Tenant Complaint, Need Advice

General Landlording & Rental Properties
6yFollow

Tenant Complaint, Need Advice

Michael Nahm
MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes

I need to get some thoughts from this great BP community on an issue.

My tenant is in a great condo I own, and has been living in it for years. I need to add that this tenant is great as well, usually quiet and hasn’t ever been late paying rent.


The condo has a full bathroom that  doesn’t have any windows, thus no real way to air it out.

A while ago, the tenant noted that mold was starting to show in the ceiling and for me to take care of it. 

Back then, I informed the tenant that it’s their responsibility to keep the bathroom door open to air it out because there is no ventilation other that a ceiling fan and to wipe it with bleach.

All had been quiet since then (it’s been about three years since the initial complaint). Now, the issue came up again.

keep in mind, I am not greedy. This tenant went in to the condo a couple hundred dollars UNDER market. I didn’t raise the rent for the first few years, yet since have been inching it up. 

Both times the tenant complained, were when a notice of renewal was sent with a tiny increase in rent (barely 2% each time). Tenant is currently paying about $350 UNDER market.

I can’t police how the tenant ventilates that bathroom, and the mold is showing on the corner of the ceiling. 


Was wondering what others think should be done and who’s responsible.


0Reply
53 views

Most Popular Reply

Greg M.
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
6y

Have the ceiling fan replaced with a much more heavy duty one and wire it to the light switch so it goes on when the light is turned on. Also, see if it is possible to add a window. Small bathroom windows aren't too expensive and if it prevents mold, that is a good investment.

The fact that the rent is $350 under market is meaningless. It should have been raised closer to market. Go complain to the guy in the mirror about that. The tenant's complaint is legitimate. 

3Reply
See this reply in the discussion

23 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Greg M.
    Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    6y

    Have the ceiling fan replaced with a much more heavy duty one and wire it to the light switch so it goes on when the light is turned on. Also, see if it is possible to add a window. Small bathroom windows aren't too expensive and if it prevents mold, that is a good investment.

    The fact that the rent is $350 under market is meaningless. It should have been raised closer to market. Go complain to the guy in the mirror about that. The tenant's complaint is legitimate. 

    3Reply
  • Dan Bryskin
    Investor · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2015 · 252 posts · 263 votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm, once notified, mold is your issue. Tenant may complaint, it will impact your rental license. Tenant also can sue you, pay rent to escrow account instead of to you. I'd suggest installing a bigger fan and wiring fan to the light switch so it is always on then someone is in the bathroom. Antibacterial paint may help, Good Luck. 

    1Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y

    Thank you, will do.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm

    Grab a high cam Panasonic fan or else a light /fan combo. Bleach isn’t a mold killer, most mold treatment products have ammonia. The following is a comprehensive list of reasons to maintain rent below market rate:

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    Cam = cfm

    0Reply
  • Jonathan W.
    Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2019 · 512 posts · 301 votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm I’m more following this thread then being the wonk but your tenant informed you of a maintenance issue, it’s your responsibility to handle it as your tenant is not your handyman. But the thing that bothers me about is that you got mold growing in your property and you are more worried about faults and causes instead of remedying. Mold in my house? Don’t care who did it and why, get rid of it.

    Now here’s the kicker, if you or your repair or maintenance people take care of it, they can report everything to you, which helps you prove the tenant is at fault or caused the problem, so then you can........hold your horses....hold your hat on...bill him!!!!!!!

    3Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y

    Thank you all, great advice and I’m getting it all taken care of ASAP.

    0Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    @Michael Nahm

    Grab a high cam Panasonic fan or else a light /fan combo. Bleach isn’t a mold killer, most mold treatment products have ammonia. The following is a comprehensive list of reasons to maintain rent below market rate:

     Bleach will kill mold as it destroys the DNA.

    2Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm  The rental rate vs problem with bathroom are two different things.  I would replace the exhaust fan and make sure it is properly connected.  You can also get fans that remain on for 15 minutes afterwards and then automatically shut off. 

