A mold allergy can come out of nowhere, and you may have never experienced allergies to mold prior. The symptoms can vary too: some people affected by sensitivity to mold may find themselves with symptoms that are similar to those of seasonal allergies, like watery eyes, runny noses and an itchy throat. In other cases, throat irritation or a noticeable swelling in the throat might occur.
A sudden change in behaviour or lifestyle can make the allergies more severe. For example, installing air conditioning and closing up the windows of an apartment removes the incoming fresh air and causes allergies to worsen.
If you spend more time at home, you might also notice the symptoms affect you more than anyone else living there. A doctor can help you determine if your symptoms are caused by an allergy, upon which they can refer you to an allergist.
Even if you end up feeling better, a visit to an allergist can provide tenants with the ammunition they need to get their property management or landlord to take action. Unfortunately, most renter’s and homeowner’s insurance does not cover mold, on purpose.
Mold is a maintenance issue, not an unforeseen event like a fire, burst pipe or home invasion. It is not your responsibility as a tenant to pay for the mold inspection or removal. However, it is the tenant’s responsibility to ensure something is done about the mold problem if they intend to take action.
Your first step as a tenant is to notify the landlord or property management, who will then hire a mold inspection company. If the landlord refuses to do so, a tenant can hire their own mold inspector and demand that cost comes of their rent payments.
Document everything that is sent to the landlord in writing, as well as photographs of the mold if it’s visible. If the landlord still refuses to budge, you may be able to sue to get out of your lease and pay for any costs incurred if you paid for the inspection yourself.
In many cases, superintendents may attempt to do the repairs themselves. This is not adequate at all when it comes to removing a mold infestation in an apartment, and professional help is needed. The superintendents will rarely if ever have the proper containment and removal equipment to deal with the problem thoroughly and effectively.