An otherwise excellent tenant renting a SFH (about 20 years old) for the prior 3 years is complaining about mold. They identified minor mold above the shower enclosure a couple of inches on the drywall, and we have a repair guy who is going to remove the dry wall, caulk and fix that issue. IMO this a fairly normal and minor maintenance issue. They also identified mold (or perhaps mildew) on a PVC pipe in the garage that is part of the radon system, which is almost certainly due to normal condensation on the pipe. The radon system itself is working correctly, no doubts there, and the mold/mildew is 100% isolated to the pipe. No other visible mold and no musty smell anywhere else in the house.

The tenants love the house. I am 100% certain this is not a "break the lease" or "sue the landlord” situation. They do have some chronic health issues, state their health has recently deteriorated are IMO being over cautious, so much so that they have moved out temporarily because the house is "unsafe to live in".

They want a mold inspection which is ballpark high $000’s maybe over a thousand. I have informed that is fine but is 100% their decision and their cost, because CDC and FEMA do not recommend a mold test, rather they recommend that you simply manage the issue which we are doing in a timely manner. They have scheduled an inspection and I will be there for that.

The lease ends at the end this month, and goes MTM from there. I have offered to release them from the lease immediately which they declined stating that they want to renew for another year. We will see how this situation progresses before doing that. We are managing the two localized mold issues in a timely manner. We will of course pay for that. Any other consequential costs, the cost of the mold inspection and any temporary living costs in a hotel I have made clear are their responsibility.

1) Inform the residents of your actions

2) Offer them a happy clause so that they can move out.

3) Let them know that you will be more than happy to comply with there wants

4) All that they have to do is understand the corresponding renting increase will occur for the repair and maintenance going over the 6% that it should per year.

They don't sound like bad folks but they do have some valid concerns - as you do to. Some of these concerns might be tied to routine household cleaning and maintenance.

I would terminate the contract. They're paying a mold inspector to come in and do what, say "Yep, that's mold!". No. Mold remediators make large sums of money by selling FEAR. The inspector is going to confirm there's mold and then give you a huge estimate to remediate, regardless if it's warranted or not. And while he's there, he's going to fill your tenants minds with lies and exaggerations.

I sense some demand for money for medical bills, hotel bills, etc. Maybe be very good people, and you may be lucky that the ask for nothing, but they moved out voluntarily and the lease is up soon. Don't renew. Tell them you have to do a repair and the place will sit vacant while it's done. I had a Tenant tell the Judge MOLD! Scared me totally. Any mold reference is serious and should be handled immediately.

My inspection and pictures proved no mold, but the Tenant decided to tell me she made an appointment for a Mold Abatement Inspector to come. I said sure, but I'm not paying for him, I didn't call him, I won't be there for the inspection, and you will have to cover the cost. Appointment cancelled thank goodness, as I'm sure as Jason said, they would certainly find lots of mold and send me a huge bill. Mine was just mildew around the tub. X-14 did the job and the 'before and after' pics for the Judge were awesome.

Good day... well much is written by the EPA and the CDC

on Mildew and Mold and for some 30+ years of info:

Their best suggestion is to refer to this as Mildew not mold.

MILDEW OR MOLD: see also environmental. EPA 402-K-02-003 & CDC

Individuals with sensitivities or persistent symptoms should see their physician; remove the cause or themselves from it.

'Time is of the essence' & reporting this is an 'affirmative duty' for the tenants.

Interior: the space controlled by the tenant.

If or when leaks or spills occur act quickly. If wet or damp areas are dried 24-48 hours in most cases mildew or mold will not grow.

Keep indoor humidity low. Below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity.

Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10-$50) available at many hardware stores.

CDC Appendix C

Spores are almost always present in outdoor and indoor air, and almost all commonly used construction materials and furnishings can provide nutrients to support mold growth. Dirt on surfaces provides additional nutrients, cloths, etc.

IN THE HOME, THE KEY IS TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE AND CONTROL THE MOISTURE/HUMIDITY.

*At present of the 200 common molds, there is no test that proves an association between stachybotrys chartarum (stachybotrys atra) or other mildew/molds, and particular health symptoms.

From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Mildew & Mold and the spores have been on the Earth for millions of years. They are present both inside and outside.

Everyone breaths them every day.

Moisture, two common sources.

Most commonly moisture inside is from interior condensation or humidity.

Humidity is controlled by the tenants, and it is their responsibility to control and remove.

Failure at this can affect the interior paint and surfaces. damage that can be attributed to the tenants.

Less common is a water system or structure leak, such as a leaking pipe in the wall or a leaking roof.