    2Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y

    Thank you. There is a fan, however, a stronger one is probably going to be much better, especially since there is no way to add a window.


    Also, thought I’d add that it’s not a huge and disgusting mess, only a few specks on the ceiling. Regardless, better to remedy now before it becomes a mess.

    0Reply
  • Kenneth GarrettPro Member
    Investor · Florida Panhandle/Illinois · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm

    I see your from Mn.  In cold climates, the expectation of a tenant opening the window, If available, when they shower is probably not realistic.  I understand this is not your situation.  The building code uses the window as an exception to the bath, but in reality it is a flawed requirement.  You need the exhaust to remove the humidity from the shower area.  I agree with others, install a high performance bath fan since this is an going problem.  Condos are a little more complicated because you don’t know how far it takes the exhaust to get out of the building, especially in high rise buildings.  Although in high rises they usually have a continuous fan on the roof pulling the air from the bath constantly.

    Remediate the mold in the most effective way and install a better performing fan.

    Good Luck.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Theresa Harris

    Actually bleach won’t KILL mold on much of any surface that is even remotely porous. Mold grows deep, don’t trim it off the cheese in your refrigerator and eat the rest that looks fine. And don’t “clean” it from a surface of any porosity with chlorine bleach and expect it not to return (like this already has). And definitely don’t use it on raw concrete. The reason this came back is 2 fold: it wasn’t actually killed to start with because he bleach didn’t penetrate like the mold roots did, and the humidity is such that it’s ripe for repopulating. There’s a difference between wiping it off and killing it.

    1Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    @Theresa Harris

    Actually bleach won’t KILL mold on much of any surface that is even remotely porous. Mold grows deep, don’t trim it off the cheese in your refrigerator and eat the rest that looks fine. And don’t “clean” it from a surface of any porosity with chlorine bleach and expect it not to return (like this already has). And definitely don’t use it on raw concrete. The reason this came back is 2 fold: it wasn’t actually killed to start with because he bleach didn’t penetrate like the mold roots did, and the humidity is such that it’s ripe for repopulating. There’s a difference between wiping it off and killing it.

     We can agree to disagree on this. As a biologist I know bleach destroys DNA if it comes into contact with it.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Theresa Harris

    And for those cells that don’t exist on the surface to get wiped away, how is it killing those ones Theresa? Fire me a dm if you’d like to talk about our shared background and experiences.

    0Reply
  • Rich Ganim
    Real Estate Agent · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2020 · 8 posts · 5 votes
    6y

    Replace the fan with one that has a stronger pull, tie it into the light switch so it's always on when the light is one and look into adding a window. The fact they are paying under market value isn't really relevant, though it's awfully nice of you. At the end of the day, doing something is going to preserve your assets. It's a no brainer in my opinion. 

    0Reply
  • Kyle J.
    Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm  I've dealt with this issue before.  Here's a few ideas for you (in no particular order) that should help:

    - Clean/remove all the visible mold.  One product I've used previous is called Concrobium Mold Control. It comes in a spray bottle and is designed to stop/prevent/kill mold and mildew.  

    - Repaint the bathroom but add a Mildewcide additive to the paint to prevent future growth of mold and mildew.

    - Replace the current bathroom fan with a newer/higher CFM fan.  I really like the Panasonic Whisper fans.  They're well built and very quiet.  If they're too loud your tenant won't want to turn them on.  A work around for that is to buy a quieter fan or just wire the fan together with the light so it always comes on when the light is turned on and then the tenant doesn't have a choice.  However, there is a good reason to have them wired separately (see my next bullet point).  

    - Put the fan on a timer switch so the fan can be set to run for a predetermined length of time (10, 20, 30, 60 minutes).  The advantage to this is that the fan can continue to run even after the tenant is out of the shower and continue to remove moisture from the room.

    Anyway, that's just a few ideas.  None of them are expensive and if you did all of them I'm willing to bet you'd see a big improvement.  

