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Tenants'
Problem are Landlord's Liabilities
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Questions:
Sat, 5 Jul 2003 18:34:34 -0700 (PDT) |
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We just moved to a
new apartment and I have a walk in closet. Last night I found green mould
growing on my sandals (which have been hardly worn). Then I found that
all my shoes and boots, that were in a bag in the corner, where covered
with green mould. We just moved there last month (June 1st).
Well, my questions
are: What can we do? We rent the apartment, so what is the landlord's
part in this? Can we get rid of the mould? |
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Answers: |
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To know how serious
your apartment mould problem is, you need to pay for your own mould
testing either using a
Certified Mould Inspector, or do-it-yourself mould test kits to inspect and test your properties for
moulds.
Be sure to test all
rooms of your apartment, plus all of the air flow out of heating/cooling
[hvac] duct registers when the ventilating fan is turned on in the hvac
system. The mould is growing because there is a water source that drives
the mould growth -- maybe high humidity above 60%, or maybe a hidden
plumbing leak or a roof leak. There can be mould infestation inside
walls, ceilings, and floors that can cause serious health problems for
you and your family.
Once you have proof
of mould infestation from the mould test laboratory results, you should
demand to be moved to a mould-safe apartment, or to get a refund of your
security deposit and moving expenses to move elsewhere. Please visit:
Landlord Tenant Legal Form or Mould Law
Guide. Do not move any of your clothing or personal possessions
without first doing mould decontamination in accordance with the
procedures explained in our mould advice book.
One big problem for you is that mould landlords will not spend any money,
let alone enough, money for effective mould inspection, testing, and
remediation. If you find you have a mould problem that your landlord
ignores, you need to consult with an
Environmental
Attorney. |
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Questions:
Sat, 28 Jun 2003 20:13:32 -0700 (PDT) |
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I am from Austin
Texas. I wanted to ask your opinion on the possibility of there being
mould in our house and how we go about getting it checked. We rent a
duplex and have lived here for almost a year. A couple months after we
moved in we had some heavy rainstorms and noticed that there were some
leaks that had made stains on our ceiling. We let the landlord know and
nothing was done.
A couple of weeks
later there was more rain and even larger stains on the ceiling. The
stains in both of our bedrooms turned green/black. When we let the
landlord know they were just painted over. About two months ago a new
roof was put on over the old one.
The reason we ask is
because of the green/black mould that we had before it was painted over
and the fact that all three of us have noticed constant headaches and
severe problems with allergies while in the house. We would like to get
a mould inspection of our house but do not know how to go about doing it.
Does the landlord have to pay for the inspection? Or if you're not sure,
where would I find that out? |
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Answers: |
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As you have already
discovered, most landlords do not worry about the adverse health effects
on their tenants from living in mould-contaminated apartments or houses.
Most landlords will not spend the often substantial sums of money
required for effective mould inspection, mould testing, mould removal, and
mould prevention. To know more about landlord mould legal liability and
mould claims, please visit: Mould Law Guide.
Thus, because of the
serious health problems your family is experiencing due to mould in your
rental, you need to move as soon as possible to a mould-safe place. To
understand fully the health effects of mould on your health, please
visit: Mould Health Guidebook
Do not move any of
your clothing or personal property until you have decontaminated them in
accordance with the precise instructions contained in our book
Do-It-Yourself Mould Prevention, Inspection,
Testing & Remediation. |
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