Black Mold In House - How to handle with tenants
Atlanta, GA · Member since 2021 · 163 posts · 57 votes
Hi BP -
If there is black mold in a house that you bought, how is this typically handled when flipping or BRRRRing? What happens if your contractor finds it, covers it up without telling you, and then the tenant finds it later?
**This did not happen to me. I am just trying to make sure I am protecting myself for the future
Thanks guys!
@Eddie P. is right...it must be completely removed, and no, bleach will not kill it as many believe......
I will be very careful about mold if I am planning to put a tenant there. make sure you clean up before renting. there are companies out there to clean up mold. If the tenants find out later, you can face a big law suit.
I am a contractor in Florida that specializes in Mold assessments and removal. Over 9 years I have seen many cases where either the owner or handyman covered up mold with kilz or paint to get a property rented or sold. The latest one was a $2,500 monthly rental that looked absolutely stunning and fully remodeled. After a month of being in the unit the tenant developed respiratory issues and ended up in the hospital after experiencing bloody nose and asthma attacks. In this particular case the tenant hired a company to test the house and found toxic levels of mold. The homeowners handyman allegedly covered up the mold in the walls caused by an AC condensation leak. This could have been resolved during the remodel for probably $500. Now the owner owes this tenant moving expenses, lawyer fees, all new furniture(negotiated during settlement), medical bills, dry cleaning and washing of all clothes, sanitizing of all her personal effect, and refund of every cent paid. Plus he had to hire my company to remediate the house so he can have a layer of protection when he rents it out again. Simple solution is have a licensed and insured company run an air test( +/-$500) prior to renting/buying and take care of it. It will cost much more after. And No- bleach, vinegar, kilz, foggers, will properly remove mold from a building, it needs to be removed. Whenever any of my tenants mention mold, I resolve it quickly
@Eddie P. is right...it must be completely removed, and no, bleach will not kill it as many believe......
I am a contractor in Florida that specializes in Mold assessments and removal. Over 9 years I have seen many cases where either the owner or handyman covered up mold with kilz or paint to get a property rented or sold. The latest one was a $2,500 monthly rental that looked absolutely stunning and fully remodeled. After a month of being in the unit the tenant developed respiratory issues and ended up in the hospital after experiencing bloody nose and asthma attacks. In this particular case the tenant hired a company to test the house and found toxic levels of mold. The homeowners handyman allegedly covered up the mold in the walls caused by an AC condensation leak. This could have been resolved during the remodel for probably $500. Now the owner owes this tenant moving expenses, lawyer fees, all new furniture(negotiated during settlement), medical bills, dry cleaning and washing of all clothes, sanitizing of all her personal effect, and refund of every cent paid. Plus he had to hire my company to remediate the house so he can have a layer of protection when he rents it out again. Simple solution is have a licensed and insured company run an air test( +/-$500) prior to renting/buying and take care of it. It will cost much more after. And No- bleach, vinegar, kilz, foggers, will properly remove mold from a building, it needs to be removed. Whenever any of my tenants mention mold, I resolve it quickly
This is EXACTLY the kind of answer I was looking for. Thank you @Eddie P.!
What are the ways that you can effectively remove mold?
I am a contractor in Florida that specializes in Mold assessments and removal. Over 9 years I have seen many cases where either the owner or handyman covered up mold with kilz or paint to get a property rented or sold. The latest one was a $2,500 monthly rental that looked absolutely stunning and fully remodeled. After a month of being in the unit the tenant developed respiratory issues and ended up in the hospital after experiencing bloody nose and asthma attacks. In this particular case the tenant hired a company to test the house and found toxic levels of mold. The homeowners handyman allegedly covered up the mold in the walls caused by an AC condensation leak. This could have been resolved during the remodel for probably $500. Now the owner owes this tenant moving expenses, lawyer fees, all new furniture(negotiated during settlement), medical bills, dry cleaning and washing of all clothes, sanitizing of all her personal effect, and refund of every cent paid. Plus he had to hire my company to remediate the house so he can have a layer of protection when he rents it out again. Simple solution is have a licensed and insured company run an air test( +/-$500) prior to renting/buying and take care of it. It will cost much more after. And No- bleach, vinegar, kilz, foggers, will properly remove mold from a building, it needs to be removed. Whenever any of my tenants mention mold, I resolve it quickly
This is EXACTLY the kind of answer I was looking for. Thank you @Eddie P.!
