How Do You Know If Mold Is Making You Sick
Just like mold, mold allergies can be hidden and can cause mold-related illnesses to go undetected for years. How do you know if mold is making you sick?
Mold could potentially be making you sick if you are suffering from muscle aches, throat irritation, scratchy eyes, headaches, fatigue, runny nose, skin irritation, and dizziness. More serious symptoms include nerve and joint pain, tremors, numbness or tingling, and constant colds or the flu.
But the question remains how do you know if mold is making you sick? The first step towards mold identification is mold awareness.
Allergic reactions to mold are classified as either immediate or delayed hypersensitivity reactions.
Mold could be making you sick if youve been exposed to mold and later develop the following symptoms:
Mold allergies happen hours or days after mold exposure and mold allergy symptoms can appear in 3 different forms:
1. Localized mold sensitivities
3. Mold-related illnesses
Toxins in your system from inhaling mold spores contribute to your overall toxicity level.
This is referred to as the Total Body Burden. When your burden is elevated, you begin to experience symptoms, many of which appear to be unrelated.
Toxins are flushed out of the body by most people when they eliminate feces.
This variation from person to person is largely due to genetics.
Genetics plays a large role in how the body processes exposure to mold.
This can result in serious infections and respiratory disorders.
- Constant colds and flu
Fix Leaky Pipes Or Other Leaks
Make sure to spend a substantial amount of time every month over checking and inspecting the pipes in your apartment, if there are any present. Nothing screams mold danger louder than leaky pipes and walls. If you have a roof that seems to be leaking, keep an eye on if its only during rain or all the time.
If you find a ceiling or pipe leaking into the floor or on the other side of the wall, make sure to contact your apartment property manager who should alert the maintenance manager or a professional as soon as possible. Leaving the pipes in an untreated manner can aggravate the situation and create a lot of mold, both inside the wall and outside of it.
Is Black Mold Dangerous
Black mold is very dangerous, especially to people who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma. It can cause symptoms like:
- Nasal congestion
It can cause pneumonia and internal organ damage in people who have underlying health conditions that compromise their immune systems.
If you suffer from these conditions when you are inside of your apartment, you may have reason to suspect that black mold is growing somewhere in it. By eliminating it, you may relieve these symptoms and improve your health.
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Clean Up Small Mold Patches On Organic Surfaces
According to the EPA, you can clean mold from organic surfaces yourself if the affected area is smaller than 10 square feet . Cleanup techniques will vary by surface type.
Mold on fabrics and other soft surfaces may be hard to remove completely, so consider replacing the damaged item. For example, if your bathroom throw rug has significant mold growth, it makes sense to replace it with something you can wash and dry regularly.
What Causes Mold In Apartments
Before we tackle our moldy issue, we think it is best to first note down what actually causes this gross material to develop on apartment floors and ceilings, to begin with.
You will see mold tend to develop mainly in very humid areas with lots of moisture. The moisture retained in the air will give rise to the airborne particles of mold, thus allowing it to multiply exponentially.
Persistent humidity in the air will trigger mold to grow on the walls and ceilings, as well as under bathroom counters and sinks. This can be both dangerous and dirty for the house itself and the people living in it.
You will see that the development and occurrence of mold are most common in residence halls that are near the ocean or any other large water body. The moisture retained above those water bodies can quickly move to your apartment and create condensation. You can also inadvertently cause this if you over-use a humidifier.
The water particles or moisture in the air will then increase and quicken the growth of the mold in your apartment.
The same scenario somewhat applies during seasonal changes as well, such as from a really hot summer to a very cold winter.
The sudden temperature change can easily tip the balance of condensation inside homes, thus triggering mold to appear and develop on walls, ceilings, and even inside attic rooms that usually lay dark and stuffy all year round. If you arent careful where you use a heater, this can also occur.
- Heavy Rain & Floods
- Bad ventilation
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What Can I Do As A Tenant
Renters can address some minor moisture problems themselves.
- Always use bathroom fans during and after bathing/showering
- Clean up spills and leaks quicklyâespecially on carpets.
- Use kitchen fans when cooking to reduce humidity.
- Dont run showers or boil water to humidify your home.
- Avoid using humidifiers unless there is a medical reason to use one.
