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Mold Safety Advice for Tenants in Rental Homes, Apartments, Offices InspectAPedia®  -     Immediate safety advice for tenants who suspect mold, mold odors, or similar indoor hazards How to handle mold problems in rental property, apartments, rental homes, offices Mold testing advice for rental tenants Mold testing and mold remediation advice for landlords Should you call your health department about a moldy apartment?

Before doing anything about an actual or suspected mold problem in a rental apartment, home, or office, there are a few things that the tenant should do. 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. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Immediate Safety Advice for Tenants Complaining of Moldy Apartments

1. Before Testing for Mold, Check for carbon monoxide - a potentially fatal problem: First, some complaints I've heard, such as headache and nausea, have been traced to very dangerous exposure to carbon monoxide, not mold. So particularly if a building has gas-fired appliances or heat, it is important to rule out other non-mold but very dangerous conditions. Be sure that there is a working smoke detector and working carbon monoxide detector installed in appropriate locations such as in and outside of bedrooms.
   
   Remember that CO itself is odorless, but if carbon monoxide is being released by unsafe heating system exhaust you might smell other combustion products that are also in the exhaust.
   
   
2. Warning to high-health-risk building occupants: Second, people with severe asthma, compromised immune systems, elderly, infant, or otherwise at extra high risk of mold or other illnesses should be quicker to exit questionable areas and to avoid unnecessary exposure to respiratory or other irritants such as mold or moldy dust or demolition dust and debris.
   
   
3. Do not permit incompetent mold demolition work: Third, before you and the building management have a clear idea of what work is needed and what health risks, if any, are involved, do not permit a work crew to come into the apartment and simply start demolition. The risk is that mold-contaminated materials are indeed present and that without proper containment, the workers can make problems worse, exposing both apartment occupants and their belongings to moldy dust and debris.
   
   
4. Check with your doctor: to see if s/he has specific warnings or advice about your complaint, medical condition, and environment.

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

RENTERS & TENANTS: MOLD ADVICE
  Describe a Moldy Apartment
  Possible Mold Causes
  Action Advice for Tenants
  Immediate Safety Advice
  Health Risk for Tenants
  Possible Hidden Mold
  Building Manager's Guide to Mold
  What Can Tenant Do
  Health Department

Also see

• Mold Action Guide: What to do about mold, mildew, and other indoor allergens. The steps described in this mold guide, especially the comments about when dust containment, demolition, and aggressive cleaning, or perhaps mold testing are needed will help tenants decide if their mold concern is being properly handled.
• Should you See a Doctor for Mold Symptom Treatment? and Mold Related Illness: Index of Symptoms

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
MOLD INFORMATION CENTER

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