possible mold growth in the basement (lease, tenant, house, fee)

[imsickandtired]

ive been renting this house for almost two years now our basement got flooded and the landlord did nothing about it i told him it was a pipe leaking. well recently ive noticed that the concrete walls were changing colors it has green and white fuzzy stuff growing on it and in the wall could this be mold and if i told my lanlord is that neglegent on his part and can i break my lease?

[STT Resident]

Did the LL have a plumber check for a leaking pipe when your basement flooded? I'm assuming something must have been repaired if your basement isn't flooded any longer as the water must have gone somewhere. If there's a leaking pipe which is causing dampness in the basement and your LL is ignoring it, you need to send him a return receipt certified letter requesting that it be fixed. Check your state landlord tenant laws (probably listed in the first "sticky" on this forum page) to see how much time he has to fix maintenance problems after a written request. If he doesn't fix it then your state may or may not allow you to exercise "self help" by hiring someone to do the job and deducting the cost from your rent but carefully check as not all states allow this.

I very much doubt there's anything to be alarmed about where the mold is concerned. The majority of molds tested turn out to be benign and you had no problem at all until the basement flooded. But the pipe needs to be fixed if it's leaking and the basement properly dried out to avoid mold growth of any kind. If the dampness is just residual from a leaking pipe which has already been fixed then put a space heater down there to dry the place out and the mold will disappear. Good luck.

[Katie1]

Did you put the information in Writting & send it where he has to sign for the letter? Did You follow this up with contacting Health Dept? Is your lease ending? NO You just cant walk out! Lots of Baby step & IF during any step He has it Fixed Your Stuck til lease is up!

[sware2cod]

I am pretty sure it is black mold that is the problematic mold. There are many other molds that are not problematic and there is also mildew.

I am thinking you are really wanting to break the lease for another reason and just trying to have the mold issue be the reason. Not thinking this is gonna work.

Maybe talk to your landlord about a settlement fee (1 month rent) that you pay to get out of the lease early. Just get this agreement in writing and signed by landlord.

[JanND]

Great info/clean-up tips FEMA: FEMA: Clean Now To Prevent Mold And Mildew
We had a major flood where I live in 97'. One of the things you can do is mix a small amount of bleach (1 1/2 c w/ gal water) and spray the mold area. Also, make sure you wash the floor. The FEMA link has some good sanitizing/drying tips. Remember to hit all the mold, as mold does grow. And, removing sheet rock is critical, those directions are
also in the link.
STT suggested a heater, that will help and also add an oscillating fan at the same time. We actually had to spray repeatedly on the wooden beams, as it does take sometimes mth to dry out properly. If you had a leak....how much water was standing before you got it fixed? The area that had water can wick up on the wood..i.e. wooden framing, etc. Spray that w/ the bleach treatment. I also use a product for cleaning that kills 99.9 percent germs incl. HIV. I purchase this at Sam's club...OdoBan it works great for cleaning. If these things don't help contact health dept or have professionals guide you or your LL. If you like the rental, you can shape it back up.