If you suspect your apartment has mold and the landlord won't do anything, is there an agency that will check your apartment and give you results that you can then submit to your landlord?
COMMENT 141482P
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2011-01-30 10:50 AM |
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Mold in your living space looks scary. When our house had it due to leaky windows I went through all the testing and cleaning and teardown with negative airflow/pressure whatever... It was mold which isn't good for a person but it wasn't Toxic Mold we were all seeing on TV as scary. Turns out it rarely is toxic mold. My advice to you would be to clean the area with a bleach solution and relax. Or move. Seriously.
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COMMENT 141488
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2011-01-30 11:13 AM |
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Swab things down with alcohol or clorox solutions if you are concerned. No biggie. Don't buy into this hysteria du jour.
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SBFUNLOVER
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2011-01-30 12:06 PM |
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141488 is probably a landlord.
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ROGER DODGER
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2011-01-30 12:11 PM |
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I had a friend who lived in a 6x8 foot cottage that will filled with mold. He lived in it for several years got bone cancer and died.
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COMMENT 141515
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2011-01-30 12:18 PM |
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If it is in your bathroom/shower, you need to clean that up. Any number of products to clean a shower are advertised on tv daily.
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COMMENT 141522
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2011-01-30 12:42 PM |
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Mold is everywhere. You breathe it all the time. Clean your house on a regular basis. Mold be gone!
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COMMENT 141526
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2011-01-30 12:57 PM |
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We've been both tenants and landlords for years. Here's what I would do: - take photos of the problem areas
- do some cleaning and keep track of your expenses
- tell your landlord that you've done this (in writing is best)
- keep an eye on the area If mold returns later and your experience symptoms or have continuing concerns, at that point recontact your landlord about having in an inspection service come in. Document it all, but take the attitude that your part in it is important too: do you pay attention to ventilation and keeping things clean, do you report plumbing leaks when they happen, are you doing your part too or are you coming into the situation with blame in mind?
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COMMENT 141533P
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2011-01-30 01:40 PM |
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No there is no "agency" for mold. please.
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COMMENT 141536
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2011-01-30 01:43 PM |
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Personally if your landlord is not responsive and taking care of the situation, I'd move.
I lived in a moldy apt complex. Every single place had it and the management knew it. Every month I had a cough from it, that lasted three weeks, and then would start over.
Do yourself a favor--move before you get sick.
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COMMENT 141539P
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2011-01-30 01:53 PM |
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I used to work at Livingreen on Milpas and they have a non-toxic product called Mold Avenger customers/contractors used to swear by it. One Tues-Sat, 12N to 5 or 6 PM?
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COMMENT 141547
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2011-01-30 02:15 PM |
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You don't get bone cancer from mold.
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COMMENT 141550
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2011-01-30 02:18 PM |
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Yes, I had a landlord that swore that the Mesa and mold were common, then I discovered that the next door studio's bathroom cleverly vented into my roomates bedroom. In anycase, reoccurring mold ranks up there with cockroaches. I would put energy and resources into finding a better place to live than fighting your landlord and constantly cleaning up mold. Constant mental irritation and aggravation is bad for your health. Life is short.
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ROGER DODGER
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2011-01-30 02:22 PM |
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You get something a bad cough couldn't that turn into cancer, after years and years of hacking that mold up..
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COMMENT 141558
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2011-01-30 02:56 PM |
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I'd worry more about smoking dope and getting cancer than getting cancer from surface mold. The closer one lives to the ocean, mold potential is rampant. Comes with the seaside location in this town, and is not a landlord problem.
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ROGER DODGER
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2011-01-30 03:22 PM |
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Will I'm not worried about smoking weed and getting cancer but why would you bring a weed into another topic.. Oh I'd be worried about getting my nose stuck where it don't belong more than mold..
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COMMENT 141577
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2011-01-30 04:16 PM |
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our building had multiple walls between units that probably had slow leaks which made damp spots on the walls and floors, in addition to a slab leak (causes warm spots under tile floors), but there is no clear way to get someone to inspect the building as far as we could find. The city health department seems to require you to file a formal complaint as though you want to enter into litigation with the landlord.
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COMMENT 141581
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2011-01-30 04:39 PM |
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I am a landlord and find it amazing that people are saying it is not a landlord problem! Have you no soul?! I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that someone could potentially get sick from my negligence...
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COMMENT 141614
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2011-01-30 06:41 PM |
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Yes, Certain mycotoxins can cause cancer. For example, Aspergillus sometimes produces aflatoxin which are proven to cause liver cancer and possibly lung cancer. The big picture is that if you are getting sick from mold, then you need to get away from it. Google: How to deal with mold in home, basics about mold related illness (at associated content), and check Dr Erica Elliott's website as she has a good article about mold, and American Academy Environmental Medicine website for docs in town who know about it Judith Wood inspected our home for mold when my family got sick from it when we lived on the Mesa. A local mold remediator fixed it.
