Our tenant has asked for a Mold Test, how would you respond?

Question

•          I believe this a topic worth talking about, since most insurance policy do exclude this from their liability clauses. And you never know when you get a similar call. 
•         The property in question is an  SFR built in 1998 and (the tenant has been there for about six months ) Our tenants asked us the other day  to give an ok for him to do a Mold Test. He said his 10 months old baby has continuous sinus infections and he would like to eliminate Mold as a possibility.  We have laminate floors (no carpet) in that home BUT they have a dog (possible allergies maybe) 
•         Another thing worth mentioning,  vacancy for the above property is about $100 per DAY so i have to be thoughtful about this one.
•         I have been an Investor/PM for many years but fortunately  never have any mold issue in any of our properties as my team does take pride in maintaining our units in above average condition. So what would/or did you,  you do in situation like this?
•       
• Thanks

Derek B. · Answer

@Sandy Wolfe  hit the nail on the head.  @Heather Plude is in fact a salesperson for the hi tech air that she gave she such glowing reviews of.  One can click on the link she provided, then the contact page and see her name listed there.  Heather, your product may be fantastic, but please do not come on the forums pretending to be a consumer recommending a product that you have benefited from.  You need to disclose your affiliation.  This community relies on the honest recommendations of our peers; not your using the forums to indirectly sell products under the guise of trying to help.

Colleen F. · Answer

Mold first before dog allergies is a little backwards but people are going to do what they are going to do.  In reality I think you are going to need to let them test if they want to.  If they get a report of mold I would do my own independent test and remediation plan.  Mold is everywhere. What you need to remediate and what their kid may be sensitive to are two different things.  Some of it is valid and some of it is hype.  (I don't know how we ever survived as a species living outside when mold is such a danger).  In any case if it comes back positive you have to find out what you are obligated to do and what is nice to have. If they have a mold sensitive child and it is a high cost vacancy I would have the discussion about how long they think they will stay.  If they intend to rent long term I would lean towards doing extra to met their needs but make sure you let them know if you do anything extra so there is some appreciation.... we only need to do this but we are going to do this because of the baby and you plan to stay. If this is short term for them I would give them an early out on the lease and just do what you are obligated to do.

Aaron Montague · Answer

@Val Csontos

A mold test is $10 at Home Depot.  It is something you are going to want to know about ASAP.

I'd head over there and get that done right away.

Jesse M. · Answer

seems to me that the odds of getting scammed on expensive mold remediation are very high.  Check out the epa statement on mold....basically that it is "impossible to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment"  So isn't it likely that whoever tests for mold is very likely to find something that can then try to sell you additional remediation services on?

Not sure how to have your tenants do this without putting you on the hook to remediate something that doesn't even have any federal safety standard for living spaces.   Maybe you can get them to agree on the remedy if they are unhappy with the results of the test...like a dollar limit for remediation or allow them out of the lease if they are unsatisfied

Marc M. · Answer

You are partially correct.  Yes, it's impossible to completely eliminate mold spores; they exist in our every day environment and will never disappear.  However, there are safe levels of certain types that should not be crossed.  For instance, a spore count of about 10x the exterior levels of aspergillus is deemed to be safe by all the mold testing companies I've used.  Meaning, if they count 50 spores in the exterior control sample, anything under 500 inside is considered acceptable.

You can avoid being scammed by hiring an independent testing company from the mold remediation company.  This way, they have no interest in creating additional work for themselves and they will create a remediation plan that the company doing the actual work will need to follow.  You then perform clearance testing to make sure that levels drop into the acceptable range.

With a little homework, you can be reasonably assured that you won't be taken advantage of.  OP, if you'd like any referrals, I'm happy to provide the testing company and remediation companies that I've used successfully in the past.  This kind of work is not cheap but they're reputable companies that won't take advantage of you.

Fred T. · Answer

Real Estate is a people business and you should want your tenants to be satisfied and content in their home at all times...that's what keeps the money coming in. Word of Mouth in a negative manner can hurt your Business for sure.

I would not only bless their request, but would also encourage the test to occur by a Professional (not a Home Depot Kit). That is of course unless you have knowledge that Mold is present...and in that case you should have re-mediated prior to putting the tenant in it to begin with and will now suffer the consequences of your inactions.

With that said, providing you had no prior knowledge, if Mold is found, then you should be asking the question WHY was it found. Did the tenant, in the 6-mth period, cause a leak and never corrected it...were they running the HVAC systems in a way that would have created the issue, did they or do they leave windows or doors open frequently without monitoring the weather, etc. If the Tenant didn't cause it, then it could be a sign of an underlying issue with the property such as a slow leaking pipe or fixture, the roof leaking, the basement leaking, etc and you will want to have those issues repaired anyway to protect your own asset.

While a normal Property Insurance Plan may not have a Mold inclusion, you may want to see if there are other plans available such as a Flood Insurance Rider that may cover Mold and related issues that the base policy does not...again, the cost of being a property owner.

Worst case scenario is Mold is found and you, as the property owner, take care of it and the tenants are happy campers...all part of being a Landlord. Best case scenario, nothing is found and your tenants have great respect for you as you put their child first above all.

If you focus on the losing money potential and not the actual person, you will lose all the time!/

Good Luck!

Eric Belgau · Answer

Absolutely let them do it and facilitate it.  It is more than possible that their pediatrician brought up mold as a possibility, and with a baby involved you're way out on a liability limb if you obstruct it.

If I were in your shoes I would do the Home Depot test myself and let them know that they're welcome to get a more expensive test done on their dime.

Che Chiu Wong · Answer

@Val CsontosAnswer will be "Sure."

I hope you are selling a house that you are proud of to begin with.

The person who requests the test should pay the bill though.

Sandy Wolfe · Answer

Always hire a testing company that doesn't do remediation. That way you don't have to worry about that. Yes, there are not set standards, but do you want to make children have lung damage,  asthma or learning disabilities? You don't want inside levels higher than the outside levels. You certainly don't want any stachybotreus. "Mold is gold" is what the attorneys call it. You don't want involved in that.

Our tenant has asked for a Mold Test, how would you respond?

Most Popular Reply