Renter Needs Advice on a Landlord Problem

[BackLash625]

My son is renting an apartment that has black mold growing on the walls from an upstairs water leak. He has reported it to the landlord and they came out and painted over the mold but never fixed the leak so the mold has just spread into a bigger problem. After multiple reports of the ongoing problem, the landlord now appears to be stalling. This has been going on for 6 months without being resolved and I believe this unit could be considered at this point uninhabitable due to health concerns.

I've done some searches for sites that might provide advice and keep getting these lawyer sites that want a credit card. Are there state agencies that we could report this problem to?

He's trying to find another place but his lease isn't up for another 6 months.

[5keepers2]

My son is renting an apartment that has black mold growing on the walls from an upstairs water leak. He has reported it to the landlord and they came out and painted over the mold but never fixed the leak so the mold has just spread into a bigger problem. After multiple reports of the ongoing problem, the landlord now appears to be stalling. This has been going on for 6 months without being resolved and I believe this unit could be considered at this point uninhabitable due to health concerns.

I've done some searches for sites that might provide advice and keep getting these lawyer sites that want a credit card. Are there state agencies that we could report this problem to?

He's trying to find another place but his lease isn't up for another 6 months.

Read the lease close and see if there are any outs because of problems like your experiencing. Some states require!

[lakefolk]

health department..........

[geodebasser]

Get your local news involved if nothing else works. They love these kind of stories.

[rjvana]

I would be calling the health department, mold is serious health problem.

[06 SB]

Not all black colored mold is Black Toxic mold. First step would be to get a sample tested to figure out whether it is a GET OUT NOW problem or just a get it fixed problem. Document everything. Phone call logs, pictures with dates and descriptions. As mentioned earlier, read the lease thoroughly. Accept nothing verbal from the landlord.

[Jeff Hahn]

Local Health Department.

[AggieBass]

Had the same issue with my mother-in-law recently. Trust me, go spend a few hundred dollars and discuss this issue with a real estate attorney. Each state's laws are different and they will be able to get you out of the lease immediately with no penalties.

[99R93S]

I have found mold to be a very tricky one. It’s hard to get medical people to admit black mold is an issue. It’s also hard to get a landlord or building people to it either. They want testing etc and usually they aren’t going to pay for it. My advice would be have them get out asap, that stuff can be devastating to a body, and if bad you can just throw out all your belongings also. As far as the landlord, that could be tough. Me personally I would go to them and say look, there is black mold, I am not staying in it and getting sick. The options are would you let me out of my lease or am I going to have to stir up a giant hornets nest about it? It’s your choice, I can go peacefully or make it a giant thing, what do you prefer? They might let them out, if not heath dept, news, anyone that will listen.

[DaveBrabec]

Tell him to tell landlord he is calling a mold remediation company.

[Almag6]

Just do what every bad tenant did to me....leave unannounced and change their phone number.

[Rangerdeepv]

Local health department and maybe a police call?

[showmespec]

https://www.in.gov/health/

[illinifish]

Our son experienced a similar issue when he rented a home in college. When the landlord delayed to repair a call to the health dept and inspection got his attention and the mold issue and some other improvements happened fast.

[ilbass22]

Illinifish that reminds me of a guy who I worked with whose son went to college in Carbondale. When the boy moved in the apartment, dad went in and done a good video of every inch of the place. When the boy moved out, he got stuck with a big bill for all kinds of damages. Then dad produces the video of move in day. Dad loaded up and went to see the man. Things got bad. Cops were involved. It seems that this guy was a major property owner in Carbondale. He owned the land that Lowes built on. He also rented a lot of office space to the state. The story came out that he had been scamming people for years. The rich folk from Chicago and far away didn't want to take the time to go see for them themselves, and just paid the money. He had a profitable system going. Fast forward a few years. The guy gets locked up on child charges. Then just happens to get sent to prison where dad works! Dad was never allowed anywhere near the guy! About the same time the state changed rules on who could own property they rented from. He spent many days with attorneys transferring things out of his name.

[Fireball]

Buy him a bottle of this......if this wouldn't kill it nothing will.....then let the landlord figure out the paint problem..

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Clorox-Pl...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Dixie-Raven]

Illinifish that reminds me of a guy who I worked with whose son went to college in Carbondale. When the boy moved in the apartment, dad went in and done a good video of every inch of the place. When the boy moved out, he got stuck with a big bill for all kinds of damages. Then dad produces the video of move in day. Dad loaded up and went to see the man. Things got bad. Cops were involved. It seems that this guy was a major property owner in Carbondale. He owned the land that Lowes built on. He also rented a lot of office space to the state. The story came out that he had been scamming people for years. The rich folk from Chicago and far away didn't want to take the time to go see for them themselves, and just paid the money. He had a profitable system going. Fast forward a few years. The guy gets locked up on child charges. Then just happens to get sent to prison where dad works! Dad was never allowed anywhere near the guy! About the same time the state changed rules on who could own property they rented from. He spent many days with attorneys transferring things out of his name.

Dad didn’t do a video of when moved out, that’s what really matters.

[CastingCall]

Step 1. Get son out of apartment ASAP. Until you know what the black stuff is/is not, treat his health as Priority #1 and get him out now!
Step 2. Everything else that isn't important as Step 1.

[Big Al]

Definitely a catch 22. If he reports it and the health dept condemns the apt, your son has to move, then he would probably need to get a lawyer to negate the lease because of the place being inhabitable.
He may have something in the lease that would negate it due to the situation.

[Painter1]

Not all black colored mold is Black Toxic mold. First step would be to get a sample tested to figure out whether it is a GET OUT NOW problem or just a get it fixed problem. Document everything. Phone call logs, pictures with dates and descriptions. As mentioned earlier, read the lease thoroughly. Accept nothing verbal from the landlord.

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