall cavity or ceiling or floor cavity,a more serious hidden mold problem may be present and would require more expert evaluation and removal.

Beware, don't make the mistake of thinking that black mold is the only or even primary concern in a building.

There are millions of mold species and hundreds that are commonly found in buildings, and colors range across the color spectrum. It's a mistake to think that only black mold is harmful.

You need to take your health concerns to your doctor. Find a doctor whom you trust and listen to her advice.

 

Concern about black stuff on ceiling fans

Recently had ac replaced in apt. Old one was here since 1977. 2 days afterwards I noticed things like ceiling fans looked black. Then noticed it was on everything. New filter went from blue to solid black in2-3 days. Could this be mold?

I've had lots of medical problems that have no reason. The return register is completely black as are ceiling registers. I need answers asap. On 2022-11-05 by Reba Osteen

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) (mod) - black stuff on ceiling fan is probably house dust not mold

@Reba Osteen,

That doesn't sound like mold, but of course from a text message alone, no one can be certain what you are looking at.

You're welcome to post a photo.

Watch out: if the heating system uses gas as a fuel and the black is from soot, then a very dangerous situation could be present risking carbon monoxide poisoning. So you want to be sure to have the basics checked out promptly.

And, of course, as a general safety comment, be sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.

Black mold around bathroom tub

I have black mold in and around tub n bathroom of apartment complex me and my 20 year old daughter live in ..reported to manager several times. Nothing done but texts me about feeding stray cats and told me she would write me up if I didn't stop. - On 2022-10-08 by Mechelle Reynolds

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Mechelle Reynolds,

Mold on bath tub or tile should be easily cleaned-off. But watch out: if there have been actual leaks into walls, floors, ceilings, then there may be a more-serious hidden mold hazard.

Can you post a photo?

 

On 2022-09-12 by Susan Hornbach Chemical fumes in low income housing: drug dealer? What to do?

I am 74 yrs old. I live in low income housing. Someone is blowing chemical fumes through my vents and down one wall. I’m convinced it’s a drug dealer in my building. Management won’t listen. I have now developed severe COPD and heart failure.

My place smells of all kinds of chemicals at different times. Right now it’s petfumey and a chemical mixed. Sometimes it’s acetone, sulfide gas, feritlizer, paint thinner , bleach, and smells I can’t describe. I am very sick. My heart has failed recently for the third time.

This person doing this to me seems to be protected by management because they will not listen to me. This person one night spilled a bucket of chemical on my ceiling and down my walls. It sizzled and blew big bubbles on my walls.

Management rushed in, called it a rain leak then cut all the plaster out and replaced it. Now the chemical fumes seem wet and mold is beginning to grow on everything in the bedroom. You can see some black on the vent up high.

I am desperate for some one to help me as these people had told the police I am crazy.

I am as sane as the day is long and I need help! Please help me I’m sick from it all. I live in the Denney Reyburn building in West Chester PA Apt 321. -On 2022-09-01 by Dylan Knight

Reply by InspectApedia (mod) - increase fresh air ventilation and to ask your Pennsylvania health department for help

@Susan Hornbach,

Well I understand that the best option which is moving to another place may not be easy for you, the two other things you can do are to increase fresh air ventilation and to ask your health department for help.

It sounds like you’re dealing with a very difficult situation. Unfortunately there are too many instances of mgmt or landlords trying to do a quick fix without really fixing anything nor taking into consideration a tenant’s health let alone damage to their property.

Start with your doctor: review your health concerns and get her advice.

I know it's so much easier for me to say than for you to do, but if your home environment is really unhealthy for you (see what the doc thinks) and if the landlord won't fix it, you should consider the possibility of moving out.

There isn’t an easy answer. In addition to the advice we give above on this page, it may be helpful to read through the information and steps we give at

HAZARD REDUCTION FOR UNSAFE SPACES

There we talk about ways to reduce hazards if you can’t immediately leave an unsafe or unhealthy rental. Read specifically the section titled:

Moderator Reply: can't move-out: take steps to reduce immediate hazards where you are

where in addition to the important step of documenting everything, Steps A-D give other possible interim measures to try.

