September 30, 2024 • 31 mins
Yep. That’s right, this is an episode about mold. It may seem odd but, in several states, some pretty strict rules have passed regarding disclosures, cleanliness, responsibility, and remediation.
In this episode we are discussing all those things as well as what to do when a tenant reports that they have found mold in their unit.
It’s unfortunate that nearly all the research we combed through was written by lawyers with tips for tenants on what to look for and when it would be appropriate to file a claim against their landlord.
Because of that, we wanted to make sure all landlords were informed of the consequences of not taking mold seriously and tips on how to keep yourself out of the hot seat when it comes to mold.
LINKS
👉 Request the CAA mold addendum we use in our lease. Emails located further down in links.
👉 State mold rules and regulations: go to your state department of environmental protection or your state department of public health.
👉 For potential mold-related legislation, search: National Conference of State Legislatures' Environmental Health State Bill Tracking Database. Check the "Indoor Air Quality—Mold" box in the "Topics" column and check the box next to your state.
👉Episode 28: The Cash Reserves Blueprint: Protecting and Expanding Your Portfolio
👉 Episode 6: Creating Standard Operating Procedures for Your Rental Property Business
👉Mold: EPA’s Website
Connect with Us:
🌎 Visit our website
📧 Subscribe to our newsletter.
👆Click HERE for our FREE Landlord Forms and Doc’s
🤳Text Us: 650-489-4447. We love questions and love letters!
📩Email us at: Stacie@YourLandlordResource.com, Kevin@YourLandlordResource.com
➡️ Review the Podcast on Apple or on Spotify or YouTube
✔️Course Waitlist: From Marketing to Move In, Place Your Ideal Tenant
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stacie (00:00):
Most everything we found was written by lawyers, where
(00:03):
the writing was focused on thetenant's side of dealing with
mold issues.
You know, regarding theirrights.
And of course, those lawyers aremore than willing to help
tenants win a lawsuit should alandlord not take the report of
mold seriously.
And that my friends is thereason we're doing this podcast
today.
We want to make sure that youare all informed on the severity
(00:26):
of the subject and get someinsight on how to handle the
situation should you experiencean issue with mold in one of
your units.
Specifically, we are discussinglandlord liability,
responsibility, and prevention.
And prevention, not only in thetraditional sense of preventing
mold from occurring in the firstplace, but prevention by way of
(00:48):
mitigating risks through athoughtful, prepared lease, as
well as having solid operatingprocedures and rules and
criteria in place to protectyour rental property business.
Welcome to your landlordresource podcast many moons ago.
When I started as a landlord, Iwas as green as it gets.
(01:11):
I may have had my real estatelicense, but I lack confidence
in the hands on experienceneeded when it came to dealing
with tenants, leases,maintenance, and bookkeeping.
After many failed attempts, fastforward to today.
Kevin and I have doubled ourdoors and created an organized,
professionally operated rentalproperty business.
Want to go from overwhelmed toconfident?
(01:32):
If you're an ambitious landlordor maybe one in the making, join
us as we provide strategies andteach actionable steps to help
you reach your goals and thelifestyle you desire.
All while building a streamlinedand profitable rental property
business.
This is your landlord resourcepodcast.
(01:53):
Well, hello there, everyone.
You are listening to the YourLandlord Resource Podcast, and
I'm your host, Stacie Casella.
I'm sitting here with my cohost, Kevin Kilroy, who also is
my business partner and mypartner in life.
Kevin (02:08):
Hey there, everybody, and thanks for listening.
Stacie (02:11):
So today's subject is an important one.
I mean, everything we talk aboutis important, but this is one
that can be a real seriousproblem that can affect the
health of your tenants.
And that is toxic mold exposure.
Kevin (02:25):
Well, even the word mold can be intimidating, don't you
think?
Stacie (02:29):
Oh yeah, of course it is.
But there are a variety of moldsand they have different effects
on people.
And that is one of the things wewant to discuss here today.
That along with how to handlethings when a tenant reports
they found mold, what theirrights are, if indeed the mold
is toxic, and how to handle thesituation if it is found to be
(02:51):
of the tenant's negligence.
And additionally, we want totalk about as landlords, what
you need to be doing to coveryourself before the tenant even
moves in.
,Alright, the first thing I wantto say is that for landlords,
there's not a lot of informationout there on how you can 1),
prevent it from happening and2), how to handle it when a
(03:14):
tenant reports it.
When we were doing our researchfor the subject of mold, there
was only one article written onbehalf of landlords, and the
focus of that was around theirresponsibilities and the
potential health risks fortenants.
Most everything we found waswritten by lawyers, where the
writing was focused on thetenant's side of dealing with
(03:37):
mold issues.
You know, regarding theirrights.
And of course, those lawyers aremore than willing to help
tenants win a lawsuit should alandlord not take the report of
mold seriously.
