Black Mold Problem...Can anyone Help me????

Question

My aunt lives in an apartment/house. The house is full of black mold. From the bathroom to all 3 bedrooms, also under the apartment in the crawl space is filled all with black mold, the crawl space goes under the entire apartment! I am worried about my family's health. She only rents and does not own this place, thank god. Is there anyone she can contact about this anonymously? The landlord here kicks anyone out that contacts the health inspectors, and I do not want to see my aunt and little cousins without a home. We have tried to clean the mold ourselves but the mold will not come off. We used a bleach mix. Is there anyone we can contact about this without them getting kicked out???

Answer 1

Mold loves damp spaces with little air movement. Bleach will also kill the mold if applied directly, but getting rid of the mold in the crawlspace is a job for professionals. Mold is dangerous to your health, so the landlord has a obligation to get rid of it. Check with other apartment renters in the building to see if they have similar problems. I think he would fix the problem if all his renter complained. Allowing a health problem to continue makes the landlord liable. The health department could shut him down. A moldy apartment is a health risk, so either have it fixed or get out. The housing laws are on your side.

Answer 2

Your state/city should have a Department of Health. Contact them.
Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.

Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.

Answer 3

You might want to talk to an attorney about writing a letter to the landlord stating that he is representing one of his tenants who wishes to remain anonymous, he is aware that the landlord has evicted whistle-blowers in the past, that the attorney is contacting the health department, that the landlord needs to have the mold professionally remediated with proof of completion and that he will happily sue the landlord if he attempts any sort of retaliation toward any of his tenants. This will cost money (probably not a whole lot) to get the attorney to send the letter and contact the health department,, but it is a way of keeping your aunt's name out of things... Just a thought.