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Wet matterss (C) Daniel Friedman Mold Inspection & Testing Advice for Tenants in Rental Homes, Apartments, Offices

Rental Apartment or Home Mold Action Advice:

This document discusses the steps that a tenant in a rental apartment or rental home can take to look for and test for mold, how to inform building management of a mold problem, what to expect the rental property managers to do if they are going to address a mold problem properly, and what the rental apartment tenant needs to watch out for during a mold investigation and mold remediation of their home.

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

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- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

Action Advice for Tenants in Moldy Apartments

Apartment mold study photos include signs of leak history (C) InspectApedia DC

On-site inspection is important: Keep in mind that anyone whose opinion you seek by telephone, email, or web "prospecting", even if s/he is very competent, is distant and can't see all of the site conditions. Therefore such advice can only be general, and we must keep in mind that there could be, in fact probably are, important observations that might change the assessment of an individual situation as well as the advice on steps to take.

How to Determine If Health, Mold Related Illness, Asthma, or other Complaints Appear to be Building Related

Building-related illness symptoms often stop or diminish quickly when the suffering person leaves that location. A simple subjective test which you have applied is the observation that you suffer health complaints soon on entry to the building and they stop when you've been out of the building.

Contents may be contaminated from a prior residence: Of course if someone's apartment contents were mold-contaminated from a previous residence those complaints could still occur, so it's important to rule out that chance by recalling what reactions you had to your previous home.

Mold related illness symptoms don't always stop right away: Finally, while some building-related or building-aggravated health complaints diminish or stop entirely on leaving that environment, other complaints may be slow to appear and also slow to diminish even after leaving the problem environment.

Exposure to irritants indoors can increase individual sensitivity: In fact high exposure to some materials such as allergens or mold can increase sensitivity to those particles in some individuals, making them later react to even low levels of such particles in a new environment.

What is the Landlord Going to Do About Mold?

Next in this article we discuss how the tenant can decide if they're comfortable with what a building owner or manager proposes to do about a mold problem in their rental space.

Questions & Answers about wet moldy furniture & bedding in a moldy apartment or rental home - who pays?

Question: who pays for my ruined mattress?

Wet matterss (C) Daniel Friedman

I was wondering, if my mattress is ruined in the moldy apartment, do my landlords have to replace it? - Kait

Reply: It depends ...

I agree that it's unlikely a moldy mattress can be cleaned adequately, and that usually it's replaced as part of mold remediation.

If there is argument about it's inclusion in the mold cleanup job that problem may rest with the original mold remediation plan prepared by (we hope) an independent expert who had no conflicts of interest in the job.

That is to say, a competent mold investigator who draws up a mold cleanup plan, as well as many insurance investigators will include mattersses, wall to wall carpeting, and upholstered furniture that has been soaked and/or is moldy as items to be disposed-of because those items can't be reliably nor economically cleaned.

Beyond those OPINIONS, I'm sorry to say the matter is a legal question - not our expertise, but if I were technical-advising an attorney on a matter like this I'd argue that if the moldy or smelly mattress is traced to a leak or mold problem that was covered by a specific party, then the mattress should be part of that job.

...


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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2019-06-15 by Cora Doreen Lopez

last summer the a/ c wasn't cooling.. They refilled w refrigerant ..not sure if They located and repaired the leak....well.3 mos ago..during a storm.

Water leaked through the vent in ceiling..rusty and quite
A lot of water.

The landlord said " it was fixed.. Bur..the ceiling has a yellowish coat.and there is growth on ceiling..new patches have spread out..I was wondering If he took the right steps..as of now..he thinks I'm over reacting... he said: "on roof..they opened the duct, cleaned it..sealed duct on roof,patched a piece of roofing. A/c gut tested it..said it was dirt..no mold in the a c return...coils were good...the leak never hit the insulation...it was inside the duct.. Water leaked from within..( during a storm) Im uploading a pic of kitchen ceiling

IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2016-11-11 by (mod) - time to call the department of health

There is no "mildew" in buildings. Mildew grows only on live plants.

If your apartment wall burst, why did that happen? A leak or flooding? If so, and if that was not properly cleaned up and repaired, there could indeed be health hazards for building occupants.

