Mold in Rental

[CaliBoy]

Originally Posted by strawberry1

Thanks for the response caliboy.
We know that they did know about water damage becuae in the garage, there is a bookshelf that has a bunch of different paints on it that were used by the landlord to paint the interior (he does the work himself).
Ironically, there are 3 1 gallon cans of primer that says "for fire, water damage or water stained areas".
So he primered the areas where the water had leaked, then painted over it.
That is why there are stains that are now coming through the paint.
We have only been here for 6 weeks, and these stains started coming through after we had been here only 3 weeks.

With that said, definitely start photographing everything including the paint cans, rooms, etc. Also, grab samples of the mold too and seal them up in baggies. And, ask the landlord, in writing, to send you any proof that work was done prior to moving into your dwelling that the problem was eradicated. Of course, it wasn't, especially since mold doesn't grow overnight. But get as much as you can in writing. Really, a three days or quit action is nothing to sneeze at, but they cannot necessarily send you on the streets immediately. It sounds like your landlord means business, but law expressly lists the procedures a landlord must go through during such a process. Please, stop by the bookstore and look up the book I mentioned, especially if you cannot afford a lawyer. In the meantime, start looking for other rental opportunities. My guess is that, even if you are able to work out something with your landlord, the stay there will remain tense. However when you presumably move, follow up with any future tenants if they move in right away after your departure. If the landlord is trying to cover something up this time, he might be apt to do it again. Good luck with this.

[mommabear2]

Originally Posted by strawberry1

Thanks for the response caliboy.
We know that they did know about water damage becuae in the garage, there is a bookshelf that has a bunch of different paints on it that were used by the landlord to paint the interior (he does the work himself).
Ironically, there are 3 1 gallon cans of primer that says "for fire, water damage or water stained areas".
So he primered the areas where the water had leaked, then painted over it.
That is why there are stains that are now coming through the paint.
We have only been here for 6 weeks, and these stains started coming through after we had been here only 3 weeks.

He may have used the primer to block water stains but water stains does not automatically mean that he knew about mold. I use primer that blocks stains even when there's no stains to be found so the paint cans may not mean anything. It's speculation. Not all mold is toxic. What if it wasn't? Would it be a threat to you then? Should a renter stop paying rent because of nontoxic mold? I would just tread carefully because you don't want an eviction on your record. Makes it hard to get another place.