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I haven't had a doctor nor have I been to one in years. I do not have health insurance.
Thanks for your obvious concern. Appreciated.
Thanks Jared. I have called around to two inspectors. Both will run between 500 and 600 for complete inspection and sampling. Yep, that high. I also called specialist who work with only testing mold in urine (for antibodies and microtoxins) and those run 500-700. Definitely something I'm going to have to think about.
The problem is I KNOW this landlord is not going to fix it like it should be (ie- gut the place). I also know she won't put us up anywhere in the mean time.
I want to just walk away but don't want to break the lease and be liable for it.
There is a process to deal with things. Step one, see a doctor. Go to a sliding scale clinic if you don't have insurance. If you weren't happy with the handyman, you should have sent your complaints to the LL in writing. You might have some liability in this as well...
An over the counter antihistimine will likely take care of the rash.
Last edited by Litlove71; 04-16-2013 at 11:33 PM..
I haven't had a doctor nor have I been to one in years. I do not have health insurance.
Thanks for your obvious concern. Appreciated.
Thanks Jared. I have called around to two inspectors. Both will run between 500 and 600 for complete inspection and sampling. Yep, that high. I also called specialist who work with only testing mold in urine (for antibodies and microtoxins) and those run 500-700. Definitely something I'm going to have to think about.
The problem is I KNOW this landlord is not going to fix it like it should be (ie- gut the place). I also know she won't put us up anywhere in the mean time.
I want to just walk away but don't want to break the lease and be liable for it.
There's nothing to be gained by retorting snippily. Advice has been asked for and advice is being given and it all comes own to the basic fact that there are certain protocols to follow in any landlord tenant dispute. If you go to the first "sticky" on this forum you'll probably find a link to your state landlord tenant laws and there you'll find sections on maintenance, habitability and resultant health issues, etc. plus links to relevant local government departments.
The steps to follow may initially seem overwhelming but just go one step at a time. You really do need to go to a physician to determine whether or not your symptoms are related to mold allergy as this can be very serious. You can go on an emergent basis to your local hospital. You can also purchase an inexpensive mold testing kit from such as Home Depot to at least give you a first reading to see if your concerns are warranted.
I wonder how well those mold tester kits at Home Depot would work.
99% chance there is mold behind those water spots.
Mold grows on the back surface of drywall easily. However, as long as there is no access to the living space, I don't see how mold spores could get around.
LL should be on top of leaks all the time.
Water leaks are my #1 concern in my rental. I sometimes worry tenants will forget to turn the faucet off and flood the whole place.
Do you use the A/C a lot? that's how the mold gets around. If you have access to the return air vent air filter, you could test that for mold.
I wonder how well those mold tester kits at Home Depot would work.
From my understanding (from people who've used them) they at least give you a basic reading before investing a lot of money into more extensive testing (as in the type that stands up in court). There are all kinds of mold and very few strains which are highly toxic. In this particular instance the poster isn't going to get far at all with any recourse against the LL - she's already decided that the LL won't fix the problem properly and seems disinclined to go to the doctor to see if she really had does have a mold allergy. One can only try and help those who help themselves.
I have contacted a contractor friend who said complete removal and replacement of dry wall and wood, etc would be needed.
Don't waste your time with your friend. I would find it very insulting if a tenant told me that they expected the entire property to be gutted and built from scratch, on the world of a "friend" of them. Document the issues, go see a doctor, pay for mold testing, let the landlord figure out the repairs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLB001
To be honest, I didn't mentio that area before because I figured it wouldn't be addressed properly or fixed anyway.
Nice. So you are asking for repairs, and when called out about not reporting issues in a timely manner, you figure a backhanded insult to the landlord is in order.
I'm pretty sure that your lease won't be renewed, so start planning for that as well.
Don't waste your time with your friend. I would find it very insulting if a tenant told me that they expected the entire property to be gutted and built from scratch, on the world of a "friend" of them. Document the issues, go see a doctor, pay for mold testing, let the landlord figure out the repairs.