Finally for now, you may need to enlist the help of your county health department. The Chester County Health Department’s contact information is:

Jeanne E. Franklin, Public Health Director
601 Westtown Rd, Ste 290
West Chester, PA, 19380-0990
Phone: 610-344-6225
CCHD@chesco.org

Please ask any additional questions you may have and keep us posted.

 

Property manager didn't fix leak, now bad mold problems abound

My property management did nothing to stop a severe leak for 3 days until I went over their head and called the owner of the property. Now the mold smell is so bad I have to hold my breath in my bathroom and the property managers aren’t doing any thing about that either, and to too it off its attracted cock roaches.

Id like to give then a written warning that im going to file a complaint with a health department or government agency, but im not sure how to go about that - On 2022-09-01 by Dylan Knight

Reply by InspectApedia (mod) - how do I file a complaint with the health department

@Dylan Knight,

When documenting an issue, it's important to share written factual information as much as possible vs. opinions, emotions, criticisms. In other words, in your letter to mgmt., share the dates of the events that have taken place: when the leak occurred, how long it lasted, who you contacted and when, any actions taken so far, current conditions of smell and pests, etc.

Be clear about what your next steps will be (complaint to the health department) unless the problem is remedied by a specific date. Also request a response from them IN WRITING to keep with the documentation that you have begun to collect.

The written documentation can be in the form of a letter or an email, just be sure to keep a copy of anything you send. It may be helpful to call them first (mgmt and/or health dept) to simply ask them how they prefer to receive written communication (mail, email). Keep us posted.

 

What to do about bad air quality in an apartment

My son is living on the 4th floor in a studio apartment which has very poor air quality. The temperature of his apartment is constantly in the 30’s and even with his fan on does not make a difference at all. The place is also infested with bugs.

The landlord has refused to put air con in the building and does not appear interested in sorting out the room temperature. What action do I need to take to get the landlord to sort this please? On 2022-08-31 by Debbie

Reply by InspectApedia (mod) - studio apartment has very poor air quality

@Debbie,

Both of you: Please read the above article as we address various steps that your son, as the tenant, can take to try and find resolution for these issues. Document everything you do to try and resolve the issues present in your housing.

If the bugs are sufficient by type and quantity to be a health issue that's something a landlord is expected to resolve.

Depending on where you live there may also be a requirement to maintain indoor temperatures within a certain range at various times of the year.

Often you'll find that by describing the seriousness of a problem clearly in writing that can move the building management to respond, and if they don't respond in a reasonable amount of time, your documentation will be needed when you contact your health department, building department, or tenant's rights association.

What to do about sulphur odor in apartment and loose toilet

I'm curious, 2 yrs ago I move into a suite and first my toilet moves around and I've been asking since moving in to fix and the well water isn't being maintained,

it smells like sulfer when turned on and make me really sick and get really bad abdominal pain, even when boiled, whst can I do besides move as I can't afford to move? Ty On 2022-08-18 by Cindy -

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - contact a local water testing lab

@Cindy,

You are discussing two different topics.

1. a loose toilet is unsanitary, leaking sewage water into the floor or possibly into a ceiling or whatever area is below. That risks bacterial infections as well as mold, rot, insect damage. And of course odors.

2. sulphur odors in the water supply can come from a variety of sources - see details at

WATER ODOR DIAGNOSIS - SULPHUR

And

3. if you have any suspicion that your water supply is making you sick

- stop drinking it immediately

- contact a local water testing lab, pick up a sterile bottle, get the lab's advice on what to test and how to collect a water sample, and have the water tested -

keep us posted.

Unsafe mobile home, cat died

I am living in a rented mobile home and I'm living with mold one of my cats have already passed away and I am very very sick and they refuse to do anything about it

On 2022-06-21 by Donna

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - wear a N95 mask but you may need to move due to mold

@Donna,

Really sorry about this because there's no easy fix but if your home is making you sick and no immediate solution you need to be somewhere else. I'm afraid that you could get even more sick.

Even asking the health department to step in at this point might result in nothing more than them saying that the property is condemned and not safe to occupy.

If you have an n95 mask and you wear that as much of the time that you can that may reduce the level of spores that you breathe and might help a little bit.

