Mold infestation growth on laundry room walls in an apartment building.

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Questions & Answers about Landlord-Tenant
Mold Problems
Also visit: Landlord Mold Liability Landlord-Tenant Questions Landlord Mold
Landlord Tenant Article Before and After Photo's of Landlord's Hiding Mold by
Painting Over the Mold

Q. I live in an apartment and I have moved into this place since last July 2004. Ever since I moved in,
my 2 kids have been nonstop sick. My boyfriend has developed asthma at 37 years old. My kids are
constantly having fevers, runny noses, congestion and cough. I definitely have not been myself. My
boyfriend's mother states that every time she leaves our apartment her chest hurts for several days after.
My own mother complains of headache and that she smells something toxic every time she comes over.
What do I do? [April 14, 2005]

A. Your health problems may be mold related. Learn the top mold health symptoms. You would be wise to
mold test your entire apartment and the heating/cooling system using do it yourself mold test kits available at a
large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. You would be smart to move to a mold-safe place to live
as soon as possible. Don't move your clothing or personal possessions without first doing mold decontamination
by thoroughly washing the items with Borax laundry detergent, a natural mold cleaner, in warm water. Learn
about landlord mold liability
.

Q. We have been living in an industrial factory/converted loft apartment for over 10 1/2 years. The owner
of the building has never cared about nor done any remedial maintenance in regard to continuous roof leaks, as
well as the acade of the building leaking, etc. The entire building is in very poor condition with every roof leaking,
plus all
external walls and the hallways of every floor. We have both been experiencing repeated and continuous health
problems associated with our respiratory systems, severe sinus infections, sinusitis, itchy rashes and redness,
headaches, itchy throat and eyes, and more. The most severe symptom that occurred to me in December 2004
was a seizure and loss of consciousness. I have not been able to find the cause of this episode through any of the
regular testing at the hospital. Is it possible this could be a result of mold contamination? A friend of mine told
me to contact you regarding the gross colonies of orange/red mold growing on my entire front wall from water
leakage.
I once painted over the orangey color thinking it had something to do with brick-moisture, and now it is back bigger
than ever and spreading, taking over the wall. I also observed white fuzzy mold around the raw and rotting wood
joists that are our ceiling. I am enclosing 5 photos in jpeg format for your review. Please advise as we are very
worried and have ceased even being able to utilize that room. We are concerned about our clothing and
possessions
we have there as well as, most importantly, our health. [March 26, 2005]

A. Your photo's depict very serious mold infestation growth, which will be regularly discharging into the air mold spores that will travel in air currents to mold cross contaminate your entire apartment [and not just the one room in which the mold is currently growing] and harm the health of your family. The widespread roof and wall leaks, the extensive mold infestation, and your family's health problems all tell you that you need to move immediately to a mold-safe place to live. The seizure is even possibly mold related because living in mold infestation damages one’s central nervous system. Don't move any of your clothing or personal property without first doing safe and effective mold decontamination of those items prior to moving elsewhere to avoid mold cross-contamination of where you move to. You can also use low-cost Mold Home Remedy Recipes available at Mold Mart. Wash and scrub the items thoroughly outdoors with Borax laundry detergent, a natural mold cleaner, in warm water. You can also use .
Mold spores are too small to be seen with the naked eye. If you want to make any mold claims against your landlord, visit: Landlord Legal Liability. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective mold remediation that your
landlord can do for your moldy apartment AFTER you move out. You cannot live in the apartment safely during
the mold remediation process. As you have already learned, painting over mold does not kill or stop mold growth.

    Q. I'm writing you because I believe I have mold growing in the ventilation system in my apartment at ___ Apartments in San Antonio, TX. I began feeling ill, having headaches, sinus congestion, swelling eyes and other symptoms. I first spoke to an agent at the apartment management office on Sat. Jan 22, 2005, and was told I
would have to wait until Mon Jan 24, 2005. When I didn't receive a call from anyone, I scraped some of the
matter that was growing in the vent in the master bathroom and took it to the leasing office. I spoke with _,
who told me she would talk to _, who I believe is the Manager. After not receiving a call on Monday or Tuesday morning, I called the leasing office and spoke with regarding the substance. She informed she had spoken with and had shown the substance to ____ who said that it wasn't mold it was dust. I asked if they had it tested to determine what the substance was and was told "No, we don't where to have it sent to be tested.” In February 2003, I began to have really bad headaches, periods of confusion and weakness to my legs. I ignored the problem until I had to be hospitalized suffering from severe headaches, loss of sensation on the left side of my body and the inability to express my thoughts verbally. In the former apartment I had previously lived in, I came into close contact with was a black moldy looking substance that was growing in my ceilings, and on my walls. I began to recover while in the hospital, I had to undergo physical therapy to learn to walk with a walker. After my release from the hospital, I returned home and immediately began to experience the same symptoms. i told my neurologist about the recurrence of symptoms and what I was around when the symptoms recurred. He instructed me to inform my apartment manager, and move out of that apartment. The apartment manager came to the apartment, saw the substance and within 2 weeks, I was transferred to another apartment. The manager of my present apartment complex has dismissed the subject without her or one of her representatives even inspecting my apartment. What advise can you offer me. I do not wish to live in anymore of these apartments, however I'm under lease until April 30, 2005. I do not want to experience the severity of the illness I suffered in 2003. Which means I don't want to be here until the end of my lease. [Jan. 26, 2005]

