Mold in an Everett rental property is a serious problem for both landlords and tenants. Not all mold is toxic, but that doesn’t matter – if there’s any sign of mold in your home, you need to take care of it right away. Many types of mold can cause health problems and property damage.
How to Detect Mold in a Rental Home
Mold is often something that tenants will see or smell. You might also notice it while you’re inspecting your home or preparing it for the rental market. It could look like a dark spot on a wall or ceiling. It could be black or green or even white. It is also likely to have an odor that’s very pungent and smells like mildew.
There are specific places that mold likes to grow. While mold spores can develop anywhere, most mold prefers dark, wet spaces. If you have a basement or an attic or even a closet, you should routinely inspect those areas for mold. A proactive inspection process will also include checking under carpets and behind drywall. It could be growing in your ceiling tiles or behind wallpaper.
Another way to detect mold is if your tenants seem to develop allergic symptoms that might indicate there’s a problem. Black mold is especially dangerous, and may lead to:
- Coughing and respiratory illnesses that have no other explanation.
- Increase in symptoms for people who have asthma.
- Onset of asthma in young children who did not have it previously.
- Increased symptoms for anyone suffering with pneumonitis.
Just because a tenant has these symptoms does not mean your property has mold. But, it does mean you should have a thorough inspection to rule it out or find out for sure.
Avoid Mold by Avoiding Water Intrusion
Once mold is detected, you will have to spend a lot of money cleaning up the property and putting preventative checks into place so that the mold doesn’t grow back.
The best way to deal with mold is to reduce the risk that your home will ever have it. Water is always the issue that leads to a mold problem. Checking for leaks should be a checklist item on every inspection, whether it’s a move-in inspection, general maintenance inspection, or a turnover inspection. Clean out gutters regularly and make sure there aren’t any issues with the roof that may be inviting water into the property. Keep all moisture away from the home as best you can.
Check your ductwork as well. Heating and cooling systems can collect mold spores, and it won’t be as easy to detect the origin of the problem when they’re hiding in the ducts of your air conditioning or furnace.
As a landlord, you’re required to provide written information about mold to your tenants. If you need help complying with the law or protecting your property and your tenants from the damage that mold can do, please contact us at Real Estate Gladiators. We can help you with all your Everett property management needs.
