Re: New Apartment Complex Seems To Have Mold

[Guest guest]

nne,

Tell managment the truth. Be honest and relay that you have a sensitization

to mold and physically cannot live in an environment where there is a

problem with visible mold growing that has been occurring in these apartments.

Place this in writing and relay that you need to move for this reason. If

you state that you do not want to become sick again, they are usually more

than happy to let you out of your lease to avoid a lawsuit. Let us know how

this goes.

In a message dated 9/12/2006 5:43:58 PM Central Standard Time,

Roxygardens@... writes:

Well, I left my moldy home 1 year ago and moved into a brand new

apartment community, trying to get well. The last building here was

just completed over the summer.

I have talked with a number of tenants and so many have talked about

mold showing up in their apartment. Management comes and and either

cuts it out or washes it with bleach and leaves on their merry way. In

fact just on my floor in this one bldg., out of 10 units there are

about 4 tenants I have talked to with mold. This leads me to think

I`am in for trouble.

How does one break a lease when they are afarid of mold. Management

already knows I`am ill from a house that had mold.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

nne

[Guest guest]

I am not surprised you have mold in the building. New construction often goes

up so quickly they don't bother to let either the framing or the particle board

dry out if it has rained before proceeding to the next step of covering it all

in tyvek--a plastic sheething material.

roxygardens <Roxygardens@...> wrote: Well, I left my moldy home 1

year ago and moved into a brand new

apartment community, trying to get well. The last building here was

just completed over the summer.

I have talked with a number of tenants and so many have talked about

mold showing up in their apartment. Management comes and and either

cuts it out or washes it with bleach and leaves on their merry way. In

fact just on my floor in this one bldg., out of 10 units there are

about 4 tenants I have talked to with mold. This leads me to think

I`am in for trouble.

How does one break a lease when they are afarid of mold. Management

already knows I`am ill from a house that had mold.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

nne

[Guest guest]

You need to document everything in such a way that you could go to

court if the need arises.

bear in mind that they will claim that no matter how much mold there

is, the lack of laws specifying standards of any kind 'makes your

apartment habitable' and that its your choice if you want to live of

go from a 'perfectly habitable' apartment that they are renting to you

'of your own choice'.

What this means is that you should have a disinterested third party

walk around your home taking bulk samples or tape lift samples and

then have them analyzed for mold by a good lab, then if any of those

samples shows signs of stachybotrys or is visibly a probably

toxinogenic species of aspergillius you should have that sample tested

for mycotoxins.

Its been my experience that 'old mold' is far more toxic than 'new

mold' of the same species.. but old mold may not even have culturable

growth sites on it.. so get a decent-sized bulk sample if you can..

Have him/her number and date each sample, on its own individual ziploc

bag..and take a photo of each sampling location..

Then have your disinterested third party fill out a chain of custody

form for you and send it in with the instructions to call you for

instructions if any of the samples looks like it may be a candidate

for toxin testing.

If your mold samples turn out to be toxinogenic, and also toxic, as

shown by toxin testing, nobody in their right mind would accuse you of

being unreasonable by wanting to leave.

You may want to consult a local tenants rights organization on how to

phrase your letter, (be polite but firm - state clearly that the

situation is a threat to your and anybody else's health and needs to

be dealt with by them regardless of your presence.. Send it by

registered mail - thats important.) and you should also try to use

your deposit as your last months rent..

They may try to screw up your chances of renting another apartment,

but its more likely that they will be happy to see you go so

uneventfully.. If they do anything to take your deposits, screw p

your credit, etc, do whatever you can to stand up for your rights..

Also, make sure all of your neighbors, your local health department

and building inspection department get copies of any test reports that

your testing generates.. This is important information for them, as

they rarely have the money to do this kind of testing themselves.

This is an important issue..

[Guest guest]

That very thing happened to me. I moved from a condo that I owned in RI to

Florida,

where my first apartment had mold, despite my telling them I couldn't be around

mold.

I started to get sick the first 12 hours I was in the place, and then I left. I

found rotted and

moldy wood covered up by plywood under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, termite

damage, rust,....alot of signs. I think I wrote them a certified letter about

the mold, and

basically threatened court action unless they let me out of the lease and

returned my

deposit. I did finally get it back. Your health is the first priority now.

>

> Well, I left my moldy home 1 year ago and moved into a brand new

> apartment community, trying to get well. The last building here was

> just completed over the summer.

> I have talked with a number of tenants and so many have talked about

> mold showing up in their apartment. Management comes and and either

> cuts it out or washes it with bleach and leaves on their merry way. In

> fact just on my floor in this one bldg., out of 10 units there are

> about 4 tenants I have talked to with mold. This leads me to think

> I`am in for trouble.

> How does one break a lease when they are afarid of mold. Management

> already knows I`am ill from a house that had mold.

> Any suggestions?

>

> Thanks!

> nne

>