     A. The severity of the mold growth and the severity of your health problems [which may well have been caused
or worsened by your living in mold infestation] are good reasons for you to do what you want---to move as soon as possible. Most mold lords don’t care about the health damage caused to tenants living in moldy apartments, and they won’t spend money for mold inspection, testing, and remediation. Document the mold health threat with good close
up mold photo's and with mold test results from our do it yourself mold test kits, available from our online mold
products catalog. Follow the suggestions provided at Landlord Liability. You ought to engage the services of a local landlord tenant attorney or environmental attorney to pursue any legal remedies you may have against the landlord for damage to your health, health care expenses, and the costs of replacing or mold decontaminating your clothing, furniture, and possessions once your possessions are removed from your moldy apartment and prior to your moving said items to your new place to live.

     Q. I have a rental property and there has been an enormous amount of rain in the last week. Along the
building there are now several areas as large as 2 to 3 feet in diameter of what appears to be a white mold substance coming up through the concrete. This substance cakes up 2 to 3 inches high. My manager has tried treating this with bleach and it has not stopped it from re-occurring. I would like to know: What it is (I assume it is fungus). What agent to treat it with (i.e., kill it), and how to treat it. How dangerous it is for my tenants to be in its proximity.
[Jan. 18, 2005]

        A. Congratulations on your being a responsible landlord who wishes to protect both your tenants and your property investment from mold infestation and mold health threats. Yes, the substance is likely to be mold, and airborne mold spores from mold growth can make your tenants very sick, a potential landlord legal liability you need to protect yourself against. Your first step should be to test the mystery substance to confirm that it is mold growth. Collect some of it and place it in one of our do it yourself mold test kits and watch for mold growth over a 7 day time period. You should also mold test the air of each room of each apartment and the air flow out of each heating/cooling duct register, and the air of the attic, crawl space, basement, and garage for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test. If you want to know the mold species of the grown molds, you can then send the mold test kits [one or all] to our mold lab for mold lab analysis and mold species identification [$49 per mold sample analyzed]. Use do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. Learn the 25 steps for safe and effective
mold remediation.

         Q. I am a U.S. Public Health Service Officer. There is an employee here who has personal mold issues in her rented home. Seeing your prior Public Health Service, I feel comfortable referring her to you. Can you help? She is looking for advice in getting out of a lease agreement and what approach she can take with her landlord. Any help is appreciated. [Dec. 1, 2004]

         A. Congrats on working for the nation's health in your important job at the U.S. Public Health Service
which I was also proud to serve. Suggest that your co-worker document the mold problem in such ways as: (1) color photographs of the mold growth [using a photo developing service which puts a date on the face of each photo, or by using a digital camera with a video overlay on the photo as to date and location---e.g., kitchen wall; (2) mold testing [using the Scotch tape lift sampling method to collect the samples---see mold test kit instructions] of visible mold growth, whether by a Certified Mold Inspector, or use do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware , home improvement, or safety store, with either self-observation of the mold test results or mold lab submission for actual, precise mold species identification; and (3) mold air testing of the air of each room of the rental unit, any basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct register, and an outdoor mold control test done 5 feet beyond the roof drip edge [done by either a mold inspector or your friend using our mold test kits]. The next step is to send copies of the photo's
and mold test results [photo's and/or lab reports] with a complaint letter asking for whatever landlord remedies
are needed by your friend. Your co-worker can also use the very effective Tenant Notice to Landlord about Mold. Your friend should also learn how difficult it is to get rid of mold infestation by reading the 25 steps for safe and effective
mold remediation