But basically it sounds as if you need to be somewhere else

Reader follow-up: no government nor legal aid sources are helpful, no Section 8 Housing

Yes Sir and I've left messages and filed complaints all the way up to the DOJ "Housing strike force" whom advertises they are in place for just this kind of situation.

Legal aide is overwhelmed and Attorneys do not want to touch anything housing related because of the COVID regulations and this being California. I understand I'm screwed.

I've actually had a person tell me that I should be lucky that my rent is cheap for the area and square footage after trying to get help from a county agency.

Section 8 is 2 years minimum wait . Anyway thanks again hopefully maybe someday I can reach out and tell you it was resolved. Thanks for the informative site. I refer to it frequently. - On 2022-08-17

[Ed. This reader exchange is part of a longer discussion found at HAZARD REDUCTION FOR UNSAFE SPACES]

Moderator reply: Where to fet local help for emergency housing in California

I'm sure sorry but honestly from what I've seen, being forced to stay in a seriously contaminated environment can cause people to become hypersensitive and very sick.

Did you find any Colfax CA homeless or legal aid assistance agencies where you live?

• Housing vouchers: https://www.placer.ca.gov/2134/Housing-Vouchers
  Placer County Housing Authority, P.O. Box 5346, Auburn, CA 95603
  Email Placer County Housing Authority: pcha@placer.ca.gov
  Phone: 530-889-7676, TDD: 800-735-2929

Possible shelter:

• Hospitality House (707) 961-1150, Grass Valley, CA 11.99 miles outside Colfax, California P.O. Box 2168, Fort Bragg, CA - 95437

Emergency Section 8 Housing

How do I apply for emergency Section 8 in California?

To apply for either type of help, visit your local Public Housing Agency (PHA).

For questions about HUD rental programs, including Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers, contact our Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Resource Center: Email us. Call toll-free (800) 955-2232.

 

What to do when renting a room from someone and the home is unsafe

Question, when renting a room from person who was only one when emergency move occurred. Saw more damage caused by roof needing repairs, cellar way water flow not leak causing mold which determine pet gasping for air another biting where hair loss and anxiety.

Person renting also hospitalized low oxygen and had learn walk again. She has no lease and got behind. I get no govt free benefits over amt allotted. Yet under renting amt to qualify. I sleep on couch. What can be done - On 2022-06-20 by Barbara Dobash

Reply by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - contact your local department of health

@Barbara Dobash,

I don't have an easy nor guaranteed solution to problems like those you describe, but if you suspect that the rental unit, whether a room or a larger apartment, is un-healthy because of mold or other contaminants, and if the landlord refuses to respond, other than moving

- which I understand is easier to say than to do - you might be able to get help from your local department of health.

Give your country and city of location if you need help finding out that contact information and we'll see if we can provide that.

Berks County PEnnsylvania leaky flooded apartment: need help

I've been living in an apartment in berks county pennsylvania for over a year now with leaks, neighbors flooding there bathroom down on me and horrible mold. The walls and floor are deteriorating, pieces of the ceiling are falling in my food, my closet is dirt, there's a 2 foot hole in the ceiling into the neighbors bathroom and the landlord wont do anything.

I'm getting sick both mentally and physically. All my clothes and personal belongings have been ruined. Now I just lost my job of 14yrs because I was getting dizzy and tired and anxiety attacks to the point I would break down and cry. I fell into a awful depression. Been trying to find help but either I dont hear back or they wont help me because I dont have any money.

My whole life has been ripped apart and I cant keep going like this. I have nowhere to turn and nowhere to go. I just need help please - On 2022-04-30 by Chuck Messimer

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - focus first on your personal safety and health. Then Contact your Pennsylvania Department of Health

@Chuck Messimer,

1. Start with your doctor: review your health concerns and get her advice. I know it's a zillion times easier for me to say than for you to do, but if your home environment is really un-healthy for you (see what the doc thinks) and if the landlord won't fix it you should consider moving out.

You may need to clean your stuff during the move, too, depending on just how much mold or moldy dust there is.

2. Have you tried asking your local health department for help? If the apartment is a health hazard they ought to be able to say so and to require the landlord to fix it.

