eChipmunks

Black Mold In Rental Home!!?

We had Orkin Pest Control come out to our rental home and inspect to tell us how much money it would cost for them to come out and rid us of our bug problem. The inspector is licensed through the state and legally has to tell us any problems he may find. He found black mold in the crawl space under our home and also in the attic. crawl space has 2 vents and he said we need 4 more installed. He sunk down into the mud of our crawl space which was very wet/damp no standing water though. He found camel crickets/spiders by the thousands. he said they covered the walls. his meter reader for humidity read 90% through the entire crawl space and it should have been 18% My husband and I live here with our son, 3 dogs, 1 cat and we also have a room-mate that has 3 children of his own who already have bad allergies. We have all been constantly sick since moving in..even my dogs have been very sick!! Our symptoms have been: diarrhea constant sneezing hard to breathe extreme migraines He said the vents that are in our bathroom that go into the attic do not have a place to get outside, so we are venting our bathroom humidity into the attic with nowhere for it to go. We talk to our landlord tomorrow and we are almost positive he will not spend the $3,000.00 that was quoted to fix this problem!! half of the house has windows you cannot open for air, they are picture windows that dont open. My questions are: Can this Black Mold harm us and our animals? What should we do if he wont fix the problem? (we know he had a similar situation recently in this same home, he had told us the mold problem was fixed, the people that lived here before us were very sick and had to move) we trusted him and thought it was ok. What do we do now? are there any laws in Michigan for this type of mold problem? the Orkin man said it was in stages 3 and 4 and it was BAD. PLEASE help!!!!!! Our symptoms have been: diarrhea constant sneezing hard to breathe extreme migraines soar throats coughing sluggish/overly tired stomach pain He also said there was a large amount of mold along the whole peak of the roof. Yes the room-mate is on the lease. We have no secrets from the landlord he was here recently and had to repair our roof, it was leaking through the light in our laundry room.

Public Comments

1. its the mold causing sickness, i dont think you can get rid of it, look in phonebook or ask around you would be better off staying somewhere else before you or family gets sicker..your lanlord should pay to remove the mold you shouldnt have to pay here is a website i just found minutemantool.com try there it may tell you more about removing black mold if lanlord aint gonna fix then YOU NEED TO MOVE the mold isnt something to take lightly it will do more harm to you and your pets
2. You might find help with the local Legal Aid office, who can advise you on your tenant rights under local law. I hope the roommate is on the lease, though- before you start anything. If you are in violation of your rental agreement, you could find yourself in trouble as well. To be honest, if the house is in that bad shape, and previous tenants left because of it, you may have a case to break the agreement. Personally, I would move because even if they do install the vents, you will still have a housefull of mold spores left to deal with. They will be in carpeting and all through the house. No doubt you would have respiratory problems, all of you. The diarrhea is not likely due to the mold, but other things could well be. I really think you ought to just find another place to live. Even if you did force the landlord to make the changes, it will take a while for the legal process and meantime you'd still be living in mold soup.
3. look over your lease it may say it is not his responsbility otherwise it is. you can go to hud & put your rent in an account that will mean you are paying rent but he will not recive it till he fixes the problem. http://www.hud.gov/renting/index.cfm
4. Move out now or else you all are in jeopardy of chronic upper respiratory problems and worse. If the landlord will not pay to fix the problem and to set you up in a hotel while it is being fixed, you need to move. Make sure you read over your rental contract to see if there is anything in it (in regards to black mold, etc.)-make sure your read it word for word. Bleach is the only thing that kills SURFACE black mold, it can also spread to the inside walls, wood, vents, etc. It will have to be cleaned out by a professional! Please do not take any chances regarding your families health, it is not worth it. Contact the city officials to see if there are laws, guidelines, more info. you can receive on this. I wish you and everyone the best of luck. Black mold is extremely dangerous and will not go away on its own! Please do what you know in your gut is right for you and your loved ones!
5. Black Mold Stachybotrys is a genus of molds, or asexually-reproducing, filamentous fungi. Closely related to the genus Memnoniella,[1][2] most Stachybotrys species inhabit materials rich in cellulose. The most infamous species, S. chartarum (also known as S. atra) is known as "black mold" or "toxic black mold," and is frequently associated with poor indoor air quality that arises after fungal growth on water-damaged building materials.[3] It is known to produce trichothecene mycotoxins including satratoxins. Symptoms of Stachybotrys exposure in humans Exposure to the mycotoxins present in Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotrys atra can have a wide range of effects. Depending on the length of exposure and volume of spores inhaled or ingested, symptoms can manifest as chronic fatigue or headaches, fever, irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, sneezing, rashes, and chronic coughing. In severe cases of exposure or cases exacerbated by allergic reaction, symptoms can be extreme including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding in the lungs and nose If he wont fix the problems either consider moving or take your complaint to your local municapal government (City Hall). If the place is that bad maybe they will threaten to condemn it as being unsuitable for human habitation. Good Luck and have a nice day.
6. Hi Thesel, I walked out of my home and left everything behind. Clothes, furniture, beds, couches, cabinets, everything!!! I lost everything. But i would of paid 1million to have left everything behind sooner. Atleast i would of had my health. THIS IS YOUR 1 MILLION DOLLAR WARNING!! get out now, dont wait for your landlord or city or cops or lawyers or no one!!! you and your family and roommate and pets are in grave danger. Stachybotrys once it gets into your body starts killing whatever it touches. Lung tissue, brain tissue, liver, kidney whatever. Respiratory complications, extreme headaches, malaise, extreme fatigue and loss of concentration are this first signs of toxic mold exposure. The headahces are caused from your brain swelling from the toxic mold getting to your brain. You need to find some doctors immediately to presribe some anti-fungal meds. Sorry to scare you but im trying to save you from the hell that i have been through. Get out today!!!!! Please do not let your landlord rent this place out again without total renovation addressing the mold issues. God Bless