Q. My husband, myself and our 6 month old daughter just moved into an apartment almost 3 months ago. It started getting colder and we noticed a large amount of condensation on the window ceil. So much that there's yellow puddles. Black mold started forming all over and around the windows and sliding glass door. We contacted our renter's office and told them, they said that they get a lot of condensation on their window ceil too. They sent a maintenance man up and he wiped off it off with bleach. Well, it keeps coming back, just noticed that in our bedroom where we all sleep mold started develop on the walls near the floor. I am very scared, I was reading on your website that mold is very dangerous for infants. She has been coughing lately and is congested, I've been giving her medicine and hoping it doesn't have anything to do with the mold problem. Our neighbor was telling us about his mold problem as well, they have a young child. He had a health inspector come out and check it, there was mold growing on everything including furniture... We are planning on speaking with our landlord on Monday but I am scared that they will not help us. Also month or so after we moved in I noticed a large discolored dark spot on the ceiling of my daughters bedroom that wasn't there before. They came in and painted over it, I'm thinking that it was mold and has been previously painted over?? What can you suggest? Are the landlords obligated to fix this problem? We cannot afford to move right now and have signed a year lease? Can you please help? or give me a suggestion on how to remove this mold? [November 29, 2004]

A. You are living in a mold hell which can have devastating health effects on your young daughter and on you and your husband. The advanced state of mold infestation in your apartment would require extensive mold remediation while your family and possessions are not present. Learn the 26 steps required for safe and effective mold remediation at Mold Removal The high costs involved for effective mold remediation are the expenses of your landlord, not yours to pay as the tenant. Learn about landlord liability at Landlord Liability You need to document the mold health threat throw close up photographs you take. Use do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. Use the Landlord Tenant Notice To Landlord about Mold. You need to be moved by the landlord to a mold safe place right now. If he refuses to do so, find an attorney who specializes in landlord-tenant law to help you. If you cannot afford an attorney, there are free or low-cost legal services clinics in many cities and towns in the USA. Whatever you do, don't stay in the mold hell much longer!!!

         Q. I have been renting a home here in Cincinnati for the last 7 years. My health, which has now resorted to me having been diagnosed w/ asthma & chronic migraine headaches, which is all documented with my Family Physician. I have told the landlord about the leaky basement, which by the way is where my bed room is. I have also told him about mold on the floor & on the visible areas of the wall we can see, there is wood paneling up also. I am currently looking to be moving since my job is being affected with the ongoing migraines. I can forward you pics of the walls, which by the way I scrubbed with a bleach mixture, then sealed & repainted, the black & fuzzy grey mold is growing back. I know it is the mold making me sick, I never suffered from any of this before in my life. My teen daughters also show some of the symptoms. This so called landlord took 5 years to put a roof on the house after I told him that it was leaking too, so just think of the mold in the insulation! I have to use FMLA just to keep my job at FedEx cause I get so sick. I stated taking allergy injections just to see if that will help, but those take awhile to work. I am also behind on my rent, since I miss so much work it is not paid time off , but he says nothing, most likely since he knows he is in the wrong & does nothing to keep up the home. He had the home appraised this year & that was before I sealed the worst exposed area so I know for a fact the appraiser & he both saw with their own eyes the black & grey crud that grows. I hate to see what is under the paneling! Also there was a 6 month period where the soil pipe to the bath tub had rotted thru & when called about that he advised me to wrap some plastic around it & run it to a garbage can to catch it till he could fix it. Daily the water ran for 6 months!! So obviously it is a leaky basement & the foundation is cracked all the way down on one side. I just can not afford to do the mold testing myself, but since my & my family’s health has been so affected I am thinking about retaining a lawyer to see what my rights are. I have just become aware of the effects mold has on your health since starting to see an allergist. Your site has been a great help in helping me see some of the things I was missing! Thanks for your time! [November 22, 2004]

         A. You are living in true mold hell. You owe it to yourself and your family to move immediately to a mold-safe place to live. You have no choice to protect your family health. Read about mold health problems in the mold health sections of Mold Health and Mold Health Symptoms . Do not move any clothing or personal possessions without first doing complete and thorough mold decontamination by washing your clothes and possessions with Borax laundry detergent [a natural mold cleaner and killer]. Make sure that your new place is mold-safe by testing it thoroughly with our do it yourself mold test kits prior to agreeing to rent. Most landlords, as you have learned, don't care about the health harm caused to mold tenants living in mold contamination. Learn about landlord legal liability at Landlord Mold Liability If you want to pursue any rights you may have against the landlord, document the mold infestation with many well-lighted, close up color photographs and with written mold lab analysis of mold samples and air samples [taken with our do it yourself mold test kits] you collect from your moldy apartment. Learn about do it yourself mold inspection and mold testing at Mold Inspection You would be wise to read the in depth book Mold Legal Guide, which includes a section how to find a good environmental attorney in your area. You can buy how to mold books at our online mold products catalog.

