Landlords Not Taking Mould Seriously
Importance Of Knowing Mould – What Landlords Need To Do
Landlords and Mould – Mould is everywhere if a professional Mould testing expert were to test your property today. They will most likely find active Mould spores. Saying that there are obviously different levels of spores counts in different properties. This article will go over what we have discovered when it comes to the landlord-tenant relationship and Mould.
In many instances’ tenants are having a hard time with landlords. Get the message across when it comes to Mould related issues. Mould whether you know it or not can be dangerous to our health. There are many stories where people have fallen ill to Mould and have not even realised the cause of their illness.
Stories About Mould in Homes
Tenants sometimes with these issues are living with the situation because of the fear of being evicted. They may not beware exactly what they are dealing with. Chris Wood of Mould and More in Perth says, “It can become a serious situation when a person is living with Mould and feeling they cannot address the situation properly”.
He stated that in one instance a Lady living in an apartment had Mould spores invading the back of the fixed wall bedhead. Unknowingly sleeping next to dangerous spores every night of the week. This, in turn, was making her quite ill, and when cases like this arise there is no choice but to contact an expert to deal with the issue in full protective attire.
The procedure is to first inspect, investigate and look for visible mould and in some cases there may not be visible mould to ceilings or walls, but there could be an odour present again giving signs of Mould being present.
The bedhead was a fixed wall-mounted bedhead this was removed from the wall and the wall was covered in black mould. Even the room was isolated. Which it was divided with plastic sheeting, the bedhead board wrapped in plastic sheeting and sealed. Mould was removed and treated.
All walls, ceiling beds and furniture were also treated to mould, to make for a safer indoor environment.
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What Happened Next?
According to Mould Removal Sydney, there are cases where people have had to completely move out due to health issues. Other cases where landlords have unknowingly or knowingly leased out properties infested with Mould & spores.
There are a lot of cases where landlords have leased properties containing Mould which led to a tenant becoming ill. Landlords need to save on costs which are understandable. However, they may not fully understand the implications of illnesses from Mould.
There is a general feeling that a bottle of exit Mould will solve the issue. For light Mould invasions, for example in the bathroom, this may be an effective measure. However, when Mould is unchecked or unseen. This is when you are going to have problems. People sometimes can smell Mould sometimes but not see it.
Who & What Does Mould Affect?
When it comes to the landlord-tenant relationship and Mould. Like many other things and problems in society, it will affect the vulnerable.
Tenants renting on low budgets may feel they cannot state a case due to financial issues and the fear of being kicked out if they complain about what is going on. Tenants living in public housing may also face brick walls with Mould related issues.
Mould spores affect our health. This means we are all at risk, especially people with respiratory issues and people with low immunity. The elderly and very young.
What Is The Situation?
These situations are not only dangerous to our health. Possessions can become damaged as well. Even if the tenant was to move out, they could be moving mould affected items This means financially the problem can affect tenants. Speaking to Jon Healy of Pride Removals WA. He stated “if someone’s belongings are affected by Mould we cannot transfer their possessions from A to B” “the risk to ourselves and the risk of Mould spores being transferred is too great and simply not worth it”
Where Does Mould Grow & When?
The organisms love damp or humid conditions. This is the reason you may find Mould growing on ceilings, walls and sub-floors, shoes clothing carpets etc. These are places that are out of sight and therefore out of mind. Once a house or apartment is prone to water intrusion, this is going to be the start of the issue. If landlords kept this in mind, instances of issues would drop dramatically. For example, there is plenty of rain and dwellings with no open ventilation. The situation becomes ripe for spores to burst into life.
Airconditioning Systems and Mould
Experts have stated that it is a fact that ducted air conditioning systems that are not regularly maintained. Will clog up with dust and Mould. This frightening piece of information means that Mould spores will be being spread throughout an enclosed space. Most homes and workplaces in Australia have an aircon system. The question is how many are being well maintained? The damage some air conditioning systems are doing is maybe another question they should be looking into. The fact is an aircon system is a perfect home for Mould.
Some Office Statistics on Air Quality Concerns
70% of Australian office workers were worried about the effect of poor air quality. The after effects of the overview additionally appeared:
68% of office Australian workers experience slips by in focus on a month to month or progressively visit premise
More than 66% (67%) of beneficiaries revealed experiencing weariness while at work on a month to month or increasingly visit premise
Over half (54%) of office specialists reviewed experience diminished profitability on a month to month or increasingly visit premise
Over a third (41%) of individuals experience watery or bothered eyes when in the workplace on a month to month or increasingly visit premise
Australian Parliament Inquiry into Mould
A government inquiry into Mould in 2018 heard stories of the dangerous effects of Mould. The inquiry was extremely detailed and went over many factors of Mould related issues. To mention some of the things that were covered were the possible issues and social impact of people suffering from living with the fungi.
Each state of Australia was looked over and there were various reported health impacts. One common thread was the increase in asthma. Asthma has and does kill in some instances. Other effects were general coughing and sneezing. This makes perfect sense to Mould experts as people’s bodies will be attempting to expel the spores. The findings were that every state in Australia had reported similar to the next with varying degrees.
Building Practices & Dampness
Dampness in general mainly needs to be looked into to see the links between asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
More conclusions found that building practices when it comes to dampness. There is little comprehension of the effects later as the building ages. Older buildings have the most issues and new apartments with little ventilation.
The lack of education has meant that building practices are not changing at this level. Construction is moving forward and continuing with the same practices. When a lack of ventilation is allowed to manifest, the natural result is Mould. Buildings that run AirCon 24/7 are also high list to have Mould related issues.
When it comes to condensation and best building practices worldwide. Australia was way behind in technology. Ireland and Canada were the best. The UK, USA and New Zealand were all ahead of Australia.
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Parliamentary Inquiry Conclusions on Mould
The committee stressed they were concerned with some of the cases involving tenants and landlords. Emphasis needs to be put on the information given to tenants regarding any Mould or water damage prior to the tenant moving into the property. This way all parties can make an informed decision.
What to Do if You Have a Mould Related Issue
If you believe you have a Mould related issue there is no doubt you should contact a professional. The property should be tested and then remediated. For tenants, contact your landlord or real estate agent. For property owners who are in charge of property maintenance, strata management or in charge of a business with landlord and mould related issues.
We have listed some professionals you can contact below.
Perth – Mould N More
Sydney – Mould Removals Sydney
We hope you have found this article informative, please see below some newsworthy stories of people and their encounters with mould.
Hey Chris really loved the article, keep it up
[…] importantly our health. The Australian parliament recently has had an inquiry into Mould and the relationship between tenant and landlords. Their conclusion brought the realization that Mould treatments and exposure need more […]