Mildew or molds usually bloom because of:

1. A moisture source, condensation THAT THE TENANT DID NOT VENT FROM THE HOME, spills in the home, a water leaks.

2. Tenant's not controlling the interior environment for moisture and humidity, or their inaction according to the EPA & CDC

EPA:

Is testing or sampling for mold needed?

In most cases, sampling is unnecessary since, NO EPA or other Federal standards have been set for mildew or mold exposure.

Nor are there any over the counter (OTC) or retail tests that are reliable to any degree more than 6%.

A certified lab may have a test for the type of mildew or mold.

Checking or sampling: EPA WEB SITE

Spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building's compliance NO EPA or other Federal limits have been set for mildew or mold.

Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods, and interpreting results, not a company the remediates mildew and mold, as they have a 'vested interest' in finding them.

Rather an independent lab that is certified for such testing. They are not selling a service to remediate!

Of course there is mildew (although tenants will call it mold) in the bathroom.

It's a warm, moist place. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

Come into my master bath and I've likely got the same thing (the tub is in an enclosed room with no window for ventilation).

Once a tenant starts talking about how a house is "unsafe to live in" because of this very common issue it's time to get rid of them.

"Shower stalls have mold. It's normal. My own shower has mold. You have no evidence that your shower is killing you and your children".

OK, so you are in a very humid place and there has been so much rain. It's an Act of God. When my tenant complained of mold she got a Home Depot kit and sent it away for analysis after she complained to the town which does nothing about mold except ask the landlord what's going on.

I got a $600 expert who came out, vacuumed up some air and testing it and came up with the same analysis as the $20 Home Depot kit. No dangerous mold. She was leaving windows open all year. She had rabbits and they ate hay. Hay gets mold on it that was making her sneeze and that is why she left windows ajar all year. So it's a vicious circle here. The guy I paid told her she was causing the problem and to shut the windows and use the air conditioning.

Shortly after that she moved. The basement had mold all over everything because she was leaving the cellar Bilco door open in rain storms so she didn't have to breathe moldy air. So she created the mold there. She moved to be closer to her new job and I removed all the mold she created and kept her security deposit, itemized everything, and sent her the balance. Her rabbits had chewed edge of tile and I had to replace it too.

So you should call a consultant. It's not that much money. Part of your issue is the awful humidity in your state and something these two are doing like maybe spending too much time in the shower. The paid consultant will legitimize the results of the test in everyone's mind.

I had a 8 unit apartment house that 4 units kept on having surface mold in the bathrooms. All of the bathrooms used to have windows, but each unit shared a vertical shaft so sounds would travel back and forth between paired units. So the previous owner closed off 4 bathroom from the windows and installed crappy fans.

Then all of a sudden other bathroom started having mold too.

THE APARTMENT WITHOUT WINDOWS ALL HAD MOLD AND HALF OF THE UNITS WITH WINDOWS STARTED TO HAVE MOLD TOO.

As a contractor I did my homework and found the problem and solution..

Problem NUMBER 1: Wrong type of paint. So I upgraded to mold resistant paint.

Problem NUMBER 2: Tenants are too dense to open a window when taking a long hot steaming shower to too brain dead to turn on the exhaust fan.

So I purchased silent exhaust fans that were wired to the light switch. Turn on the light and the fan goes on automatically.

Some of my fans have TWO SPEEDS. When they come on at a low speed and they sample the air. If there's steam, the fan jumps into high.

With the new paint and fan's no more mold.

Be cautious that this isn't the start of something "bigger".

Had a tenant who had been paying her rent on time but suddenly started paying late. Then she sent me a picture of a section of floor over carpet she pulled up claiming it had mold and "dried blood" on the plywood floor. Also claimed to be "deadly" allergic to mold and sent me a picture of herself with one eye swollen shut. Looked like she had run into something.

Red flags went off in my head. We sent over there to check out this section of carpet and floor but, amazingly, the carpet (and padding) had been tossed out and the spot on the floor looked to be nothing more than a spot on plywood and not "blood". Even scrubbing it did not remove it. I put LVP down over where this piece of carpet had been.

That was the beginning of end for this tenant. Suddenly she was in the "hospital" for all sorts of reasons. I'll point out that this woman was not employed outside the home; she had some foster children and received compensation for caring for them. I suspect this funding had been reduced (or possibly stopped) for unknown reasons.

Short story...the tenancy ended badly. Lots of promises to pay that dragged on and on. My county is doing evictions for non-payment but the process was much slower than usual. Took me three months to get her out of there. I learned later that her power and gas had been shut off for nonpayment and before the water company locked out the meter she owed them over $400.