        Q. I live in Central Florida where many additional mold problems are presently occurring due to our hurricane season. It has recently been brought to my attention that a company which is subcontracting to build condos in Satellite Beach, FL is aware of an existing mold condition, and rather than removing the mold problem by replacing the affected materials with new treated ones, this company is moving forward in the building process by currently installing drywall, thereby temporarily concealing the mold issue. I would like to know whom
I should contact in this jurisdiction to make them aware of the aforementioned. Additionally, I broke my apartment lease approximately seven months ago after residing in an apartment for six months prior to realizing it was infiltrated with mold. (I am not a native Floridian and have NEVER dealt with mold until recently.) That apartment complex requires that all residents effectuate a Mold Addendum Agreement as well as a lease prior to occupancy, so all tenants have done so. I work at home and began having breathing problems which markedly progressed within a brief period of time. I contracted allergies about seven or eight years ago while residing in the Puget Sound area in WA state, so I initially dismissed my respiratory problems believing them to be simply allergy related. However, shortly thereafter, I noticed my two children beginning to wheeze while sleeping, so at such point I began to pay much more attention to our home environment. Those particular apartments were constructed approximately five to six years ago, and a newer phase was built nearly two years ago. Pink and green streaks of mold began to bleed through the sheetrock and my walk-in closet and its contents became rapidly mold infected. I called the complex office and they bleached and painted with Kilz in my closet, in the master bath, and in the corners and lines of the bedroom ceilings. Shortly thereafter, I discovered mold growing on the FURNITURE, in the corners of the ceilings, and on the baseboards in all three bedrooms as well, and dark mold seeping through and around some of the electrical outlets also. It should come to no surprise that these electrical outlets began disfunctioning. The maintenance guy came again to bleach, Kiltz and paint my master closet and areas of my bedroom as well as the other two bedrooms in which I found circles of mold not only coming through the walls in several areas, but in the corners of the ceilings and especially around and under all the window sills. He also "treated" my front foyer coat closet and placed products which absorb moisure under the internal air unit and in all three bedroom closets. These were nearly completely filled with water within approximately three to four weeks. My children and I became worse in regard to respiratory problems. My eyelids turned bright pink and began to itch and swell dramatically. I visited my physician and began to use an inhaler frequently I am severely allergic to Penicillin, so when I analyzed what occurred, it dawned on me that Penicillin is comprised of mold. I made the apartment manager aware of my intent to break the lease and began searching for a new residence. I was actually throwing up blood the last few days we lived there, and it took several weeks for my body to flush out the toxins. I discovered your website during my tenure at those apartments, and did not pursue complaints toward that apartment complex because not only was I able to break my lease with no such related costs after initially being told it would cost me a great deal to do so and that I was the sole cause of the mold, but I received my full deposit upon signing an extended medical/lawsuit release. Moreover, several weeks later via post, I received yet another full deposit which I immediately returned to them stating I had already received my deposit money. I have been informed by friends which still reside in that complex that since we vacated the premises, they have rented the same unit to new tenants. In a nutshell, I believe the appropriate authorities should be made aware of not only the torts of my former apartment complex, but also the apparent negligence of the subcontractors who are currently installing walls over an existing mold problem. "Brand new" condos are going to be sold in the near future to unsuspecting purchasers, obviously. Latent mold doesn't dry up nor dissipate; rather it continues to silently grow and is not only the proximate cause of a myriad of health problems/disorders, but may also ultimately cause death. Thus, I am inquiring as to whom I should contact regarding same in order to prevent others from enduring any mold related harm and/or illnesses which I have come to realize truly exist. [November 21, 2004]

       A. The first step is to document the mold infestation problems with do it yourself mold test kits available at
a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store [or to hire a Certified Mold Inspector], and/or many close up color photographs of the mold growths. Because you are no longer a tenant, you don't need to utilize the Tenant
Notice to Landlord about Mold. As a former tenant and/or as a concerned good citizen, you should send copies
of your mold lab test results and/or color photographs, along with your detailed complaint letter which needs to include the moldy property address and owner's name and full contact information, to your choice of as many of the following offices as you decide is best: (1) city building inspector [find out name and address of the boss]; (2) city and county health department [find out name and address of the boss]; (3) city and state business licensing agency for the apartments and/or condo builder; (4) city mayor; (5) your state Environmental Protection Agency; (6) your state Occupational Safety and Health Administration; (7) the city news editor of your local daily newspaper; and (8) the news editor of your local radio and TV stations [who are very interested in mold news articles]. Also very attention-getting would be to find from public records the name of the mortgage lender of the moldy property and then send the lab reports, photo, and complaint letter to the lender whose mortgage collateral is imperiled by the mold contamination problem.

