Mold problems in our childrens closet.?

Question

We called our landlord before xmas and 5/6 times after. She didnt call back untill we said we could take legal action.
The mold is coming from the bottom right corner and is only in that corner. Red, green and black mold is allover that side about 2-3feet up.
Our landlord says its our fault because we dont have the heater up to 65+ and not letting enuff air in. We havent had any mold anywhere else and dont even have mildew in our bathroom.
I am scared for my childrens health and I dont know if we should take legal action if we are made to pay for the fixing.
We are, however, going to take pictures to keep just incase.
What do you people think?

Answer 1

The 65 plus is a load of crap. I would contact board of health and also go to your city's website and contact the local housing authority, they can direct you where to go. Renters have rights and landlords have responsibilities to correct problems. Has she been out to the house to see where it's coming from? The thing is, you could clean the mold but it will just keep coming back if it is in the wall or carpet padding. Mold is dangerous stuff and can cause cold like symptoms and allergies. I had an older house with bad windows that molded up. I owned the house though and replaced the windows which corrected the problem. Get prof. advice quickly and good luck!

Answer 2

First of all, temperature has little to do with mold growth. Depending on species, mold grows in temps. from 30F to 140F. This is evident when you see mold on your food in the refrigerator.

Second; DO NOT use bleach/water mixture. It will not kill the mold. This is a common misnomer that the public beleives is true. It is not. A solution of mild detergent and water will clean the area.

Thrid; Excess moisture is present in the closet, whether it's from a leak inside the wall cavity or excessive humidity in the room.

Fourth; Keep you children from the area until the problem can be fixed. There are many health effects associated with mold exposure and childred are more vulnerable to those effects.

Fifth; Contact your local health dept. and a lawyer. This is a problem that should be corrected by the landlord, IF it is a defect that has allowed the moisture into the area. You attorney will most likely advise your to hire a mold professional to determine how the moisture is getting in and what steps to take to remove the mold. Typically, the amount of mold inside a wall cavity can be up to 10 times the amount you see on an interior wall, but not always.

I deal with scumbag landlord types all the time and yours is a typical reaction that I see a lot. Don't let him/her push you around, you have rights and this is nothing to be nonchalant about. Feel free to email me with further questions and I will help you.

Answer 3

Your landlord is full of it.

Leaving a house at 60 degrees or so is not going to be the root of this problem otherwise you would have mold throughout the house. Moisture is the problem in most cases and an isolated area usually indicates a water leak.

If there is an attic space above this area, try to have a look and see if you can spot a leak or evidence of a leak. If this is an apartment, check with the tenant above to see if they have a leaky faucet, toilet or tub above you.

In any case, a tenant is not responsible for mold - even if caused by a leaking faucet or otherwise (as the landlord is responsible to maintain the premises). Where a tenant may be liable is in the case of a room converted to a grow op or plant room that has created excessive moisture thus causing damage to the room by introducing enough moisture to cause mold.

I would take pictures, including the whole room to show what was in the room at the time. As stated in others posts - Mold can be very dangerous, especially to children

You must be hot blooded - brrrr - less than 65 degrees?

Answer 4

You have good reason for concern. Mold can and has killed.

I will not go into taking legal action against your landlord, but they need to do something.

A couple of things to investigate that will not involve tearing out the sheet rock in the closet (although that will need to be done)

What is on the other side of the wall? Is it an outside wall? If it is, then is there damage to it or is there any thing that you can see that would allow moisture into the wall?

If it is not an outside wall, what is in the room on the other side? Is there water being used in that room? Could a pipe be leaking inside of the wall?

Are there any stains on the closet walls that would indicate moisture ?

These are just a couple of things to look for. I hope that they get you started into finding the reason for the moisture (that is the basic reason for mold). Whatever you find you might want pictures to either show your landlord or the judge if necessary.

Answer 5

Most mold problems start with moisture. If you don't correct the source of the moisture, you won't stop the problem. Interior moisture usally come from leaking plumbing or roof leaks. If the closet in in a basement it also could be coming through the wall. I have cleaned mold from walls with common household bleach and water mix and a rag. After you do that try to dry the area with a fan. This may take a day or longer to do depending on the type of wall material. But most important is to use some common sense on the location and try to determine where the moisture is coming from. Dealing with the landlord is another matter.

Answer 6

Mold needs moisture to form, so is this corner an outside wall, and maybe the sprinklers are somehow getting into the wall. If the mold is coming from the outside, and it is penetrating the inside wall, Inside the wall has to be filled with mold. This is extremely bad for your health. Need to contact your local board of health

Answer 7

You Children should not be sleeping in that room.. Never ever... Health problems will happen quickly.. The cause of it might be behind the wall.. Leaky pipes.. Water from a leaky roof making it's way there..

If you are on HUD or any other government help.. Call these people first... This reminds me of my friends down my street who have the same problems...

Take pictures, Keep an eye on the kids health.. Hire a attorney... or call someone to help ASAP...

Looks to me your land lord don't care about you or the kids.. I agree with all of the people who responded to you..

Good luck.. Fight hard..

Answer 8

A SOLUTION OF 10% BLEACH AND WATER WILL KILL THE MOLD. YOU NEED TO KILL IT BEFORE SPORS GET INTO THE AIR AND CAUSE RESPIRATORY PROBS ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN AND THEN CALL HOUSING AUTHORITY IN YOUR AREA. BLACK MOLD ESPECIALLY IS VERY HARMFUL GETTING A HEPA FILTER INSTALLED IN YOUR HOUSE WILL HELP BRING SPORS OUT OF THE AIR AND PURIFY THE AIR. I HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH A LANDLORD IN MT AND THEY DID EVENTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM AFTER THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION.

Answer 9

call the health dept., city inspector, certified mold removal co. they will tell you. if you have been sick or the kids, keep all doctor bills. keep journal on when this started, who you reported this to.black mold is not good.