Dealing with Mold Problems – Advice for Renters

mbains — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:07:15 +0000

Our company receives calls every day from people who are concerned about mold in their residence. Many of these people are renters. When you are renting property that you believe may have a mold problem, you are faced with a unique set of issues. For most folks, their primary concern is for their health and the health of their family. No one wants to live in a home or apartment that has a mold problem that is impacting the air that they breathe. In order to understand the source of the problem, the impact on the air, and the proper steps for remediation requires a professional inspection and testing. But, who should pay for these services? As the occupant of the property, the renter wants to hire a reputable, professional company so that their concerns and needs are addressed. However, the renter does not own the property and it is not their responsibility to pay for structural defects or other water related problems outside their control. So, the renter is also reluctant to pay for a mold inspection for property they don’t own. Landlords differ drastically in how they respond to their tenant’s concerns about mold. Many are truly concerned about their tenants health and the condition of their property and will hire the best professionals to investigate the property. Other landlords are scared and confused and don’t know how to react. Still others don’t really care and will do anything they can to avoid spending money. Further, many landlords don’t believe that mold is a real problem and they don’t take it seriously. Their goal is to spend as little money as possible to “fix” the problem and they don’t follow industry standards and that puts their tenants at risk.

After many years of experience in working with both tenants and landlords, I have the following advice for renters:

If you believe you have a mold problem, begin by discussing the concern with your landlord. How they react will dictate your next step. If they are concerned and want to do the right thing, let them. Just keep a couple of things in mind: 1. Make sure the company the landlord hires is certified or licensed and has a good reputation with organizations like the Better Business Bureau and 2. Inform the landlord that you would like copies of all reports issued.
If your landlord is anything but cooperative and professional, you need to hire your own company. This will ensure that 1. You hire the right company and 2. You will have access to the reports and information. Assuming it is determined that you do have a mold problem, it is appropriate to present the report to your landlord and 1. ask for reimbursement for your costs and 2. request that they have the problem addressed by a professional remediation company as outlined in the report provided by the company that inspected the property. Once the remediation work is performed, you will want the original inspection company to return to inspect the work of the remediation company and perform post air sampling. On the flip side though, if it turns out that you do not have a mold problem, it is appropriate that the renter does not request reimbursement from the landlord.

Our company does work for both landlords and tenants. We are fair to both parties and report the facts and condition of the property as they are. However, we do only work for one party and the party that engages our services, signs our service agreement, and pays our invoice is our client.

Dealing with mold problems, especially as a renter, can be confusing and frustrating. You want to be fair to your landlord while ensuring the health of the occupants of the home. Each step you take should be carefully measured.

My recommendation is to start by calling a reputable company and discussing your options and the best plan of action. Our company operates in Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. If you live in one of those states, please contact us. We can help.

A complete list of our locations.

World Health Organizations Guidelines on Mold and Moisture

mbains — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:27:02 +0000

In July of 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first guidelines on indoor air quality specifically addressing dampness and mold. Many of the facts that came from that publication reinforce what many of us the mold inspection industry have suspected for years. It is clear that moldy and damp environments can have an adverse impact on the health of building occupants. A few quick statistics from the publication:

“Residential dampness is associated with a 50% increase in current asthma and substantial increases in other respiratory health outcomes, suggesting that 21% of current asthma in the United States may be attributable to residential dampness and mould”. This is quite a staggering statistic. The WHO is stating that 1 out of 5 people in this country that have asthma can blame their illness on mold and moisture.
Occupants of damp or moldy buildings have a 75% greater risk of respiratory symptoms and asthma than occupants of buildings with better indoor air quality, according to the findings by the WHO. With statistics like that, it seems extremely prudent for occupants of indoor spaces to be concerned about their indoor air quality with respect to water intrusion and microbial growth.
“When sufficient moisture is available, hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi – particularly mould – pollute indoor air. The most important effects of exposure to these pollutants are the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma, as well as disturbance of the immune system. Preventing (or minimizing) persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and building structures is the most important means of avoiding harmful effects on health.”

I’m quite glad that a reputable organization has come to these conclusions via documentable research methods. I’ve suspected for years that that moldy and wet environments could cause health problems, but was hesitant to state it as fact. I hope that people will read this document and take their indoor air quality seriously.

You can download a free copy of the book or purchase the hard copy here: http://euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20090629_4

If you need to find a qualified mold inspection company in southern California, call us at 310.451.9333 or visit our website at Mold Inspection Sciences (www.moldinspectionsciences.com). In Texas 512.535.2493 or Mold Inspection Sciences Texas (www.moldinspectiontexas.com). For Colorado 303.339.0133 or Mold Inspection Sciences Colorado (www.moldinspectioncolorado.com).

If you live in another area, you can find an inspector using the “find a mold inspector” tool at Planet Mold – http://www.planetmold.com/mold-inspection/find-a-mold-inspector

Mold Inspection Sciences » Mold and Health

Dealing with Mold Problems – Advice for Renters

World Health Organizations Guidelines on Mold and Moisture