As you'll read in this article series, if management isn't responsive, and if there is a legitimate health worry, you may need to get help from your local department of health.

Keep us posted.

On 2016-11-11 by Dee - apartment wall burst, wall "all over"

My apt wall burst and mold is all over, along with roaches and mice infestation.Mgmt knows stated mildew "Yeah Right" never professional cleaning just new wood and laminate.

I have been so sick headache vomiting, numbness , Now the stench is so severe I cant stand inhale have mask on.I dont have money to do mold testing to confirm. I need someone to come document and test my apt.Its. making me sick mgmt not doing Nothing about it.

This Q&A were posted originally at InspectApedia.com HOME

On 2016-09-11 by (mod) - spraying isn't alone a useful nor safe "mold remedy"

Harmful indoor mold needs to be removed, the exposed surfaces cleaned, and the leaks or moisture that caused the mold, found and fixed too.

see MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD

Mold tests, alone, without a complete and expert building inspection, are not reliable and not something on which a building manager should bet the health of their tenants and the money of their building owner or insurance company.

see ACCURACY of MOLD TESTS

Check with your doctor: should you even be in the same building? Find a doctor whom you trust and listen to her advice.

On 2016-09-11 by Tommie Watt - mold illness, hospitalized, improper mold treatment

I lived in an apartment that had mold I got sick could not breath was hospitalized pulmonary physician did a bronchoscopy to clean out my Lungs

I had taken pictures of this mold had to move the apartment was ordered to do mold test they had sprayed white kilt over the ares while I was in the hospita

l I showed these pictures turns to the hospital staff they sent the apartment Manger a letter stating mold was a danger to my health that's when they came in a different sprayed this white substance before the mold test was done which I dictated no visible mold seen

however the report showed levels and also stated what the mold could cause my culture stated the same problems

I have ever pictures a copy of the mold test as well as my medical all records. I want to presure

This Q&A were posted originally at InspectApedia.com HOME

On 2014-07-23 by (mod) -

Frank,

I'm not sure which "right" you are asking about. But most likely if you consult a local attorney who knows real estate law and rent law for your area, you'll see that the landlord is obligated to give you a habitable space. If you can demonstrate that your home is not habitable - unsafe, unhealthy - the the attorney may advise that you've a reasonable basis for breaking your lease without penalty, and possibly even with damages if you face added costs to clean your contents before moving to a new home.

On 2014-07-23 by frank

I have sent a letter to apartment complex about mold, no reply now to break lease they told me I have to pay 1,560,00$ to move I called epa and he said he called them and got no response is this right

On 2011-08-20 by JD

We have been living in a house for 2 years 3 month. When we first moved in it smelled musty and within 3 weeks the basement was completly flooded. We found teracotta piping to drain away the water from house that had broken away from sections and was letting water flow freely. We dug up the old piping and put in new (never being compensated for our time).

The following year mold was creeping in around the windows and up the walls as well as I was cleaning the basement cabinets and walls periodically wiping away powdery mildew and mold. We also run a dehumidifier 24 hours a day and fans in the summer months downstair when humidity is high. I have a hydroponic unit where I grow lettuce and greens and they began to get a blight. We took up the flooring and checked behind walls after finding leaks (that we first thought was our plant system)

Behind the exterior walls is black mold and the structure of 2X4 crushed in your hand. We brought in a specialist that told the landlord that the exterior of the house did not have proper draining and the water needed to be led away from the house, new piping, sealer and gravel would need to be implemented in order to take care of the problem.

The landlord says that we caused the problem with our hydro system (set up for 1 yr. 3 months, and has panda paper all around the walls which did not have any condensation or mold)they also said that the plants can give off mold spores into the air thus causing the problems, second they said my outdoor garden was the other culprit because I water my gardens (we have underground soakers) and even if we water occasionally with sprinklers if this water can penetrate so can rain.

The garden has been in place for 2 years and is raised beds, I do not water everyday but every 3-4 days if it does not rain, I have not watered the gardens in 2 weeks due to it has rained everyday. Thirdly they made us take out the air conditioning unit in the window saying the drip caused the exterior walls to deterioate. They refuse to do anything!


...

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