Facts About Mold

Prevention of Moisture/Mold in Residential Housing

It is our goal to maintain a quality living environment for our residents. To help achieve this goal, it is important to work together to minimize any mold growth in your apartment. Molds are microscopic organisms that reproduce by spores and have existed practically from the beginning of time. All of us have lived with mold spores all our lives. Without molds we would all be struggling with large amounts of dead organic matter. Mold spores spread through the air and are commonly transported by shoes, clothing and other materials. When excess moisture is present inside an apartment, mold can grow. There is conflicting scientific evidence as to what constitutes a sufficient accumulation of mold which could lead to adverse health effects. Nonetheless, appropriate precautions need to be taken.

PREVENTING MOLD BEGINS WITH YOU. In order to minimize the potential for mold growth in your apartment, please observe the following guidelines:

  • Keep your apartment clean – particularly the kitchen, the bathroom(s), carpets and floors. Regular vacuuming, mopping and using a household cleaner to clean hard surfaces is important to remove the household dirt and debris that harbor mold or food for mold.
  • Remove visible moisture accumulation on floors, windows, walls, ceilings and other surfaces as soon as reasonably possible. Be attentive to leaks in washing machine hoses and discharge lines – especially if the leak was large enough for a lot of water to penetrate nearby walls. Also, it is recommended that you leave the bathroom door open to allow moisture to escape, and be sure the floor mats and towels are hung up so they may dry out.
  • Promptly notify us in writing about any air conditioning or heating system problems you discover. Humidity that is trapped in your apartment may encourage mold growth. You may want to periodically open your windows on days when the outdoor weather is dry (i.e., humidity is below 50 percent) to help humid areas of your apartment dry out. Be sure you close them before leaving and at night for precautionary measures.
  • Promptly notify us in writing about any signs of water leaks or water penetration. One of our representatives or service personnel will come to your apartment home, evaluate the situation and take appropriate action as necessary.

Common indications of mold growth include musty odors, peeling wall coverings or paint, pink or purple areas on wallpaper, and blistering on plaster walls. Common symptoms of mold exposure include headaches, chest tightness and wheezing, gastrointestinal problems, fever, infection, and muscle aches.

IN ORDER TO AVOID MOLD GROWTH, it is important to prevent excessive moisture buildup in your apartment. Failure to promptly pay attention to leaks and moisture that might accumulate on apartment surfaces or that might get inside walls or ceilings can encourage mold growth. Prolonged moisture can result from a wide variety of sources, such as:

  • rainwater leaking from roofs, around windows, and doors;
  • overflows from showers, bathtubs, toilets, lavatories, sinks, washing machines, dehumidifiers, refrigerator or a/c drip pans or clogged condensation lines;
  • leaks from plumbing lines or fixtures and leaks into walls from bad or missing grouting/caulking around showers, tubs or sinks;
  • washing machine hose leaks, plant watering overflows, pet urine, cooking spills, beverage spills and steam from excessive open-pot cooking;
  • leaks from clothes dryer discharge vents (which can put lots of moisture into the air); and
  • insufficient drying of carpets, carpet pads, shower walls and bathroom floors.

IF SMALL AREAS OF MOLD HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED ON NON-POROUS SURFACES (such as ceramic tile, formica, vinyl flooring, metal, wood or plastic), the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you first clean the areas with soap (or detergent) and water, let the surface dry, and then within 24 hours apply a pre-mixed, spray-on-type household biocide, such as Lysol Disinfectant, Tilex Mildew Remover or Clorox Cleanup. (Note: Only a few of the common household cleaners will actually kill mold.) Be sure to follow the instructions on the container. Never mix ammonia with bleach.

Always treat an area 5 or 6 times larger than any visible mold because mold may be adjacent in small quantities that are not yet visible to the naked eye. A vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used to help remove non-visible mold products from porous items such as fibers in sofas, chairs, drapes and carpets – provided the fibers are completely dry. Washing and dry cleaning will remove mold from clothes.

DO NOT CLEAN OR APPLY BIOCIDES TO: (1) visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheetrock walls or ceilings, or (2) large areas of visible mold on non-porous surfaces. Instead, notify us in writing, and we will investigate and take appropriate action for you.

COMPLIANCE. Complying with the above will help prevent mold growth in your apartment, and both you and we will be able to respond correctly if problems develop that could lead to mold growth. IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE GUIDELINES, you can be held responsible for property damage to the apartment and any health problems that may result. Specifically, you realize that by living in the apartment you are the in the best position to detect the presence of any leaks, mold or mildew growth, or the accumulation of any water in your apartment and that we are relying upon you promptly notify us of any of these problems so we may take action. In addition, you agree to take the above measures and any other common sense measure to prevent the accumulation of water until we are able to assess and correct the problem areas.