Black mold!!! signed a lease!!!?

Question

i moved in to an apartement and when i signed the lease there was an additional paper that i and my roomate had to sign saying we accept that there could be black mold in our apartment. well we signed it and less than 2 months after we moved in we found black mold growing throught the pain everywhere!! under the toilet seat along the window sill. i even bought a brand new rug for the bathroom and it now has small amounts on the bottom. was it illegal for them to have made us sign something without showing us how bad it could be. i am afrad that it is going to get really bad. plus i was recently sick with a chest and head cold...what do i do

asking someone who is really knowlegeable about legal and illegal forms and acting of landlords.

Answer 1

OK, so you probably shouldn't have signed that paper about the mold, BUT consult an attorney anyway. In our county we have free legal advice one time a week at the local library, or you could pay for a consultation with a lawyer specializing in this field. Depending on the state you live in, it is possible that the agreement isn't worth the moldy paper it is written on.
Also, there may be an agency which oversees rentals. In our state I think it is illegal to rent or sell a home which has black mold. The mold must be professionally cleaned and repaired. The fact that you didn't see any mold, but it came back may indicate that there is an underlying problem such as leaky pipe. Your landlord, at the very least, should repair the underlying problem, clean and replace the problem areas. A lawyer should be able to advise you about what agencies may have some jurisdiction to help you. You may be able to contact the Better Business Bureau. Don't let them get away with this... if not taken care of you WILL get sick. It's nasty stuff.

Answer 2

As a landlord, if you send me or any landlord (in most states) written complaint about the mold and state it is causing you to be ill, then we must fix it. If not, contact the city and ask for a building inspector and inform them you have a possible health issue with the mold. Get the complaint to the city in writing then get an attorney. You might lose your deposit depending on how you react to this. I would simply call first, ask them to repair and remove nicely. Then I would write a letter. Then get building department, most cities have codes on this. If you ask nicely (unless you are dealing with a slum lord) and you are a good tenant, your landlord will be happy to help so they keep you for a long time. The place just costs money if no one is renting. Just try the nice route first. And no, if the landlord informed you of the mold and made you sign a statement - well, you should have walked away right then, but he did act responsible by notifying you. It sounds like he had a problem, tried to repair (more then likely as cheaply as possible - probably just covered it up with killz) and knew it could happen again. Maybe a water leak somewhere or a humidity issue in the place. If the walls or wood - your screwed. If they are concrete - no big deal to fix. If they are drywall, simply replace the drywall. Most landlords don't realize that the property is their investment, and if they take care of it and fix it right - they won't have the problems later and it will be easier to sell if they want to get out and their tenants stay longer. Sorry you are going through this.

Answer 3

I had some black mold once; I blasted it with Tilex and away it went! You have to clean to keep the mold away; also you need to keep the moist areas well ventilated.

Black mold spores are EVERYWHERE. All they need is moisture to grow. Blast it with Tilex, clean up a lot and keep a fan running on "low speed" all day. That should do it.

Trust me, these landlords are pit bulls and know how to handle attorneys. Take responsibility and get rid of the surface stuff yourself. He may come after YOU for letting the stuff grow! Once it gets into the walls, it becomes a big problem.

Answer 4

We recently turned over to our attorneys a client form our real estate company that came to us with a similar problem, the attorney is in the process of settling the claims now so I would strongly suggest that you take this matter to a local attorney that can assist you like we did for our client with our attorneys. You also need to find out what your state's landlord act says relating to an environment that will affect your health, unfortunately I can't give you a link for your state because you didnt say what state you were in. Here are some links that may be able to help you out.
For the EPA's publication, "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home"
www.epa.gov/ http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/images/moldguide.pdf
EPA: Reporting Violations: http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/complianceenforcement.html
Center for Disease Control (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/index.htm
Free legal aid search for all states: http://www.lawhelp.org/
American Bar Association: http://www.abanet.org/about/ or http://www.abanet.org/statelocal/home.html
Don't wait; our client got really sick from black mold. Thank goodness we weren't involved in the real estate side and they only came to us for guidance.
Buena Suerte

Answer 5

you would be able to desire to touch an lawyer and take a inspect to get out of that place this would reason you and your room mate to develop into very ill. until eventually you're able to try this fill spray bottles with bleach and water (equivalent quantities) and spray the partitions, each little thing (different than your clothing) do away with the rug and use a towel once you bathe in selection to a rug given which you may wash that each and every time. See somebody who's up on renter's rights. they might desire to no longer have a sort for this situation in the event that they comprehend it exists and that they are nonetheless renting they're putting you and others in possibility for significant wellbeing subject concerns. good success.

Answer 6

Do some housecleaning babe! It goes like this:

1. Bucket with soap & bleach - mop the floor some time!
2. Spray bottle with soap and bleach - clean your toilet and window sill.
3. Throw the bathroom rug in the wash every now and then.

Answer 7

Let your landlord know about the problem and document is. Then chack out this site, I got all my info on it when we had mold

http://www.moldinspector.com/landlord-tenant-mold.htm