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Guide to Hidden Mold in Rental Homes, Apartments, Offices InspectAPedia®  -     Guide to hidden mold in rental properties The mold you see or the mold you tested may not be the only concern nor the main risk 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?

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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A Guide to Possible Hidden Mold in Rental Apartments, Houses, Offices

The mold that you *see* may not by any means be the whole problem, or even much of the problem; various species could be in building cavities and in the HVAC system.

Too often we find that "black mold" on building surfaces has received attention but hard-to-see Penicillium sp. or Aspergillus sp. (for example) remain in large reservoirs on building surfaces or in insulation.

Magic bullets: Also, "bleaching mold" or "fogging" or "encapsulating" mold is never a successful remedy for a moldy building.

The places where mold is growing must be found, moldy material removed, exposed surfaces cleaned, and the causes of mold growth corrected.

If the area of mold growth is large (more than 30 sq ft) the work needs to proceed with special procedures to avoid spreading moldy dusty debris around.

Tenant-identified possible mold reservoirs

The tenant or building maintenance staff may have already identified apparent mold reservoirs or sources, and of course there could be other sources from other leaks or problems they haven't discovered:

Roof leaks - can have leaked into ceilings and walls; depending on what building materials used, they could be moldy with problem molds.

HVAC systems - If there is a common A/C duct system which has become mold contaminated, no amount of cleaning in your immediate apartment would be sufficient since it is possible that the whole system needs to be cleaned, or possibly some duct sections replaced, and the cause corrected. Also it is common for A/C condensate or water from a chiller system to leak; water could have leaked into your closet ceiling and walls, also creating a problem mold reservoir.

Building insulation - often building insulation has become mold contaminated but looks "clean" to the naked eye. Few mold inspectors test this material, yet it is often discovered to be the principal problem mold reservoir in some building areas.

Very often when I visit a site I find other leaks and mold sources that need to be addressed, so I wouldn't assume these are the full extent of what needs attention.

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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

For more details on how to find mold, how to find the important mold reservoirs, and where an important mold problem is often missed in buildings, see

• HOW TO LOOK FOR MOLD - How to Find and Test for Hidden Mold in Buildings we give tips on how to spot problem mold - some of the more dangerous molds are hard to see
• Insulation Mold: How to Find and Test for Mold in Insulation - insulation over a damp crawl space or below a leaky roof is often moldy but may look clean
• DUCT SYSTEM DEFECTS - Heating and Cooling Duct Work Inspections for Adequacy, Safety, Defective Materials, Asbestos, Mold tips on looking for mold or conditions likely to produce contamination in HVAC duct systems and air handlers

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