(But if extensive demolition and cleaning are needed you almost certainly can't stay in the apartment during that work)

Berks County
Reading State Office Building
625 Cherry St., Room 401
Reading, PA 19602
Phone: 610-378-4377
Fax: 610-621-5890

3. I'm not a lawyer but IMO in most jurisdictions even the most pro-landlord-lease language may require the landlord to provide the tenant with safe, habitable housing.

There may be a local legal aid society for Berks County PA - see

Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP)
(215) 523-9550
1500 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Personal Injury, Civil Rights, Consumer and Criminal

AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania
(215) 587-9377
1211 Chestnut St, Ste 600
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Civil Rights and Consumer

thanks to https://www.justia.com/

BUT focus FIRST on your personal safety and health, not on getting into a fight with your landlord.

Keep us posted.

Flooded apartment mold, white stuff, and odor trouble

I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment that had a mold issue discovered after a few months of very musty and foul odors in one of the vacant basement apartments by the fire department that another tennant had called.

There was flooding going on for quite some time by a pipe that had backed up and the walls were covered floor to ceiling in every room with mold.

The next day the landlords extracted the carpets and did a once over the walls with bleach. A week after that they removed the carpet and left a portion of it in a pile in the livingroom area of the apartment.

About 2 years went by and I had noticed what I thought to be inspectors of some sort went into the basement apartment and a week after that the apartment was remediated and the entire place was gutted out completely.

Just curious, since this unit sat for 2 years with nothing really done about the mold situation could it have spread beyond just that basement apartment?

Because nothing else was even inspected and the health issues me and my daughter have fall right in line and beyond with mold and mycotoxin symptoms that I have now been reading about. And if the mold could have spread beyond that one apartment, why didnt the inspectors look further and why was the rest of the tennants not notified that this was taking place?

And I also have this weird white stuff forming on the fins of my baseboard heater randomly all thru my apartment that I now have steamed for the 3rd time in the last 3 to 4 months.

And when I steam them I also take a tool to scrub out (yes I know its crazy) inbetween each aluminum fin and then wipe them all down above and under so they are completely cleaned after each time I've done this. I notice they start out as little dots and then within a week or so they have grown to fuzzy looking structures. Any idea what this could be?

On 2022-04-12 by Jessie

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - crystalline-like structures look like mineral salts or efflorescence

@Jessie,

The crystalline-like structures look to me like mineral salts or efflorescence - formed by a combination of moisture (*or leaks) and metal salts and corrosion on the metal surfaces in your photo - but I acknowledge that the photo is blurry so that's just a guess.

Compare what you are seeing with the photos and information given in detail at

EFFLORESCENCE SALTS & WHITE DEPOSITS

Flooded carpets and padding can't be cleaned: toss them out

Sure, soaked carpets and padding need to be removed and tossed-out.

But beyond that, if water entered a wall, floor, or ceiling cavity, those areas have to be opened, cleaned, dried, and then inspected before the restoration of finish-surfaces.

 

 

Many apartment concerns including plumbing, water damage, mold, foundation

I'm in a basement apartment of a home that is recently on the market. I've relayed to the property management of my concerns( since November 2020 )but am told there isn't any issues he's aware of.

No drainage in bathtub ( pipe angles up) floor joists and walls sitting on dirt. Floors dropping. Ceiling and walls separating. Major water damage and mold between walls. No weeping tile or its filled. Porch sitting on ground. Concrete foundation on my half deteriorating. Floors Ice cold. As there's no proper foundation.

On 2022-04-08 by Winnie Madden

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Winnie Madden,

Your photo and comments suggest a home that may indeed have multiple problems needing repair, some of which can involve health or safety. We've often seen such conditions when an owner has become no longer able or willing to maintain a property.

Our OPINION is that nevertheless a landlord has an obligation to provide safe functional habitable space to a tenant.

I know it's easier for us to say than you to do, but if living in such a place is unsafe or un-healthy and if the owner isn't interested or willing or able to correct those conditions, you need to be somewhere else.

Some people may be at extra risk in such a building, such as asthmatics, elderly, disabled, infant, etc.

 

Newport News, Virginia Department of Health contact information

My apartment was damaged by water some time around 9 March 2022.

Also, as long as I’ve been in the apartment I’ve had fierce headaches, bloody nose almost daily, breathing black dust that tears my eyes up and changing my breathing and voice with a constant cough. I would like to have someone from the health department in Newport News VA.

