Illinois Tenant Rights with Mold

When renting an apartment, home, duplex, or trailer, Illinois tenants must worry about a multitude of potential problems with the property. Are the neighbors noisy? Does the water heater work? What is the policy regarding satellite dishes? In addition to the applications, policies, and deposits, potential renters should also take time to consider the existence of water damage and mold, mildew, and fungi in their residence. As a renter in Illinois, you do have legal rights when it comes to detecting and removing problematic mold growth in your home. Knowing how to deal with landlords about mold can help you keep yourself and your family free from some of the dangerous ramifications of toxic mold exposure.

Research on the effects of mold exposure have shown that breathing mold spores—the tiny, invisible airborne particles of mold—can cause severe health problems. Mold triggers asthma attacks and aggravates allergies. Some people report feeling as though they have the flu, complete with itchy, watery eyes, sore throat, general lethargy, and fever. Respiratory system complications are most common in children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or a history of respiratory problems. Although not all mold types are toxic, and some people are affected by mold more than others, any type of mold can be harmful to humans and animals under the right conditions.

Not only does mold impact the health of people and animals, but it can also compromise the structural integrity of the building in which it is growing. Mold is common in nature, serving the purpose of decomposing organic material, breaking down fallen leaves, trees, and dead animals. Once in your home, mold will do the same thing, decomposing windowsills, drywall, and furniture, which can cause costly property damage. Therefore, mold is not merely a personal health issue for tenants, but a serious concern for property owners and landlords as well. Failure to properly remove mold through professional remediation can result in added repair expenses after mold decomposes parts of an apartment or house.

Mold from Broken Washing Machine Hoses

This happens a lot and we see this more often.  When you buy a washing machine, even the fancy ones, they install them with inexpensive rubber hoses—those are the ones that break, as opposed to the $40 stainless-steel-wrapped hoses you can buy at Home Depot that almost never leak. 

If we come in right away after the leak is caught, we’ll vent the wall cavities, pull the base moldings off, drill holes and get air movement into the wall cavities to dry them.  If there’s a wood floor we may try to dry that too unless it’s already showing evidence of buckling and cupping. If mold has already set in, a full scale remediation would entail removing the flooring and base moldings, cutting the sheetrock walls up two feet around the perimeter of the room, then treating with our professional services. 

Reliable Tests for the Presence of Mold

Almost all of us already have two effective mold detectors: our eyes and our noses. If black or green discoloration is noticed that is fuzzy in appearance and is in a location that is damp or had been damp, it is almost certainly mold. If a building smells musty, there probably is mold somewhere; the mold may be on boxes stored in a basement or in walls or in the crawl space. If you want to find mold, look for the presence of water or a location where water was likely to have been. If there is still any question about whether the black stuff is mold, have a reliable laboratory examine the material. All you need to know is whether mold is seen when the material is examined under the microscope. 

An increasing number of companies are offering “air testing for mold.” On the surface this seems like a reasonable thing to do. The problem, however, is that the results of most air sampling for mold are meaningless for two reasons. Air sampling for mold was not developed to determine if an environment was safe or had a dangerous level of mold in the air. Air sampling was developed to help identify the location of a hidden reservoir of mold. If the source of mold is already identified, air sampling does not provide additional meaningful information. Furthermore, safe or toxic levels of air borne mold have not been established. An individual air sample for mold provides a “snapshot” of what was in the air during the few minutes of sampling. The results may not be indicative of the amount of mold that is in the air during most of the day.

Air sampling for mold should be done either to obtain an answer to a question that cannot be answered without the air sampling or to obtain data as part of a research project. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists do not recommend routine air testing for mold.

Pets and Mold

Pet owners must caution that both indoor mold and outdoor mold can negatively affect your pet. If you take your pet, such as your cat or dog, outdoors, beware that mold spores are plentiful during late fall. Concentrations of decaying matter, such as fallen leaves, are a haven for mold growth. In most of Florida (considered a hot spot for mold growth and allergens), especially in the Tampa Bay, residents tend to experience a long fall season with the absence of a true winter. Thus, the possibility of your pup running into mold-infested decaying matter is quite high. In addition, lawns that are not mowed can be a great hiding spot for mold spores.

How can you protect your pet from mold while outdoors? First off, talk to a veterinarian about managing your pet’s allergies. Ensure that your pet is not suffering from any other allergen or issue (food allergies often cause symptoms similar to mold-induced illness). Next, limit exposure and keep your pet indoors if possible. If you have a dog and must venture outside, keep to mowed lawns and packed dirt for potty time. During a walk, keep your furry friend on the sidewalk if possible. Finally, upon returning from a walk, brush your dog and bathe often. Just as much as fleas love to hide in your puppy’s coat, so do mold spores and other outdoor allergens. A good rule of thumb is to brush the dog upon returning from a walk and bathe weekly. In addition to taking these extra precautions for your pet, in general, homeowners can create a less mold-friendly environment by cleaning up decaying leaves as soon as possible. As well, mow the lawn as necessary.

Property Value and Mold

Like most property owners who have experienced some type of contamination such as mold, you have probably asked yourself some of the following questions: How will this issue affect my property value? Will my property value decrease due to the contamination? Do I really have to report an old mold problem that is now fixed?

Answering these questions is not a simple task since, in many cases, the answers depend on the buyer's perception of the condition. In addition, the extent or amount of contamination may also be a factor influencing the buyer's perception of a particular type of contamination.

When your property has been contaminated, the stigma is generally a negative factor and its impact on value often reflects that. The prices negotiated for contaminated real estate are often lower than prices offered for a non-contaminated property of the same standards and conditions.

Another mold-related aspect that may affect your property's value and marketability is the appraisal. Appraisers need to learn the topic of mold carefully to assure that their perception of mold contamination does not unfairly lead to a lowered appraisal.

Purchasing a Mold Infected Home

Never even think of purchasing a home that is infected with mold unless you receive a price reduction that will more than cover mold remediation by qualified professionals. Even then, ask the seller to pay an independent appraiser for a proper valuation of the home and to allow you to obtain quotes from mold remediation firms. Contact your insurance agent to make sure the home is insurable, and contact your mortgage agent to make sure you can get any necessary mortgage before you are able to move in.

If the perspective  home is infested with mold, contact a mold abatement specialist and have it cleaned thoroughly. Especially if you are ready to buy, have a plumber or other expert contractor deal with the source of the mold, which can be leaky pipes, old drywall, improperly waterproofed exterior structures or a combination of factors. Make sure to have all abatement procedures and repairs documented so that the seller can show you the buyer that any and all issues you may have had have been properly dealt with.

An Overview of Fungal Lung Infection

What is a fungal lung infection?

Fungal pneumonia is caused by overgrowth of the fungi in the lungs. Fungal lung infections are usually only seen in those with a poorly functioning immune system, such as those with AIDS. Fungi are plant-like organisms that do not make chlorophyll. Common examples include mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. Fungi are normally present on the skin. Examples of infections that are caused by fungi include histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, cryptococcal pneumonia, coccidioidomycosis, and aspergillosis.

What are the symptoms of a fungal lung infection?

Symptoms of a fungal lung infection depend on the underlying cause. Fungal lung infection can cause cough, fatigue, and fever. Other symptoms include joint pains, muscle aches, and loss of appetite. The fungus can spread from the lungs to the skin, where it causes a rash and forms ulcers.

How does the doctor treat a fungal lung infection?

Treatment for a fungal lung infection includes antifungal medications.