kgorbet
Oct 27, 2009, 05:11 AM
Let me give just a little back story before I ask my question. I moved into an apartment recently... sept 12. These are rent controlled apartments. You can only make a certain income to live here. When we moved in we say that there was mold almost covering the wall in the closet with the hot water tank. We notified them immediately that something had to be done about it because you could smell the mold and my a/c heating unit is in the same closet. They never sent somebody up until we contact the hired contractors on the premises that were replacing hot water tanks and they said they would be in to fix the problem. They came in put up some sheet rock and replaced the hot water tank. We could still smell the mold but the sheet rock look OK.
About two weeks later I had water coming from the ceiling in the closet with the hot water tank. We had another maintenance man come in and I told him I suspected that the previous men hadn't taken out the molded sheet rock that was there before. Come to find out they didn't. This maintanence man took out the sheet rock that had gotten wet, painted over what he could reach of the original molded sheet rock, and replaced what he had taken out. But the problem is you can still smell the mold and that has been about a week. Also the ceiling is sagging in th hall in front of the hot water closet.
Now last night there was another leek from the apartment upstairs. It was out of the laundry room and now the ceiling is noticablly wet in the laundry room but the bigger problem was the hall bath. There is water damage to the ceiling in that room. This time they just came and sucked the water out of the carpet and sprayed it with enzyme. Last time they actually took out the pad and sprayed the floor with enzyme.
My question is this... First, doesn't the apartment have to follow some housing authority guidelines for mold in apartments as these ones are rent controlled? Second, do I have a right to contact the local housing authority and file a complaint? Third, is it neglegence on their behalf if the mold problem was pre-existing and they haven't taken care of the problem fully?
About two weeks later I had water coming from the ceiling in the closet with the hot water tank. We had another maintenance man come in and I told him I suspected that the previous men hadn't taken out the molded sheet rock that was there before. Come to find out they didn't. This maintanence man took out the sheet rock that had gotten wet, painted over what he could reach of the original molded sheet rock, and replaced what he had taken out. But the problem is you can still smell the mold and that has been about a week. Also the ceiling is sagging in th hall in front of the hot water closet.
Now last night there was another leek from the apartment upstairs. It was out of the laundry room and now the ceiling is noticablly wet in the laundry room but the bigger problem was the hall bath. There is water damage to the ceiling in that room. This time they just came and sucked the water out of the carpet and sprayed it with enzyme. Last time they actually took out the pad and sprayed the floor with enzyme.
My question is this... First, doesn't the apartment have to follow some housing authority guidelines for mold in apartments as these ones are rent controlled? Second, do I have a right to contact the local housing authority and file a complaint? Third, is it neglegence on their behalf if the mold problem was pre-existing and they haven't taken care of the problem fully?