Does your landlord have to remove mold?

You have the right to a safe, healthy place to call home

Mold isn’t just ugly. It can be smelly, dangerous, damaging, and hint at a deeper problem in your building. That’s why it needs to be cleaned as soon as you notice it.

If you rent, you have a shared responsibility with your landlord to make sure your home is safe. That means you have to do your part by keeping the unit clean so that mold can’t grow. But when it shows up in the walls or on the ceiling, your landlord needs to step in so that it doesn’t get worse.

How do you get mold?

You can’t avoid mold spores. They are a normal part of nature. They can hitchhike into your home on clothing, shoes, and on your pets just like dirt and water. However, those spores won’t stay and grow into mold unless they find the right conditions.

Like people, mold spores need food, water, and a comfortable temperature to thrive. There’s not much you can do to keep mold’s food out of your apartment, since it prefers wood, paper, wall board, and insulation. Preventing mold requires trying to keep a space dry and clean to try and prevent spores from settling in.

What do you do if you find mold?

You want to get rid of mold as soon as you notice it. If not, it can lead to health problems, ruin your belongings, and damage your unit.

It’s your landlord’s responsibility to keep your unit safe. They should be concerned about mold on the floor, walls, and ceiling, because it can be a sign of a much larger issue like flooding, a damp basement, bad plumbing, or a leaky roof. The law requires landlords to fix the problem.

Sometimes mold grows because a space hasn’t been kept clean. If that’s the case, it can be important to get rid of the mold as soon as you notice it. If the mold is on a porous surface (things that absorb water), you need to throw that item out. Unfortunately, that includes clothing, bedding, and towels. In your landlord’s case, they would need to throw out ceiling tiles, plaster, or carpet where mold has grown. Mold can be cleaned off nonporous surfaces like plastic, glass, and metal by using soap and water, bleach, or special sprays.

Mold can be a sign of a deeper problem like a leaky roof, flooding, and bad plumbing. Your landlord needs to fix these issues and get rid of the mold. If not, it could be a serious health and safety hazard. If they don’t fix the issue, you may be able to take legal action against them.

If a landlord doesn’t get rid of the mold

It is your landlord’s responsibility to keep your unit safe. While mold can be a sign of a more serious issue with your building, it can also cause serious health problems.

Not all types of mold are dangerous to your health. Mold has brought us products like lifesaving penicillin and yummy blue cheese, after all. However, some types of mold can harm you. The more mold is in your apartment, the greater chance your body will react to it. 

Symptoms of exposure to dangerous mold can include sneezing, coughing, burning eyes, headaches, and runny noses. People who have been exposed to mold can develop asthma or a mold allergy. Infants, people with asthma, people with cancer, elderly people, and people who are allergic to mold are more at risk of being hurt by exposure to mold.

You may be able to sue your landlord if you get hurt or have medical bills because of mold they didn’t get rid of. It doesn’t matter if your lease says they’re not responsible. They legally are, and those clauses aren’t typically held up in court because they’re breaking the law by not clearing out the mold.

You can also contact your local health department. If your landlord tries to raise your rent and hasn’t fixed the mold, you can complain to your local fair rent commission. The commission may order your landlord to fix the mold. They may also step in to stop, delay, or phase in a rent increase.

You have the right to a safe apartment

You have a joint responsibility with your landlord to prevent mold. You can discourage mold spores from settling in by keeping your unit clean. But bigger issues like a leaky roof, bad plumbing, and high humidity aren’t your fault. It’s also not your responsibility to pay for or fix those problems.

Tell your landlord if there’s an issue as soon as you notice it. Mold can quickly become dangerous to your health and your home. Not only is it in your landlord’s best interest to avoid property damage, but it is also the law. You also may be able to take your landlord to court if they don’t fix the mold in your building.

Knowing your rights as a renter keeps you and your family safe and makes your landlord accountable to our communities and the law. Take our quiz to learn more.