    2Reply
  • Kenneth GarrettPro Member
    Investor · Florida Panhandle/Illinois · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm

    I agree with @Kyle J. I’ve used Concrobium as well.  It kills the mold from growing.  You can buy it at Menards and other similar stores.  I like to spray it at least three times to make sure it’s dead.  I then cover it with Kilz.  It works great.

    0Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Kyle J.:

    @Michael Nahm  I've dealt with this issue before.  Here's a few ideas for you (in no particular order) that should help:

    - Clean/remove all the visible mold.  One product I've used previous is called Concrobium Mold Control. It comes in a spray bottle and is designed to stop/prevent/kill mold and mildew.  

    - Repaint the bathroom but add a Mildewcide additive to the paint to prevent future growth of mold and mildew.

    - Replace the current bathroom fan with a newer/higher CFM fan.  I really like the Panasonic Whisper fans.  They're well built and very quiet.  If they're too loud your tenant won't want to turn them on.  A work around for that is to buy a quieter fan or just wire the fan together with the light so it always comes on when the light is turned on and then the tenant doesn't have a choice.  However, there is a good reason to have them wired separately (see my next bullet point).  

    - Put the fan on a timer switch so the fan can be set to run for a predetermined length of time (10, 20, 30, 60 minutes).  The advantage to this is that the fan can continue to run even after the tenant is out of the shower and continue to remove moisture from the room.

    Anyway, that's just a few ideas.  None of them are expensive and if you did all of them I'm willing to bet you'd see a big improvement.  

     Thank you for those great tips! The mold is only on the ceiling, so seems as though the walls were well protected with appropriate anti-mold seals. Need to re-do the ceiling after appropriate cleanup.

    I haven’t heard of Concrobium before. Will definitely get it as well as a stronger fan.


    Thanks again for the spot-on pointers (no pun intended).


    0Reply
  • Russ B.
    Investor · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2017 · 319 posts · 330 votes
    6y

    That mold is going to be almost exclusively on the surface, since it's caused by condensation. Just cleaning it off and upgrading the fan as described (and wiring it to the light) would be totally fine. 

    It might be nice to paint the ceiling at the same time though - the tenant will surely appreciate it, and it wouldn't cost much. 

    Like any repair, I would always take before & after pics as mentioned above. That way, it'll never be your word against theirs (like when they're late on rent one day, and that minor surface discoloration turns into thick cakes of deadly toxic mold). 

    0Reply
  • Todd Rasmussen
    Rental Property Investor · Clarksville, TN · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm

    They also make humidity sensing fans that have automatic modes. I just wired mine to power without a switch so it is fully automated. (I do have to throw a breaker if the power ever goes out, to reset it back to the automatic mode)

    For your application, I like the light switch idea. If you were worried about them turning the light switch off too soon, you could probably add a relay with a built in timer, so the fan would run for a set time after the light was turned off.

    1Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Todd Rasmussen:

    @Michael Nahm

    They also make humidity sensing fans that have automatic modes. I just wired mine to power without a switch so it is fully automated. (I do have to throw a breaker if the power ever goes out, to reset it back to the automatic mode)

    For your application, I like the light switch idea. If you were worried about them turning the light switch off too soon, you could probably add a relay with a built in timer, so the fan would run for a set time after the light was turned off.

     Absolutely brilliant! Thank you.

    1Reply
  • Todd Rasmussen
    Rental Property Investor · Clarksville, TN · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Michael Nahm

    Just make sure you write on the inside of the switch cover plate how you wired it. I can only imagine a handyman for the next owner trying to figure out what in the heck was going on, especially if you put the relay in the box above the fan.

    1Reply
  • Michael Nahm
    OP
    MN · Member since 2018 · 78 posts · 19 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Todd Rasmussen:

    @Michael Nahm

    Just make sure you write on the inside of the switch cover plate how you wired it. I can only imagine a handyman for the next owner trying to figure out what in the heck was going on, especially if you put the relay in the box above the fan.

    Will do. Thanks again.

    1Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free