Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Other Law (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190)
-   -   I think mold is growing and the landlord won't do nothing what should I do? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=122647)

  • Aug 24, 2007, 07:49 PM
    mannyswifey86
    I think mold is growing and the landlord won't do nothing what should I do?
    Sorry but I'm new to this asking people for help. But I really need some help. Me, my boyfriend, our almost 14 month old son and our dog live in this apartment. About the time when I was almost 8 months pregnant with our son our celing began too leak. We informed the landlord about it and he said he was going to have someone come and look at it. Now my son is almost 14 months old and walking putting things in his mouth and the celing is still leaking and now pieces are coming down and leaking even worse we don't know what to do but the is something growing on it and I think it may be mold. But we don't have any money for nothing cause we have a young child and I don't want nothing to happened to my son so I need some advice someone please help me?! 1
  • Aug 24, 2007, 07:53 PM
    GlindaofOz
    I would send a certified registered letter to your landlord requesting for the repairs to be made immediately. The apartment is possibly in non-livable conditions which in effect voids your lease. I would notify your landlord that you will be withholding rent until the repairs are made. You will have to hold the rent in escrow until the dispute is settle and at that time you will pay the back owed rent. If they do not fix it I would file a complaint with the housing dept in your area. I would file a complaint every day that the problem is not fixed.
  • Aug 24, 2007, 09:13 PM
    jillianleab
    Send a registered letter and give your landlord a few days (maybe three) to come fix it. If he doesn't, call the county health inspector. They will come out, inspect the area, determine if it violates county codes or if it is mold, and will notify the landlord. At that point, the landlord will have a certain period to fix it, or he will be fined by the county. Or you could skip sending him a letter since he already knows about the problem and call the county right away.

    I base this off my personal experience when a tenant called the county to report mold that I swear she took from the shower and spread on the wall in the utility room (she was vengeful and nasty, I'm not saying you are!). It may not work the same way in your county, but all it will take to find out is a quick phone call.

    You might be well advised to do an internet search for your state's landlord tenant agreement and become familiar with your rights as a renter. There are some vengeful and nasty landlords out there as well - you want to protect yourself and your family!
  • Aug 25, 2007, 06:31 AM
    excon
    Hello wife:

    You should review your states landlord tenant laws which can be found on this forum on a sticky note. SOME states allow you to hold back rent. Others do not. If you live in a state that DOESN'T allow it, and you do it, you'll be evicted and the mold will grow on.

    excon
  • Aug 25, 2007, 07:06 AM
    JoeCanada76
    If they do nothing about it. There should be laws, health inspectors, building by law inspectors that actually can be brought into the situation. Do not let up and do not give up it might be a struggle to get anyone to check things out but eventually if nothing happens then you have to take matters in your own hands and actually get involved the right people to force your landlord to fix the problem.

    Joe
  • Aug 25, 2007, 09:34 AM
    froggy7
    Wait a minute. You say this started when you were 8 months pregnant, and the kid is now 14 months old. So the ceiling has been leaking for over a year, and the landlord hasn't done anything about it? Seriously, if that's the case, you need to move. Sure, you may be able to apply some pressure and get this problem fixed, but any landlord willing to ignore a leak for a year is not someone you want to be renting from. Actually, I'm kind of surprised that you didn't move out when the lease expired, since that would be the only thing keeping me there. And please tell me that you haven't signed another lease with the landlord. A month-to-month tenancy is easy to get out of, an actual lease would be harder.
  • May 5, 2009, 07:03 AM
    cdj-maintenance

    You never said what the source of the leak was , do you have someone above you are does your apt connect to the roof ? The first thing Iwould do find out what's causing the mold, then go from there.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:50 AM.