Advice for Mold growth in closets?

[Connor Cass]

I have a property built on a crawlspace that is having minor mold issues in the closets.

This is a property that I used to live in and I experienced the same issue. I’ve had people come inspect the crawlspace for leaks, spray for mold, and installed increased ventilation in the bathrooms to cut down on moisture. Every professional I’ve had take a look says something similar to “that’s just something that happens in houses like this”. We haven’t been able to identify any issue that’s causing it, it’s just a seasonal occurrence in the area.

My problem is that the tenants expect me to be able to get rid of it ( and honestly I don’t blame them, I would too). I just don’t have any ideas on how?

It’s not severe. We just get some white fuzzy mold growth on shoes that haven’t been worn in a while and some growth in the corners.

The solution to me seems to be periodic cleaning of the closets, but the tenant wants me to “fix” it. As the landlord, I have to keep visible mold out of the house, but there doesn’t appear to be a fix.

Any suggestions / insight? Thanks

[Nathan Gesner]

Mold requires two things: moisture and a food source (dust is sufficient).

I suspect this is on an exterior wall in a cold climate. The humidity gets into the closet, condensation forms, mold starts to grow in the water and dust mixture. It can easily be removed with a mold removing solution or a bleach solution (1 cup of bleach, 1 gallon of water). It can be prevented by keeping closet doors open and using a ceiling fan to circulate air, opening doors and windows for 5-10 minutes a day (as weather permits) to sweep out excess moisture, use ventilation fans in bathrooms, and keep the property free from dust.

Check out this EPA resource. I keep a PDF copy on hand and send it to tenants any time they complain of mold.

https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief...