Mould in Apartment

wigwam

Registered User
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My tenant is complaining about mould in the apartment. My tenant says his wife has had severe allergy (runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.) since she moved in 3 weeks ago. He has asked that I organise for someone to inspect the apartment.

He sent me 2 pictures where there are black mould growths above the skirting board in the bedroom and living room area.

Any advice as to what I should do much appreciated.

Also who should I get to do the inspection?

Thanks
 
Hi

I had the same problem before. I used this company www.moldbustersireland.com and they came out and did a full inspection around the area where the mould was. The guy had a device that showed how much moisture was in certain areas and the reading was quite high in areas where there was mould. The report cost me €70. The issue with my place was that the material on the outside of the apartment which stops the rain from seeping in had come away from the wall. I got this fixed myself and used a dehumidifier for a few weeks which pretty much solved the problem.

Be aware though - dehumidifiers are not cheap to run. My tenants saw a huge surge in their bill after they started to use it.

Also I was advised before to seal any gaps in the skirting boards as moisture could be coming in from below the property. This unfortunately didn't help me as that's not what was causing the mould in my place.

Good luck !

P.S If you're using a dehumidifier keep it away from the window as I was told that it pulls in moisture from the outside.
 
Also who should I get to do the inspection?

Initially anyway I think you should inspect it.

I had this problem, in particular with one couple from a warmer country, they used to keep windows and vents closed to keep the apartment warmer, the problem was worsened when they had a baby, although there was a vented dryer, they used to dry all clothes on or in front of radiators.

The problem in my case anyway was simply ventilation, I wrote and explained, called in and explained, they still would not open a vent or window.

When they eventually left, I deducted €200 from their deposit to cover part of the cost of killing off the mould, stain blocking and repainting the inside of all external walls.

As your tenants are only there 3 weeks, possibly they are not the cause of the problem and if that's the case it's up to you to resolve it on this occasion.

I think this is a common problem in many apartments, thereafter I put it in the lease that it was tenants responsibility to ensure the property was properly aired to try and avoid this issue.
 
Agree look yourself first, someone here before had a good list of where
mould can come from....

New build enough, we had mould in corner of walk in wardrobe, hidden behind a huge xmas tree box....simple look outside a lump of cement under the tiles had come away and so rain simply blew into soffits and down wall cavity. Simple diy job to fix n dry out, kill n paint. Caused by powerwasher....

we lived years ago in apartment with no window in a tiny bathroom n we opps disconnected the fan as huge cold issue...we had asked landlord numerous times about a cover for it as missing but no, so stuffed it up...mould visible quickly where tiles meet the ceiling....
 
With many rental properties, experience has told me that mould is almost always due to:
1. Vents closed, sellotaped over, or deliberately blocked behind the vent.
2. Drying wet clothes on clothes horses to avoid the cost of a tumble dryer.
3. Heating almost never turned on in winter.
4. The bathroom electric extractor fan turned off.
 
Agree with the above list. Check the vents on the windows bet they have been closed over. Put it in your contract the next time that they must be left open at all times even in the winter or you will deduct money from deposit. If these are left open then mould should not occur. Obviously check that extractor fans are working in bathrooms etc and that clothes are not being dried other than in electric drier. Seems to be a common problem in apartments where ventilation is inadequate.
 
As the others have said. The mould can be from a problem with the building, leak, ventilation etc. Or how the tenants are using the property. In my experience its usually the latter, but can be the building. So best to look at it with an open mind.

May also be a combination for example poor ventilation, and a different tenants slight change in habits is just enough to overload the ventilation, whereas the previous tenant didn't.
 
No Moolah

Did the report from mouldbusters.ie identify the source of the mould and how to fix it?

Thanks
 
Hi Wigwam

Yes the report identified that the material on the outside of the building had come away from the wall thus allowing water to seep in from the outside. I arranged for this to be fixed.

It also identified that the trickle vents were insufficient. There was little I could do about this however.

In order to fix the problem, they said that I would have to have the material on the outside of the wall put back in place and they also made other suggestions such as keeping the fan running in the ensuite bathroom for approx. 15 mins after using the shower, using a mechanical extractor when cooking and drying laundry outside or using a tumble dryer.

They also provided a service where they would; clean the infected areas using anti-mould disinfectant, add an anti-mould polymeric coating, and carry out air disinfection. This was an extra €150. I didn't avail of this service however.

The report also noted what the humidity readings were in each room and it detailed the various inspections that were carried out.
 
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