Shower Mold-PITA Tenant

I have a tenant who is nearing the end of his shelf life. He's been in the unit for 4 years and is starting to be a PITA complaining about little things here and there. He sent me a picture this week of mold and mildew in his shower ceiling along with this text:

Tenant: " It's looks like there is black mold in our shower. My wife has had several hospitalizations for pneumonia and other abnormal symptoms, which we did look up and it can be caused by black mold, we've both felt sick inside the house but outside the house we feel fine. We need this checked out as soon as possible because if it is mold it's very dangerous to our health especially since my wife already has a serious medical condition"

Me: "The mold in the ceiling is common for showers due to the dampness and humidity from showering. Here's what you need to do: 1) Buy some mold and mildew remover and clean it off. 2) After taking showers, either open the window or run the exhaust for a few minutes. Also, a small fan to circulate the air will help. This will remove the dampness that rises to the ceiling."

Tenant: "Honestly when it comes to the mold, I don't feel comfortable doing any of that. We’ve gotten sick several times and wouldn’t like to handle it myself"

Here's where I'm at: 1) Tell him I'll hire someone to clean it and charge him since this is basic housekeeping. or 2) Just terminate the m2m rental. I don't like the sick BS and not wanting to clean. As I said, recently, they've been a PITA anyway and I feel it's time.

What do you think?. --23.28.x.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Peacegarden [ND]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 4:52 PM
Message:

Whenever tenants start trying to tell me what I need to do or how I need to run my business. Very shortly they are not my tenants anymore.

Give a 30-day notice and non-renewal and be done with them. If you don't the next thing you know they'll be trying to sue you for mold --172.56.xx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by GKARL [PA]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 5:19 PM
Message:

Peace, that's were I'm at. I had the nonrenew drafted already. I just wanted to see what folks here thought. --23.28.x.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Tim [CA]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 5:24 PM
Message:

I've had a problem a few times where the tenant created mold by turning the bathroom into a sauna by running the shower hot and not turning on the fan.

I solved the issue by changing the fan switch to a humidistat switch - it'll turn the fan on if the humidity is too high. --98.255.xx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by NE [PA]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 5:43 PM
Message:

Don’t ever call it mold, always call it mildew. Perfect time to let them out of the lease so you can remidiate. --24.152.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 6:06 PM
Message:

send them down the road,they arent happy there so no reason to make someone stay that wants to go. nothing you can do to convince them they created there own problem --98.98.xx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by mapleaf18 [NY]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 7:11 PM
Message:

Be advised, especially in "tenant friendly" areas that there are "Mold Attorneys" that troll the waters for mold cases so that they'll settle with their insurance companies. --64.246.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Paulio [PA]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 8:22 PM
Message:

I've told a tenant if they are truly concerned, they can leave within 10 days without any penalty whatsoever and will owe nothing more. However, if they choose to stay, then the lease will continue under the same terms and conditions and they will be responsible for cleaning any mildew. They stayed and I never heard about it again. --50.32.xx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Robin [WI]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 9:36 PM
Message:

You have the right idea. Anyone who isn't "comfortable" with removing mildew from a bathroom needs to find someone else's house to destroy. --65.25.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Robin [WI]) Posted on: Apr 7, 2026 9:43 PM
Message:

You have the right idea. Anyone who isn't "comfortable" with removing mildew from a bathroom needs to find someone else's house to destroy. --65.25.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by JS [CA]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 12:49 AM
Message:

Do you have a mold addendum?

I give that and a disclosure about mold to every tenant. They must accept and sign and agree to hold me harmless.

They can’t say they don’t know how to deal with it once we go over that. --162.204.xxx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by RB [TN]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 6:07 AM
Message:

Next ! --204.10.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by mapleaf18 [NY]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 9:48 AM
Message:

Dennis Block has a great mold addendum that you can modify

for your circumstances. I make everyone sign off on it.

evict123.com --72.0.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by zero [IN]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 10:09 AM
Message:

My realtor always called it discoloration so as not to scare people with the terms mold or mildew.