Wood Environmental Services, LLC (Judith Wood) (805) 563-0100
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COMMENT 141621
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2011-01-30 07:04 PM |
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581 you sound like a great landlord...will you rent your place to me ...im so sick of crazy ,dumb kids pounding on common walls in our apt..mold may be a problem here as well but you would have to rip apart the walls to find it
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COMMENT 141622
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2011-01-30 07:15 PM |
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To 141621: I didn't know that pounding on the walls was an effective way of eradicating mold - I'll have to try it!
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COMMENT 141630
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2011-01-30 08:00 PM |
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We moved out of a moldy apartment and here's what I learned: 1) Allergies/low energy/sinus/headaches/insomnia can be from your home even if you can't actually see mold. 2) You can hire a mold inspector. Dwayne De Vries is highly respected locally (google him). 3) Even if a landlord remediates think about whether you really want to stay there. 4) Ordinary household mold can make you sick. Mold eats building materials and then emits Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCS). This causes dizziness, headaches, and confusion. 5) Get your clothes treated with ozone to kill mold spores. Ablitt's charges $1/per piece. 6) Housing construction and maintenance have a lot to do with it. Good luck.
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COMMENT 141642P
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2011-01-30 11:49 PM |
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Maybe the City Council will create a Mold Police Dept, but first they will need a $2 million study... and 6 years later, we have the MPD!
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ROGER DODGER
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2011-01-31 06:48 AM |
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Note to self: Come back rich in next life time so I can afford not to work, or live in poverty and mold.
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COMMENT 141662
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2011-01-31 07:28 AM |
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FOM (Fear of Mold): Latest wealth transfer scheme. Americans yet again pay something for nothing.
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SEEDLADY
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2011-01-31 08:27 AM |
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Does your city or county have a public health department? They may be able to offer you some advice on dealing with this, where to gather info, how to deal most effectively with landlord, etc.
Living in a moldy home is not fun. Neither is worrying about your health. Do what you have to, to live without either.
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COMMENT 141690
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2011-01-31 08:45 AM |
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Having been both a renter and landlord I am aware of the problem. Dealing with a tenant's mold problem I found:
Bleach or vinegar kills most molds. Vinegar has a slight antiseptic property. This eliminated my renter's problem. I also installed a bathroom fan. Checked with a doctor" Mold is only toxic or can make you sick if the person is prone to allergies or has a health problem. Checked with a mold and spore inspector: He told me that he can find mold anywhere. Other than that: 1. check to make sure that you the renter are keeping things clean and circulating the air.
2. like any other repair problem, document phone calls and letters with the landlord. Ask for a repair if it is a structural problem, as you would ask for any other repair. If landlord can't or won't fix a structural problem, then move because you don't know if you might have a particular allergy or health related problem. Your health is the important issue.
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COMMENT 141698
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2011-01-31 09:06 AM |
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141662 is correct! Fear of mold (FOM) is a scheme to rid you or your landlord of money. Don't be fooled!
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COMMENT 141703
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2011-01-31 09:38 AM |
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Read the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website about mold and get out of this money-grubbing hysteria reaction to it. Learn what it is, where to look for it, how to deal with it and if you don't find the source of the moisture you can't get rid of the mold. So if you live by the ocean, you learn to live with mold. Or else you dehumidify and/or repair water leaks. Simple as that. Nothing mysterious that takes and expert or extra dry cleaning bills. Fear of the unknown is rampant at uncertain times like this, and "sick buildings" for some weird reason become a manifestation for these times of uncertainty. Save your money, stop blaming some unknown or vague force that requires cash to be transfered to some ersatz "expert" and read up on this from legitimate resources and not those who only want to scare you to death and sell you something in return.
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COMMENT 141718
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2011-01-31 10:18 AM |
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I rented on the Mesa for about a year in a freshly painted condo in Santa Barbara Highlands. The mold started showing on the upstairs wood beam ceilings a few months later. It was painted over,and both upstairs bedrooms were COVERED in mold. It was growing up one of the walls also, it was on the wood floor boards, and it was carpeted over with new carpet. Went on for months, trying to get my landlord to deal with it. I finally just moved out, I was having nose bleeds and so was my daughter. Also could not breath every morning when I got up. Once we moved, everything was better.
Mold is not healthy to live in when it is growing on your walls and ceiling.
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COMMENT 141719
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2011-01-31 10:21 AM |
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Fear of mold is not a scheme. I was an apartment manager for 5 years, the owner of the building is local and I saw him almost daily. My office leaked every time it rained and mold grew in the ceiling and walls. I walked in one day and all of the wallpaper was falling off the wall because of the mold that had grown between the wallpaper and the wall. He stripped the wall paper and repainted the place, but never did anything about the leak. I was constantly sick and coughing. I left because of his lazy and uncaring attitude. Whenever a tenant complained about mold, he told them it was their fault that they were dirty people. He was a multimillionaire slumlord and I feel for anyone who rents from him...he owns several rentals around town. Mold is a seriouse health problem and should not be ignores, especially by those who have illnesses like asthma and COPD.