       Q. My husband and I were married a little over 2 years ago and since then we have moved into a home (rental) at the moment. The only problem is this year. First of all.... we are having severe mold problems. This place is an old (cape cod type style) rental home with even the shaker shingles. We also have a good bit of trees, a lot of rain this year, a pond (water right behind the house), and even frogs are on our porch (to tell you how damp it is)- - - especially "this" year. In the house I have noticed an awful stench! I have found so much mold, that I cannot keep up with it!!! I have found it in cupboards, up the walls, on baskets, fabrics, etc..... I have a black leather coat in the back of the cupboard that was covered in ringlets of mold/fur/etc... The more I clean, the more I find. It seems almost like an impossibility. The other day we purchased dehumidifiers.    I have thrown out so much right now - - - shoes, papers, etc, etc..... Some things were "fur" covered!!! Is this our fault for not keeping up with all of this mold--- or is it an endless cycle?   We rent this place, so it is not even our home. We also have noticed many things with our health. My husband now has asthma symptoms this year (just started), he also gets rashes a lot. I on the other hand (which I do not know if this has anything to do with "mold") started having vocal problems. I had to get a vocal polyp removed. And not to name other things. Can you give me some input on what you are even thinking? We cannot move for another season (next summer/spring). [Sept. 1, 2004]

      A. If your house were on fire right now, would you be thinking "no, we cannot leave this burning house until
next spring or summer"? I don't think so. Your rental house is on fire right now---a mold fire that can burn your good health and scar your health permanently with long-term mold-related health problems like asthma and destruction of brain tissue. You need to find immediately a mold-safe place to live and get there quickly. Do not move any of your personal property and clothing without first doing safe, effective, and complete mold remediation in accordance with the detailed instructions provided for each type of personal property in our book Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation [ Mold Book ]. Learn about landlord mold liability at Mold Legal Liability To document the types of mold species growing in your rental house and to determine how widespread the mold contamination may be, you should test your entire home with do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store.

        Q. I recently had my apartment's HVAC unit cleaned by the management staff. Attached are three of the before photos. [one of which is posted above on this webpage] The HVAC unit is in my apartment's laundry
room. While the filter is at the bottom of the unit, the return air comes from open exposure to the laundry room
more so than from the appearance of a return air vent which leads to my apartment's foyer My questions: How
much influence do my washer and dryer have in the potential for mold in the HVAC unit? I greatly appreciate any information you can provide. Thank you for your time. [August 2, 2004].

        A. Learn about landlord mold liability at Landlord Mold Liability. The possible problem of the washer is that if there is any water line or machine leak, that water problem will enable mold to grow. Similarly, if the dryer exhaust is NOT directly vented to the outside, the operation of the dryer will cause high indoor humidity which facilitates big-time mold growth. The "before" laundry room photo's [one of which is published above] illustrate a serious mold health problem which is likely to be still all over your apartment and its entire heating/cooling system [because of likely ineffective mold remediation steps taken]. You need to do your own mold test results to know the mold truth about your apartment. Your first and most affordable mold investigative step to learn the severity and the extent of the possible mold infestation is to use our do it yourself mold test kits [self observation of results over a 5 to 7 day time period, or send in for mold lab analysis] to mold test the air of each room, attic, basement, crawl space, and the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct register for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test which you should also do. You can buy mold test kits at a large hardware or home improvement store. If you see any visible mold growth, from each moldy area, scrape some of the mold particles into a separate mold test kit per testing location for observation over a 5 to 7 day time period, and/or for mold lab analysis. When scraping mold into a test kit, you would be wise to use a breathing air respirator [Home Depot or Lowe’s or a safety store] so that you don’t breathe in extra mold spores that you put into the air by scraping some mold-like substances into each mold test kit. Mold test kits come with detailed use instructions to make your tests informative and helpful in mold problem diagnosis. Learn how to do your own, self-observation analysis of mold test kits results at Reading Mold Test Results. You can also read online the copyrighted form “Self-Analysis & Interpretation of Visible Mold Growth in Do-It-Yourself Mold Test kits.” Learn the steps required for safe and effective mold remediation at Mold Removal