Nice. So you are asking for repairs, and when called out about not reporting issues in a timely manner, you figure a backhanded insult to the landlord is in order.
I'm pretty sure that your lease won't be renewed, so start planning for that as well.
I highly doubt she really meant for it to be really gutted and rebuilt from scratch. Basically she is meaning that there is more to the issue than what the eye can see. I'm not so dumb to end a friendship over that statement she posted or said. I value my friendship more highly than that.
She already had the inspector come out today to look at the property and has contacted a friend of hers that is a dermatologist in regards to the rash.
CarlitosBala..I guess you missed the picture of the repairs done by the repair man with the faucet pipes "fixed" by propping a rock under it?
She does not care to have her lease renewed...I think you missed that part as well.
UPDATE:
Inspector just left. He did a thorough visual inspection, top to bottom, inside out. During his phys inspection he found a lot of places where water/moisture can leak or are leaking.
He recognized a lot of places where 'in his professional opinion' have mold growth- namely that area under sink (it was actually worse when you crawl in a bit and look up), and pretty much every AC vent we have.
He used this moisture monitor device to detect latent moisture in walls, etc...a normal reading should be under 15% and he found several places (at least 5-10) around our house where the lower wall was 70% moist.
He said as he was walking upstairs he could smell what smelled like moldy air. Probably coming from our restroom which is where the 80% on walls came.
When I told the landlord she said all restroom walls are wet when you shower. I told her I didn't shower today....It's around baseboards and up wall.
So anyway, he took 4 samples to be sent to lab- 2 air and 2 swab. Should be here Tuesday.
Also she said if we insist she will let us out since she can rent it out for more.
Don't waste your time with your friend. I would find it very insulting if a tenant told me that they expected the entire property to be gutted and built from scratch, on the world of a "friend" of them. Document the issues, go see a doctor, pay for mold testing, let the landlord figure out the repairs.
Nice. So you are asking for repairs, and when called out about not reporting issues in a timely manner, you figure a backhanded insult to the landlord is in order.
I'm pretty sure that your lease won't be renewed, so start planning for that as well.
Ahhhh you are hilarious.
Actually the landlord "would hate to see us leave" but said she will let us out if we insist because she could rent it for more with the way the market is at the moment.
No need for you to be rude. Seriously. And I just spent 600 for testing. We agreed that if the lab samples (air and swab) came back positive she reimburses. If it's a neg then I foot the bill. And no she already told me what HER idea of fixing the problem is and it went against EVERYTHING the expert said. She said there was no mold, there is. She said I have poison ivy. Pfft. I don't. She said there was no need to worry if mold was IN THE WALLS. There is a need.
Listen here, I have been living here for almost two YEARS and I know how this woman and her maintenance guy deal with matters. I am not assuming anything and guess what, turns out I was right. Backhanded? Ok, I guess pointing out their way of fixing matters in the home using rocks and the like is insulting. It's a fact.
Go be an a-hole somewhere else, not replying here again.
Want to add, seems like this place is just old and wasn't built properly. There are a lot of 'add-ons' and the builders didn't do things correctly in regards to keeping things dry. There's bad ventilation in restrooms, poor job of caulking throughout, there are planters built into facade of home that block what the inspector called 'breathing bricks' or something and these planters hold moisture in. Inside directly adjacent to planters the moisture readings on walls were high. We also have a built on 'study' that was part of a patio at one point (we do not use this room at all) and the walls on the bottom were also high in moisture.
It seems like this place (and ones connected to it) has had many issues and it's just patched up really haphazardly...
Thanks again.
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Advice has been asked for and advice is being given and it all comes own to the basic fact that there are certain protocols to follow in any landlord tenant dispute. If you go to the first "sticky" on this forum you'll probably find a link to your state landlord tenant laws and there you'll find sections on maintenance, habitability and resultant health issues, etc. plus links to relevant local government departments.