I would get rid of them, but make sure you are not treating it as a punishment or they might try and find a shady attorney.

Maybe something like:

Dear tenants, while the discoloration in the bathroom should be covered under normal housekeeping goals we understand that you are not comfortable in dealing with the issue. We are hereby giving you notice that we will not be renewing your MTM lease. You have 30 days to find new housing. Once you are gone we will have the bathroom ceiling cleaned and ready for the next tenant.

Obviously worded a little more professionally. You could just include all the crap they have been pulling instead of being nice like. --47.227.xx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by PG [SC]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 10:56 AM
Message:

I would go to the house investigate and take pictures of what the Tenant claims is Mold - as you said it is probably Mildew due to poor bathroom moisture control and or poor housekeeping. Also check the rest of the house for poor housekeeping - take pictures and take someone with you. Assume the tenant has contacted an Attorney. Gather your evidence before the tenant/Attorney does.

After that consider lease termination. --172.74.xxx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by GKARL [PA]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 5:47 PM
Message:

I hit them with a non-renewal and got this response:

" What?!? Why? Are we bad tenants? What's the reason for this termination?It's going to be tough to find a place in 30 days. Especially in this economy. We pay on time we have never missed a payment? And we have not given any issues at all 30 days is not enough of a notice in this economy? To just decide not to renew our lease when we have been faithful on time tenants with giving no issues for 4 years is surprising and very upsetting"

I had them call me to go over the "facts of life". We're good now and they got a reprieve. --23.28.x.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Jason [VA]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 6:31 PM
Message:

I’d be concerned about a retaliation suit --172.58.xxx.x

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by JS [CA]) Posted on: Apr 8, 2026 11:45 PM
Message:

Your reason can be anything you want it to be. I would probably have given a longer notice.

I’ve decided to sell and will be remodeling. My kid is moving back. My in-laws need a place. Nobody knows what happens later. --162.204.xxx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Hoosier [IN]) Posted on: Apr 9, 2026 1:33 AM
Message:

We had a mold addendum as part of our lease…tenant had to sign it. It spelled out duties of each party and stated that mold is a natural substance that exists and cannot be completely eliminated. It was a full page addendum and would have addressed what you are facing. Create your own addendum for the future. --64.38.xxx.xxx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Danno [IL]) Posted on: Apr 9, 2026 1:59 AM
Message:

I have a tenant who has been with me three years. Around a window stop, he pointed towards a white powdery substance that he claimed it was mold. He then brought in some online fly-by-night service, who told me it was mold, and would charge me $1,800.00 to tear out 6 " perimeter of plaster wall surface surrounding the entire circumference of the window opening towards getting at and to remove the alleged mold. I steadfastly refused to pay this ridiculous sum, and sent him away. My own research and with an attorney first told me that we were in fact dealing with efflorescence, not mold (there was an efflorescence field on the exterior brick - just above that window opening. That formation was immediately remedied. I also found out there was no local or state laws dealing with mold standards, so I cleaned out & encapsulated the narrow gap where the efflorescence had accumulated, then told the tenant the situation was resolved & no longer an issue. The issue then went away. --174.239.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Mapleaf18 [NY]) Posted on: Apr 9, 2026 6:07 AM
Message:

On my prescreener any mention of "black mold" under "why are you moving" is an auto DQ. --64.246.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by Mapleaf18 [NY]) Posted on: Apr 9, 2026 6:08 AM
Message:

On my prescreener any mention of "black mold" under "why are you moving" is an auto DQ. --64.246.xxx.xx

Shower Mold-PITA Tenant (by zero [IN]) Posted on: Apr 9, 2026 9:45 AM
Message:

GKARL, so you basically did a modifies happy clause?

Letting them know that they are crossing the line can be a real eye opener for some.

Congrats and hopefully it sticks with them. --47.227.xx.xxx

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