And that my friends is thereason we're doing this podcast
today.
We want to make sure that youare all informed on the severity
(03:57):
of the subject and get someinsight on how to handle the
situation should you experiencean issue with mold in one of
your units.
Specifically, we are discussinglandlord liability,
responsibility, and prevention.
And prevention, not only in thetraditional sense of preventing
mold from occurring in the firstplace, but prevention by way of
(04:20):
mitigating risks through athoughtful, prepared lease, as
well as having solid operatingprocedures and rules and
criteria in place to protectyour rental property business.
Kevin (04:32):
Exactly, so let's get into it.
Let me start off by saying thatmold is considered an
environmental hazard and therehave been some monumental multi
million dollar lawsuits againstlandlords who have not handled
the reports of mold in theirrentals properly.
So, let's quickly go over thedifferent kinds of mold.
And, let me just clarify here.
(04:53):
We are talking about toxic mold,not mildew.
And, there is a differencebetween the two.
Where they are both types offungus, mildew is much easier to
deal with.
I mean both are known to grow inwarm, humid, and damp
environments.
Which is why you see moldcommonly in showers where there
is not adequate ventilation.
(05:14):
Mold can get into a structureand destroy it from the inside.
Mildew is a flattened, powderysubstance that mostly grows on
the surface of living things.
You know, like plants and trees.
It begins as white and thenturns a brown or gray color.
Mold is fuzzy in appearance andgrows on organic matter that
used to be living things, likesheetrock or paneling, wood
(05:38):
flooring, trim, and in atticsand on bathroom ceilings.
Basically, mold can grow on anyorganic surface in a home, and
given enough time, it can causematerials to rot and can destroy
the structural components ofwhatever it's growing on.
Toxic mold can have a grayish,like, soot like texture, or a
(05:59):
slimy, wet surface.
It may also have furry orange orbrown spots, but the real
difference is the smell.
You see, mold smells musty,which is actually the living
organism off gassing as itdigests what it is eating.
I mean, it's kind of weird andgross all at the same time.
Stacie (06:20):
Yeah, off gassing is a very nice way of doing
Kevin (06:22):
it.
Thank you.
Stacie (06:24):
You know, orange spots are what I have seen on the
ceiling in one of the kid'sbathrooms years ago.
Mostly because the house wasbuilt without exhaust fans and
the kids couldn't reach thewindow to open it.
So the moisture rises and sitson that surface, which in our
case is sheetrock.
And if I had to guess, thatwould be the case in most homes.
(06:44):
We did have black mold in acouple of spots in the bedrooms
as well, and that kind of reallyfreaked me out.
So for one room, it grew behinda shelving unit that backed up
to an outside wall.
And on the outside of that wall,we have wood siding, and the
water was getting in between theslats, creating moisture in
between the wall.
(07:04):
When we pushed the shelving unitup against that wall in the
exact spot where we had no ideathat water was getting in, we
created a situation where thatmoisture had no way to
dissipate.
Essentially, we're trapping itin.
The only reason we found outabout it was because we had to
grab something that had fallenbehind the shelving unit.
(07:26):
And boy, what a shock that was.
You see, if air was able tocirculate where that cabinet
was, the chance of mold is lesslikely.
But because the cabinet blockedair from moving behind there,
the moisture turned to mold andwe got a bunch of black spots on
the drywall.
A similar thing happened inanother bedroom where we had a
roof leak.
(07:46):
We have cathedral ceilings inthis particular room, and the
water was traveling down thebeams into the lowest corner of
the roof above the drywall.
And instead of the water comingthrough the drywall, we actually
had a bright uplight that stoodin that corner, which threw a
bunch of heat on the exactcorner where that water was
ending up.
So the heat from the lamp andthe cold outside basically
(08:10):
created a petri dish and moldstarted to grow.
And of course, we took care ofall these issues, but we want
you to know it doesn't take muchfor mold to grow, especially in
older homes that tend to needmore maintenance.
And the point is, even if youare the cleanest of people and
you feel that you stay on top ofpreventative maintenance, you
still can experience issues withmold.
(08:33):
And the mold we're discussingtoday is toxic mold and is
commonly found in humidenvironments.
So here are some signs you wantto look for.
Visible mold, such as on walls,ceilings, or floors, much like
the ones I just described fromour home.
You might also just smell amusty odor.
You might find mold where yousee water damage such as water
(08:55):
stains, discoloration, peelingor bubbled paint, warped floors,
or rotted wood.
So keep an eye out for damp ormoist materials including
condensation like you find onwindows or sometimes walls where
there's a leak on the back sideof it.
And in more severe cases, you oryour tenant might be
experiencing some healthsymptoms such as coughing and
(09:18):
sneezing or respiratory issues.
Kevin (09:20):
Yeah, I mean, let's hope it doesn't get to that point for
anyone.
