mold issue
Question for you all.
We had a couple move in to a one bedroom unit we have. They have been there for two months. Two days ago, I got a call from them saying there is mold on their furniture in the bedroom, the window in the bedroom and living room and a bag they had on the floor by their bed near the exterior wall. They said that the windows have condensation on them. They said they cleaned it up. But added they have been sick, shortness of breath, congested, etc., ever since they moved in.
The previous tenant had no issues. We checked with the previous owner ( we just bought the place in Feb 15 ) and he said no issues - we trust him as he is a family friend.
The tenant believes moisture is getting in from under the unit, however, we believe this is from their lifestyle.
The building is on a concrete slab, concrete floor and interior block walls, outer wall is brick at the bottom and framed on top. Its very small, 600 SQ. FT., no central air, base board electric heat and two windows on the exterior wall.
The tenant says they only saw mold in the bedroom, and some on the living room window, but no where else. There is no mold on the walls, ceilings, bathroom, carpeting, tile floor, behind fridge, stove, under sinks. We found no plumbing leaks.
They also seem to think water is collecting under the unit and the mold is coming in through the floor.
We immediately brought a dehumidifier over. The unit was reading at 65% humidity.
The bathtub was 1/4 full of water but the tenant insisted it was only to clean a bag that had mold on it. They have stated they do not leave water in the tub or sink but we have seen the sink full of water before. They have a lot of personal belongings and the unit is very crowded/packed in. It is also not the neatest place..
I spoke with a mold remediation expert who suggested it was an environmental issue. IE: high moisture, lack of circulation. Open the windows, use the dehumidifier.
Last email we got was them asking 'how we plan on getting rid of the mold'...
What would you do in this situation?
We want to just offer them out of their lease and move on.