How To Get Rid of Apartment Mold

9/5/2020 (Permalink)

Apartment mold in Santa Ana, CA

Steps To Take When Tenants Tell You They Have A Mold Problem

When you own rental property in Santa Ana, CA, you may occasionally get reports of mold growth in an apartment. If you have a fungus problem, mold cleanup experts can help get rid of the offending patches and get your building back to normal. Here are the first few steps you should take if tenants tell you they have a mold problem.

Get a Professional Test
Before you rush in to start cleaning or arranging for remediation, you want to make sure that mold is actually the problem. A test from a certified environmental hygienist performs several tests:

• Air test for concentration of mold spores
  
• Surface test to determine substance in growth
  
• Lab test to discover specific type of mold
  
  

Some property owners will try to use a home test they buy at the hardware store to determine if they have a mold problem. These tests will likely indicate that mold is present but they won't give you any of the vital information you need to address it properly.

Find the Source
Mold spores may be everywhere, but they need certain conditions to clump together and grow. The mold cleanup process includes locating the problem that led to the mold growth. It makes sense to fix the catalyst issue before starting mold remediation. Otherwise, the fungus problem is likely to return in a couple of days.

Ask for an Estimate
As a landlord, you are required to provide a habitable living space for your tenants, and quick remediation is the key to doing so. If the mold contamination was caused by a water loss covered by your insurance, your policy will likely cover the cost of mold mitigation, too. Make sure that the cleanup company includes it in the overall estimate for repairs. This can help you when filing your mold claim.
Quick mold cleanup protects both your building and your tenants' personal property. If you suspect you have mold, following these steps is a good way to handle the problem responsibly.