What Should You Do If You Suspect That Your Home Has a Mold Problem?

What Should You Do If You Suspect That Your Home Has a Mold Problem?

I’d like to discuss with you now what to do if you’re a tenant living in a rental apartment or house and you suspect that the house has a mold problem. First, make sure to document and photograph the mold. Second, remember that mold needs water to survive. So determine, document and photograph the water source. Make sure your landlord or property manager doesn’t just paint over or remove the mold, but has also identified and eliminated the source of the excess moisture.

Notify your landlord of the problem and do it in writing. Always keep a copy. If you’ve got renter’s insurance, notify your insurance carrier. In general, you should keep copies of any communications that you have with any insurance adjusters, investigators, property managers, landlords, their agents or anyone else with whom you discuss your mold problem. If someone comes out to look, treat or investigate the mold, be sure to get their name and phone number, and who they’re working for.

Finally, get a mold report. This will tell you whether any of the molds in your apartment are toxic, such that you and your family should seek alternative living accommodations until the mold problem is resolved. This mold report will also help identify the scope and spread of the mold contamination including mold that may be hidden in wall cavities, such that you can be sure your landlord properly remediates and eliminates all the mold in the structure. The mold report will also help to determine if your personal property has been contaminated by the mold and if so, whether replacement or professional remediation is recommended or required.

If you have been advised to dispose of your contaminated property, make sure to photograph and document with a list, each piece of disposed property and comply with any requirements of your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy if applicable. Finally, your mold report will be critical to preserve evidence if you need to pursue a legal claim in the future. If you’ve followed all these steps and still feel that you have not been properly compensated for all of your injuries or if your landlord continues to leave you and your loved ones in a mold contaminated rental unit, then call us with your mold story.