On 2022-03-28 by Rose

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Rose,

Two health districts serving the residents of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City County and York County.

This web page has contact information for the Virginia health department in your area - https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/hampton-peninsula/

but what is surprising is that that health department contact information is a bit obscure.

Try this FIRST
416 J. Clyde Morris Blvd. Newport News VA 23601
(757) 594-7300

SECOND
Tel: (757) 262-2000
Virginia Department of Health, for the Newport News area
21 Enterprise Pkwy., Ste 100
Hampton, VA 23666

This page https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/health-department-locator/ lets you enter your zip code and purports to direct you to a Virginia health department near you.

THIRD OPTION: Virginia DOH in Richmond.
Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services, Office of VDH Staff (804) 864-7000
Email: questions@vdh.virginia.gov
and ask them how to get help from your local health officials.

About your photo: there is no reasonable chance that the black debris or possibly mold visible on the drawer in your photo would explain the serious health symptoms you describe,

but be warned that if there were areas of your apartment that were wet and that were not investigated and cleaned, such as wall, ceiling, or floor cavities, or the un-sealed, often hard-to-access surfaces of cabinets and furniture were wet, then there could be a large, hidden mold reservoir that could indeed be a health hazard.

DO NOT rely on "mold tests" alone to investigate that hazard as tests alone are very unreliable.

 

How do I test for mold? - I've got a cough

It appears that there's mold in my apartment. I've addressed this with the maintenance and he calls it hair dying spots. But my son bought it to may attention several times because I have a cough that won't seem to go away.

Can you help me test for mold? Oh and because I complained several times before it got fixed, I've now been asked to move by February 1st, 2022 On 2021-12-03 by Rose Gordon

Reply by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - is what you see in your apartment really mold?

@Rose Gordon,

MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE

can help you and your maintenance people practice recognizing the difference between "hair dye spots" and mold.

Or you can collect a representative tape sample and have that analyzed by a mold test lab (about $50. U.S.)

Or post some sharp photos (one per comment) - it's really easy to recognize mold though you won't know its specific genera/species without a lab test - the species doesn't affect what's needed one bit:

• Find the mold - including hidden mold
• Remove the mold
• Fix the leaks that caused its growth

Asked you to move? Perhaps the landlord wants you to leave before they suffer a health-related claim, or they figure you're difficult.

Perhaps you want to move if the building is moldy - else you'll need to take that question to an attorney.

 

Does the health department offer advise/assistance with mold inspection in Gainesville Florida?

Does the health department offer advise/assistance with mold inspection for gainesville apartment community? On 2021-11-02 by Heather

Reply by inspectapedia.com.moderator - Gainesville, Florida health department contact info

@Heather,

Assuming you're asking about the Gainesville Florida health department, contact the department directly to ask. Visit the Florida Department of Health's website (floridahealth.gov).

Or call
352-334-7900 ext 3335
313HIV@flhealth.gov

Mailing Address

224 SE 24th Street

Gainesville, FL 32641

...

Continue reading at LEGAL AID ATTORNEY HELP SOURCES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP for RENTERS FAQs - Q&A posted originally at this page

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE to TEST CLEAN PREVENT - home page for reading about how to clean up or remove mold and how to prevent its growth in buildings
• MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? - figure out when to hire someone
• RENTERS & TENANTS ADVICE for UNSAFE or UNHEALTHY HOME
  • HEALTH DEPARTMENT HELP for RENTERS - you are on this page
  • HIDDEN MOLD RISKS for RENTERS
  • HOUSING, EMERGENCY & TEMPORARY
  • LEGAL AID ATTORNEY HELP SOURCES
  • MOLD ACTION ADVICE for RENTERS
  • MOLD CONTAMINATION CAUSES
  • MOLD HEALTH RISKS for TENANTS
  • MOLD SAFETY ADVICE for TENANTS
  • MOLD ADVICE for BUILDING MANAGERS
  • TENANT HELP for MOLDY RENTAL
  • TENANT LANDLORD MOLD DISPUTE
  • UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT, CAN'T LEAVE - what if you have to continue to live in a moldy apartment or rental home?

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