- Ensure good air movement in your home to help prevent condensation:
- Open windows when possible,
- Don’t block supply and return registers with furniture
- Keep a few inches of space between furniture and walls
Tenants should promptly notify their landlord when they find a moisture problemor indoor mold growth. Common moisture problems such as pipe leaks, roof leaks, sewage back-ups and overflowing toilets/sinks/bathtubs can become mold problems if they are not address quickly. For ongoing problems, notification should be in writing to help avoid misunderstandings. Request that repairs be completed within 14 days. Tenants should keep copies of letters. If there is mold growing indoors, the moisture problem needs to be corrected and the mold removed. Simply painting over the problem is not going to solve the issue. Growth on surfaces, such as concrete, metal, tile, and solid wood, can be cleaned with water and a household cleaner, if the building material is structurally sound. Porous materials with mold growth, such as dry wall, carpet, upholstery, and insulation, are difficult to clean and should be thrown away.
What Apartment Mold Symptoms Should Worry Me
Mold is a fungus that grows in the presence of moisture in warm, dark places. It releases tiny little spores into the air and, if left untreated, can make you really sick. Those spores can settle into your lungs.
You might have mold if you witness or experience any of the following:
- A persistent musty smell
- You see black or dark green spots appearing on any surface
- You start having physical symptoms like sneezing, coughing, trouble breathing, itchy eyes, or skin rashes that get better when you leave your apartment
- You see signs of water intrusion like bulging drywall, bubbling or peeling paint, and/or discoloration from water stains that werent dried out immediately.
You might only see or feel just one symptom, but it is very important not to ignore signs of mold for the sake of your health. Each of these apartment mold symptoms is a cause for concern.
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What Can Be Done About Mold In My Apartment
The presence of mold can strike fear into the hearts of anyone. Depending on the species, mold exposure can cause a variety of health problems ranging from mild cold-like symptoms to severe reactions in people with compromised immune symptoms.
This is especially problematic for people living in residential rental units. Hidden patches of mold growing within large apartment buildings can affect a large number of people, with many occupants either unaware theres a problem or afraid of repercussions if they do report it.
What should you do If you suspect that mold is growing in your apartment? Why and how do these types of infestations happen, anyway? Is it something for which your landlord is responsible?
Lets take a look at what you need to know if you are concerned about a mold issue in your apartment.
If You Accidentally Caused Mold
If the microbial development is the consequence of the tenants own acts, their rights may vary while assessing the responsibilities for a mold infestation in an apartment. Since you are the tenant, you are also responsible for keeping the rented property in good condition.
This means that your landlord may charge you for the cost of mold cleanup if you routinely keep the unit closed, ignore the interior humidity level, and neglect to clean the area frequently. Generally, if you were the cause of the mold problem, your landlord wont be held responsible.
Despite this, its also important to bear in mind that both tenants and landlords must work together to eliminate mold and maintain the safety of the rental property. Regardless of who is at fault, working together to execute a quick cleanup plan is still advantageous to both parties.
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Where Do You Do Your Laundry
Your laundry room can become humid if your clothes dryer is not properly vented to the outside. Mold growth could be aided by excess moisture. Mold can also be found on damp towels that have been stored in a laundry hamper for an extended period of time, as well as on the walls of your laundry room.
I Have Mold In My New York City Apartment How Do I Protect My Home
This article was written by the team of housing experts at JustFix
Summary
Mold is a serious health hazard and can present severe problems if not treated. Learn about your rights and your landlords legal responsibilities in dealing with mold.
What can JustFix do?
Use our online tool to write a Letter of Complaint to your landlord
Mold poses a danger to the health of renters, particularly older adults, children, and people with underlying health problems, like asthma. While landlords often deal with mold by simply painting over the problem areas, this strategy rarely, if ever, solves the underlying problem. In fact, New York City law now requires landlords to do more than simply spot treat mold in both public and private housing. Read on to learn more.
Jump to
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Who Is Responsible For Dealing With Mold In Apartments
As of 2016, there are no federal laws in the United States regarding mold and landlord/tenant responsibilities. A few states have laws related to this subject, including California, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas. Some cities also have relevant laws, including San Francisco and New York City. Even if you live in an area without laws addressing the subject of apartment mold specifically, though, in all states landlords are expected to provide a habitable rental unit. If mold is making your apartment unsafe to live in, your landlord is responsible for fixing the problem.