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COMMENT 141735
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2011-01-31 11:10 AM |
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If you are referring to mold spots you can see (i.e. bathroom ceiling), spot treat those with bleach. I do it all the time in my bathroom. Home Depot has a really good spray (blue bottle, sorry forget the name) that worked awesome, but any bleach spray should work. If you suspect it in your walls (which I assume is what you are asking about), I have to ask why? Do you think you have a leak (and have water where it shouldn't be?)? Do you have a cough you suspect is related? Do you smell musty/moldy smells in the house? It really depends more on the situation for how to deal with it. If you have an obvious leak, that has to be fixed - the landlord should know that. If you just suspect it but have no proof or reasonable evidence, don't expect a landlord to tear down walls or pay an inspector to find it. All else fails? Move. But make sure you pepper craigslist with ads about the moldy apt - maybe the landlord will take you more seriously when they can't rent it out after you.
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COMMENT 141736
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2011-01-31 11:10 AM |
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Marijuana grow houses are notorious for leaving massive mold problems behind - high humidity and lack of air circulation that would reveal what was going on inside. When these indoor growers leave, the house practically has to be gutted or torn down.
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COMMENT 141741P
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2011-01-31 11:39 AM |
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Mold spots on the ceiling can be the result of another source. I found that the area where the shower container met the wall was not properly sealed and was a breeding ground for mold. When this was fixed, the ceiling spots went away.
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COMMENT 141768
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2011-01-31 12:56 PM |
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When mold is inside of walls (due to improperly installed or leaking windows, for example) the mold comes through from the inside out. Treating mold on a surface is NO guarantee that it will solve the problem.
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COMMENT 141783
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2011-01-31 01:24 PM |
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three years ago i lived in an apartment in goleta where what we thought was surface mold started appearing on the ceilings, top of cabinets, etc in the kitchen. i would use diluted bleach to wipe down pretty regularly. then one day my housemate and i came home to a crack in the ceiling that over the next day a 4'x6' section of our kitchen ceiling came crashing down. it smelled horrible and the exposed beams and ceiling were covered in mold, which obviously explains why our "surface" mold kept returning. it was black though we didn't know what kind. our sketchy landlord wanted to just come in and track it all around in an attempt to clean it up. we wanted someone professional to help since his previous solution to a drainage problem was taking a hole saw to everything (not joking). we weren't sure of our rights so we had a bit of luck consulting with the iv tenants union. unfortunately i don't think that something like that exists outside of iv.
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COMMENT 141844
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2011-01-31 04:53 PM |
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There are a lot of contractors that have the equipment to test the moisture content in walls. If the surface mold comes back you should check for other water sources. Without water, mold cannot grow. I've had the unfortunate luck of experiencing many mold remediation projects as both a tenant and a property manager. True testing would be done by an industrial hygienist-they do surface and air tests that will give you the type and number of spores vs. the outside air. Never trust a contractor that does the testing AND the remediation. Keep those two functions separate to keep them honest. Good luck
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COMMENT 142041P
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2011-02-01 02:06 PM |
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I'd be more worried about the mold you can't see than the stuff you can. Bleach will usually take care of it but if it's inside the walls you may be breathing it through electrical outlets and other areas where air can enter your house/apartment and never know it.
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COMMENT 142054P
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2011-02-01 03:13 PM |
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I just finished a major remodel of a kitchen in a rental unit because the tentant did not notify me of a slow water drip and mold got into the drywall. It was a mess to clean up. Handling mold is the responsibility of BOTH the landlord and the tenant. The landlord needs to make sure that any leaks and moisture problems are dealt with. The tenant needs to use common sense like opening a window or using the fan in the bathroom or kitchen. If you use a humidifier or windows/walls get steamed by cooking or showering - then clean and dry visible mositure on the windows and walls. If you have surface mold spots on your bathroom walls or windows - it's probably a tenant problem - and the tenant should clean it up with bleach or one of the commercial anti-mold projects. If it's a larger issue notify your landlord - and keep a record. The Santa Barbara Rental Propety Association has a "Mold Notification Addendum to Rental Agreement Lease" that sets out the responsiblities of both.
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WOOD ENVIRONMENTAL
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2013-05-11 12:25 PM |
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I deal with this on a daily basis. I usually recommend that you contact your landlord in writting regarding the proposed issue with photographs or pay for the mold inspection yourself and provide the report to the landlord. If this does not help contact the City of Santa Barbara Rental Housing Mediation Task Force at:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Boards_and_Commissions_N-Z/Rental_Housing_Mediation_Task_Force/ This site is for landlord and tenant disputes. If you are getting sick and suspect mold and would like a Mold Assessment contact Wood Environmental Services at (805) 563-0100 or go to www.WoodEnvironmental.com
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WOOD ENVIRONMENTAL
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2013-05-11 12:29 PM |
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I deal with this on a daily basis. I usually recommend that you contact your landlord in writing regarding the proposed issue with photographs or pay for the mold inspection yourself and provide the report to the landlord. If this does not help contact the City of Santa Barbara Rental Housing Mediation Task Force at:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Boards_and_Commissions_N-Z/Rental_Housing_Mediation_Task_Force/ This site is for landlord and tenant disputes. If you are getting sick and suspect mold and would like a Mold Assessment contact Wood Environmental Services at (805) 563-0100 or go to www.WoodEnvironmental.com
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