Tag Archives: Mold in Rental Properties

Tenants Are Frustrated by Landlords’ Lack of Action on Mold Problems

Living in a House with Mold can Take its Toll on Your Body.

Living in a House with Mold can Take its Toll on Your Body.

The frustration is real. Countless cases of lack of attention to mold concerns are causing health problems and tensions to mount between tenants and property owners across the country. What’s going on? How can this be remedied?

Airing Out the Issues

Mold spores increase in moisture-laden building materials. They thrive on the inexperience or inability of others to quickly attend to leaks, excessive humidity, stagnant air and water run-off with nowhere to go. If these trouble areas are addressed, mold spores don’t have anything to feed on.

When mold spores colonize, one call to an NYC mold removal expert team can diagnose and address the mold. The consequences that come from a lack of action can be traumatic for all involved.

Easy Fixes

Whether you’re a tenant or a property owner, a mold problem can seem insurmountable at first glance. From a tenant’s standpoint, the threat to their good health far outweighs any cost. From a property owner’s perspective, mold issues can pose unknowns that seem foreboding and expensive.

Information is key and as the old adage goes “knowledge is power.” Enlisting your local NYC mold removal company to inspect the problems can help shed a little hope and calm on any potential or current mold issue.

Sometimes You Just Have to Get Stern

Stern Mold provides tenants with peace of mind and owners with a positive way to keep their property value up and their complaint list down. They strive to address every mold concern with their experience and professionalism. If you’re seeking a way to erase mold from the picture in your home or business, contact Stern Mold today!

Tenants: Moving Out When Mold Moves In

Moving out when mold moves in is actually a tricky situation. Regardless of anything else, and no matter where you live, you can’t just drop everything and leave. There are certain protocols that must be adhered to before you can legally move out.

Notification

The first thing to do if mold is found, is to notify your landlord. This is an absolute must, and once notified the landlord must remedy the situation in a timely manner.

However, if you wait too long or know about leaking pipes or a high humidity situation, like when an exhaust fan in the bathroom goes out, you yourself might be held liable for the mold infestation. This is why it’s important to notify your landlord at the first sign of a problem, or the first sign of mold.

Moving Out

In most states, the landlord will have 30 days to rectify the problem, and if it poses a health risk, the landlord may relocate you to another apartment or a hotel room until the mold extermination has been finished.

If the mold is considered a health risk and your landlord does nothing, you may be able to legally break your lease and leave. Make sure to keep documentation, like pictures and video, in case you must prove your case in court.

If you have any questions about mold extermination issues in your residence, rely on the professionals at Stern Mold. We are part of the Stern Environmental Group, and will answer all of your questions or do a free mold inspection. We have been serving the New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island area since 1995.

Landlords, Judges May Not Be On Your Side With Mold Infestation

Can your tenant break a lease or withhold rent because of a mold problem? Judges are sending a clear message to landlords: if you know about a mold infestation, you are obligated to resolve it.

To keep your properties occupied and paying rent, the best course of action is to bring in an NYC mold treatment service as soon as the problem becomes known. The law often allows a tenant to stop paying and move out because of the health effects of mold.

Case study: Will a judge side with the tenant in a mold situation?

In a Detroit suburb recently, a landlord attempted to sue a tenant for rent after she moved her family out of the house. A district judge denied his case — and directed a local official to “red tag” the property as uninhabitable.

Although landlord-tenant laws vary by city and state, the Detroit case serves as a warning that courts take mold infestation safety cases seriously.

The tenant in Detroit said the landlord knew about the mold problem before she moved in. Over several months, she and her two children suffered ailments ranging from full-body rashes to hospitalization.

Eventually, the family vacated the property and ceased paying rent. The mother paid for mold testing to verify the problem, but the landlord did not respond with mold treatment.

New York courts are siding with tenants when landlords fail to resolve mold problems. The good news is that Stern Mold offers a fast and affordable NYC mold treatment service that does not require removing walls or renovating the property.

Contact Stern Mold for a free mold inspection and estimate for NYC mold treatment.