Can I force my landlord to conduct a mold inspection?

Question

I moved into an apartment in Florida on Friday 7/18/2008. When I first did a walk through a few days prior, I noticed a musty smell but assumed it was due to the apartment being vacant with no air conditioning for a while. After being there 4 days, the odor has not dissipated and I also found a large black slimy spot of mold on the baseboard near the sliding door. I also noticed water damage in all of the kitchen cabinets. I reported this problem today, but I am under the impression that they are simply going to spray bleach on the mold and wipe it off. I feel that the whole home should be inspected, as I suspect that the mold problem is much deeper than just that surface. Is there any way that I can force the landlord to hire a certified mold inspector? If I pay for a mold inspector and they do not give the home a clean bill of health, can I force the landlord to reimburse me and fix the problem? I am worried for my family’s health and safety.

Answer 1

Definitely call the health department, and the city's code inspector.  That should get you started.

Answer 2

Florida state and local law govern your situation. Google Florida + "tenant rights".

The landlord is responsible for mitigating water damage and it's foolhardy of him to ignore this--it will ruin the value of his building!

He's probably got the landscape sprinklers aimed too close to the side of the building, or the slope is wrong, so that water comes to the building instead of away. Perhaps this is hurricane damage? Dunno, but it's the landlord's duty to stop the water and dry things out.

Water damage to all the cabinets? How? Is it from condensation? That doesn't make sense. Is it from leaky pipes? It is the landlord's duty to fix plumbing matters.

As for mold, that will go away once the water problems are fixed. First, the landlord must clean up the mold, then he must fix the source. Put all notices to him in writing and send them by certified mail. If you have to go to court, that's what you'll use to establish your claim.

Answer 3

Hi Jolie,

i suffered brain damage from toxic mold. no matter what you need a specialist to come and test for toxic mold stachybotrys. dont take any chances with your health and that of your families.

Answer 4

I think if you call the health department they will be able to answer this.  Write a letter to your landlord and send it certified mail. If nothing is done that at lest you will have proof you tried to notified the landlord. If it is making you sick and you need medical help then it will be on record that you asked for help.

Answer 5

Why don't you wipe down the walls, ceiling and floors? Then take whatever prevenive measures are appropriate.

After doing that once and if the problem returns THEN I would ask the landlord to deal with it.

Answer 6

The landlord never has to pay for anyone you hire.    The circumstances and out come do not matter.

The dangerous mold you need to worry about is not slimy, but dry and sort of puffy.    It is the only mold that the landlord has to worry about.    Mold was the first life form, it exists everywhere and a little bleach takes care of it.

If you are still worried spend a whopping 10 bucks on a mold test kit.   You can test 2 samples at home and see if the mold (probably mildew) is in the same family as the dangerous type you will get a positive result.    This does not mean you are in danger, but it does increase the odds to about 1%.   1% odds is enough for the health department to come out for free.    But, they will not do anything if you just call, as 99.99% of mold is harmless to humans, we evolved with it.

Answer 7

I understand your concern. Despite what some people want to believe, Mold CAN be harmful depending on the type. You mentioned there were mold in places there should not be. Send a letter to your landlord and ask him to come inspect your place. If he refuses, you can always contact the department of licensing and inspection. Invest in homeowners insurance as well. Don't arrange for services and expect your landlord to pay for them. You mentioned mold in a lot of places which leads me to believe there is something going on inside your walls, or there was serious water damage to the building before you move in. In either case, you are a paying tenant, and it would be stupid for you landlord to ignore it as a fact of life.

Good Luck!

PS-Next time you move, be very observant. I learned this the hard way.