         Q. Toxic mold was recently found in my apartment. My veterinarian suggested that I look for mold
when I took my cat in for vet treatment because my cat’s fur fell out, and the vet’s tests for ringworm were negative. I hired the microbiologist whose inspection and testing found stachybotrys and numerous other molds in the walls and floor of my apartment. My landlord has put me in a hotel until remediation is done. However, I am very ill with joint pains (I can barely walk) and numerous other problems. I have been to the emergency room twice and they treated me like a nutcase and would not treat me. I need to know what kind of tests, blood tests, etc. that should be taken to see if this mold has had a deleterious effect on my health. I know that it has as I can feel it in my bones, but what TESTS can prove it? [June 13, 2004]

          A. Because most landlords and most mold contractors are untrained or poorly trained about safe and
effective mold remediation procedures, do NOT move back into the apartment until the apartment passes what are called "clearance tests" by an independent [unrelated to landlord or mold contractor] Certified Mold Inspector.
You can also do your own clearance testing using do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store. Learn the steps required for safe and effective mold remediation at Mold Removal In reply to your medical mold questions, the types of physicians who will be of most value to you are: neurologist [for possible brain damaged caused by mold growth, especially because the deadly toxic mold Stachybotrys has been growing in your apartment], ear-nose-throat specialist or allergist for possible sinus mold growth [very common], and pulmonary physician [lung doctor]. Some of the possible tests include: MRI brain scan of your brain and/or sinus cavities, ultrasound testing of your sinus cavities, nasal swab, chest xray, lung biopsy, mold antibody blood testing and/or any other mold medical diagnostic procedures recommended by your attending physicians. If you want to know all about mold medical diagnosis and possible mold medical treatments, please read the in depth book Mold Health Guide [ Mold Health ]. As to potential landlord liability to you because of your serious mold health damage from the apartment mold, please visit: Landlord Legal Liability .

           Q. We have a 300 year old house in Massachusetts. Our tenants have done tests to determine if there
is "black mold" there. We DO have a damp-- and at times wet-- basement. The house is also not air tight by any means. They have seen signs of mildew or mold, which we did occasionally while we lived there. We were there for 18 years until last fall. BIG QUESTION: they had "black mold", and ill health from it in themselves and their pets, where they lived before moving to our house. What are the chances that they "brought it with them"? Also, they know that they have developed a sensitivity to ANY mold since becoming sick. One lab I have spoken to says that if they never were symptom-free, they may very well have never gotten rid of the mold on their personal belongings. Their pets are better but they are not. Do you have any idea as to how transferable the "black mold" is? [May 20, 2004]

           A. Your damp and sometimes wet basement means that your home is going to be heavily mold
contaminated. Basement mold can easily grow into the ceilings and walls above. In addition, basement mold
airborne mold spores can travel in air currents to mold cross-contaminate your entire house and its heating/cooling system. In view of the mold test results paid for by the tenant, you need to have the home carefully inspected and tested by a Certified Mold Inspector. Alternatively, you could do a mold presence screening of your entire house with our do it yourself mold test kits. Your first mold investigative step is to use our do it yourself mold test kits [self observation of results over a 5 to 7 day time period, or send in for mold lab analysis] to mold test the air of each room, attic, basement, crawl space, and the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct register for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test which you should also do. If you see any visible mold growth, from each moldy area, scrape some of the mold particles into a separate mold test kit per testing location for observation over a 5 to 7 day time period, and/or for mold lab analysis. When scraping mold into a test kit, you would be wise to use a breathing air respirator [Home Depot or Lowe’s or a safety store] so that you don’t breathe in extra mold spores that you put into the air by scraping some mold-like substances into each mold test kit. Use do it yourself mold test kits available at a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store.  Mold test kits come with detailed use instructions to make your tests informative and helpful in mold problem diagnosis. You can also read online our copyrighted form “Analyzing Results of Mold Test Kits.” Of course, it is possible that the tenant may have transferred some mold into the house on their clothing and personal possessions because they had just moved from a mold-contaminated place. But when you have known water problems, you can rest assured that the primary problem is your building itself. Learn the steps required for safe and effective mold remediation at Mold Removal If you are concerned about a possible mold lawsuit against you as the landlord, you ought to read our in depth book Mold Legal Guide.

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