What are the ways that you can effectively remove mold?
Depending where it is. Anything porous like carpets, drywall, insulation, wood laminate flooring, etc should be tossed and replaced. Cabinets should be tossed as well but we sometimes clean and encapsulate them if they are custom. Use Hepa vacuums on all the surfaces and wipe everything with a antimicrobial. AC ducts and units should be cleaned by a reputable company. The most important thing is to have a clear lab test from a licensed company. That is what will offer you the most protection. Mold is everywhere and airborne but your inside levels should never be greater than the outside which indicates a problem.
I am a contractor in Florida that specializes in Mold assessments and removal. Over 9 years I have seen many cases where either the owner or handyman covered up mold with kilz or paint to get a property rented or sold. The latest one was a $2,500 monthly rental that looked absolutely stunning and fully remodeled. After a month of being in the unit the tenant developed respiratory issues and ended up in the hospital after experiencing bloody nose and asthma attacks. In this particular case the tenant hired a company to test the house and found toxic levels of mold. The homeowners handyman allegedly covered up the mold in the walls caused by an AC condensation leak. This could have been resolved during the remodel for probably $500. Now the owner owes this tenant moving expenses, lawyer fees, all new furniture(negotiated during settlement), medical bills, dry cleaning and washing of all clothes, sanitizing of all her personal effect, and refund of every cent paid. Plus he had to hire my company to remediate the house so he can have a layer of protection when he rents it out again. Simple solution is have a licensed and insured company run an air test( +/-$500) prior to renting/buying and take care of it. It will cost much more after. And No- bleach, vinegar, kilz, foggers, will properly remove mold from a building, it needs to be removed. Whenever any of my tenants mention mold, I resolve it quickly
This is EXACTLY the kind of answer I was looking for. Thank you @Eddie P.!
What are the ways that you can effectively remove mold?
Depending where it is. Anything porous like carpets, drywall, insulation, wood laminate flooring, etc should be tossed and replaced. Cabinets should be tossed as well but we sometimes clean and encapsulate them if they are custom. Use Hepa vacuums on all the surfaces and wipe everything with a antimicrobial. AC ducts and units should be cleaned by a reputable company. The most important thing is to have a clear lab test from a licensed company. That is what will offer you the most protection. Mold is everywhere and airborne but your inside levels should never be greater than the outside which indicates a problem.
@Eddie P. want to move to Atlanta and work with me??? This in incredibly helpful. Can’t thank you enough for your input!
LOL, You're welcome and I'm happy to assist. I kind of fell into this industry while I was flipping homes back 10 years ago. In Florida you need to be licensed and insured to test and remove mold. Insurance companies were paying good$$ so I figured what the heck and added it to my GC license. you can see some of our horror stories on FB and IG by searching CVP Mitigation
LOL, You're welcome and I'm happy to assist. I kind of fell into this industry while I was flipping homes back 10 years ago. In Florida you need to be licensed and insured to test and remove mold. Insurance companies were paying good$$ so I figured what the heck and added it to my GC license. you can see some of our horror stories on FB and IG by searching CVP Mitigation
@Jose Jacob I'm a tenant who is about to sue because of issues with mold. I literally have bleeding rashes on my body from mold in my bathroom that I requested to be looked into.
Guys if you have mold get it looked into. Because now since I have health issues I'm definitely filing a lawsuit.
@Steven Barr I'm a tenant who is about to sue because of issues with mold. I literally have bleeding rashes on my body from mold in my bathroom that I requested to be looked into.
Guys if you have mold get it looked into. Because now since I have health issues I'm definitely filing a lawsuit. I told my super about the mold in my bathroom he said it's surface level mold just clean it with bleach. I told him I don't believe that is working I have done that. Now my lease is almost over I will be moving but I have suffered damage on my body and will be filling a lawsuit.
@Jose Jacob I'm a tenant who is about to sue because of issues with mold. I literally have bleeding rashes on my body from mold in my bathroom that I requested to be looked into.
Guys if you have mold get it looked into. Because now since I have health issues I'm definitely filing a lawsuit.
I am a landlord. I will make sure everything is clean and safe before I rent my units. I treat tenants as respectable human beings not someone who pays my mortgage. Everyone need a safe place to live.