In general, landlords are responsible for mold remediation if mold results from something the landlord is responsible for repairing. For instance, if a leaky roof leads to mold growth, the landlord would probably be responsible for removing the mold as well as repairing the roof. Tenants are not typically responsible for roof repair and therefore they arent usually responsible for removing mold that results from a leaky roof.
You should consult an attorney if you need legal advice about a specific situation.
If you have renters insurance – and we recommend all renters purchase insurance for their own protection – it may cover the cost of some of your belongings if they are ruined by mold. It will depend on the specific coverage your policy provides and on the cause of the mold. Contact your insurance agent if you have questions.
Lawyer For Mold In Apartment
If the mold in your apartment has significantly harmed your health, youll need a lawyer to sue your landlord or other responsible parties. In that case, the lawyer will have the mold in the apartment tested for toxicity as part of the discovery phase of the lawsuitthe time when each side can request and examine the other sides facts.
A mold-in-apartment lawyer can assist you with any issues concerning a toxic mold claim. A mold lawyer is a personal injury lawyer who specializes in toxic mold claims. Toxic mold claims are complicated and necessitate a high level of expertise. There may be multiple areas of law involved, such as breach of contract claims and personal injury claims. A mold-in apartment lawyer can review your case, determine what claims you have, and represent you in court if necessary.
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How Do I Check For Mold In My Apartment
There are several ways to do a quick check, both physically of the apartment, and of your own body, to see if you potentially have a mold problem.
The first and most common sign is if there is a smell. Like a strong, musty smell as if your apartment smells more like a swimming pool that has just been drained than a clean place to live. Smell is going to be a primary way to determine if you have mold in your apartment or not. In fact, many of the professional restoration services will trust their nose first and foremost when they walk into a new job simply because they have been around the mold so much, they know what it smells like straight away.
The next thing to look for is any discoloration on your walls or floor. You are looking for spots that either look like they currently have mold, which would show as black or brown or green spots, or it may just look like a bad water stain on the floor or wall. This is going to be the telltale sign that there had been significant water present in the past and mold could be hiding behind wherever you see the discoloration.
If there is mold behind the wall or ceiling and all they do is patch the hole, that mold is going to stay present in your apartment, continue to grow, and spread the spores airborne to other parts of your unit. Basically, just patching the weak or discolored spot isnt going to take care of the problem, you need to have them treat your apartment for mold.
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Who Should Pay For Getting Rid Of Mold
It depends. Steve Wagner, a real estate attorney and partner at the firm Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. , says he has seen a steady stream of complaints and lawsuits that involve mold, in both old and new buildings. “People are far more aware now of whats needed to remediate, and the danger of living in a building where mold isnt properly remediated.”If you bought in a newer building that has mold, you may be able to sue the developer in certain circumstances.If leaks and mold are the result of design defects and exist throughout the building, the board may want to consider a lawsuit against the sponsor or developer. Those kinds of cases are expensive, and may not be cost-effective for an individual, Wagner says. That said, Wagner’s firm has successfully secured a multi-million dollar settlement for an individual client in a mold-related case.If you’re renting, you shouldn’t have to pay to remediate mold, experts say. Learn more about filing a mold complaint with the city.A cost-effective way of forcing repair or remediation would be through housing court. These lawsuits are available to owners or renters in co-ops or condos, Wagner says. An abatement of rent may be available under warranty of habitability.
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Have Mold Removed By Specialists
In general, if the area affected by mold is larger than 1 m², a specialist company should be consulted.
In this case, a specialist company should be consulted.
In case of an infestation larger than 1 m² the probability is very high that the mould has already penetrated deep into the walls. Treatment with the household remedies described above with subsequent wiping is no longer sufficient you only expose yourself unnecessarily to a health hazard if you wipe away the mould, and after the treatment it grows back from the depths of the masonry.
Therefore, the wall must be opened and disposed of by a specialist company with the appropriate equipment. The costs for this are usually borne by the owner or landlord, unless the landlord can prove that the mould was caused by misconduct on the part of the tenant. To do so, he must demonstrably exclude his own area of responsibility .
As a tenant, you can contact the landlord directly, as he is responsible for organising the removal of the mould. Failure to meet his responsibility may be a reason for a rent reduction. However, one should really be sure that the mould was not caused by ones own fault, but by poor insulation, leaking pipes or other defects of the building. Anyone who gets mould through incorrect ventilation is not entitled to a reduction in rent, unless the incorrect ventilation was used to compensate for a building defect.
We are happy to advise you on questions concerning harmful substances:
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