So, you get the gist on mold.
It can vary in color andtexture, can smell, can grow
where you can't see it, and cancause pretty severe health
symptoms if it goes untreated.
So how do you prevent it?
All right, that's a tough one.
(09:41):
We can't tell you exactly how toprevent it from happening,
except that you need to bemaking sure you are doing
periodic inspections of yourrental properties to look for
evidence of water intrusion.
And guess what?
Part of that inspection meansyou're looking behind any
furniture that your tenantshave, especially if they are on
an outside wall.
A lot of water intrusion willhappen when the seal around a
(10:04):
window fails, or if the roof orgutters are leaking and the
water is getting in under theeaves, and then running down the
inside of the wall.
Occasionally you can experiencethis water intrusion on an
inside wall, especially ifthere's a bathroom or any water
source above that room.
But it does seem to be morecommon on outside walls,
especially where there are bigtemperature differences between
(10:26):
the inside and the outside.
But we take a flashlight andlook behind beds, dressers,
solid desks, etc.
to make sure there is nothinggoing on behind it.
Stacie (10:37):
And we also absolutely let the tenant know that we do
this when we send out ourinspection notification via
email.
We break down exactly what we'relooking for and where we're
going to be looking.
Kevin (10:49):
Yeah, I mean we do whatever we can so they can't
come back later and say we weresnooping or violating their
privacy.
So we just tell them we'll belooking for any evidence of mold
and we'll be checking behind allfurniture and inside the
closets.
We also let them know that wewill be checking for leaks under
all the sinks and toilets.
And of course, we ask them tolet us know if there's anything
(11:12):
they've noticed that would be aconcern.
You know, like if the windowswere leaking or the exhaust fans
aren't working, or if any of thesinks are dripping or toilets
running, you know, stuff likethat.
So, that is your first step ofdefense against issues with
mold.
And I mean that by finding anddealing with the mold itself.
(11:32):
As well as you being proactiveand letting your tenants know
you're taking mold growthseriously, and that's why you
look for it during yourinspections.
Because one of the main issuesthat lawyers love when defending
tenants is when they find thatthe landlord did not take
appropriate action or act fastenough to remedy the issue.
(11:53):
Just by sending that email andletting them know that you're
going to do inspections and lookfor mold growth eliminates a lot
of their case for not beingproactive and finding mold
before it became a seriousproblem.
Now, with that being said, ifthere is mold behind a wall and
you can't see it, then youcannot really be to blame.
(12:14):
But you do need to have thoseinspection records to cover
yourself and prove that you havemade an effort to be proactive
in your prevention.
Stacie (12:23):
Alright you guys, so let's talk a little about what
else you can do to protectyourself when it comes to toxic
mold exposure, because that'sreally what we're talking about
here today.
We want to let you know what youshould be doing to protect
yourself and your property incase something goes wrong.
And a huge part of that isdisclosures.
(12:43):
These would be found within thebody of the lease and in some
states like here in California,it is required for us to include
it.
Kevin (12:51):
And I believe most California specific leases have
like a really large addendumthat includes it already for
you, right?
Stacie (12:57):
Yep, most California leases have been adapted to
include I think it's like fourpages of information about mold
for the tenants to sign off on.
Essentially It includes verbiageon what to look for, where it
commonly occurs, and our showsseveral photos of what it looks
like too.
It also discusses ventilationand cleanliness and the tenant's
(13:20):
responsibility to prevent moldgrowth from occurring and
potential health risks that canoccur from mold exposure.
And that is important because ifyou get a call from a tenant
that says they have mold growingon the bathroom ceiling and they
insist you come and handle itright away.
And let's say being that veryresponsible landlord that you
(13:40):
are, you go over and you handleit.
And you find that they just tooka shower and the exhaust fan is
not on, nor is the bathroomwindow open to vent the moisture
out of the room and prevent thatmold from growing.
At that point, you would explainto them what you believe the
problem is and ask them toplease vent the bathroom out
after a hot shower is taken.
(14:01):
And then of course you're goingto remedy the issue by cleaning
it using a special mold primerand then painting the ceiling
again.
Now is this the only reason thatthere could be mold growing?
No.
There could be a bathroom abovethis one that has a leaky toilet
or maybe there's a roof leak.
So don't be too quick to dismissthe problem and blame the
tenant.
Just let them know that if theydo what you ask by way of
(14:24):
ventilation, the problem comesback to let you know.
Kevin (14:28):
Yeah, so our advice is to treat this issue with the alarm
it deserves.
Start with the obvious and thenkeep hacking away at it until
you know the problem has beenresolved.
But most of all, beprofessional, be kind, and
definitely be concerned.
Because as soon as you blow offthat tenet and act like their
health and safety don't matter,you can bet they're going to
(14:50):
find a lawyer to let you knowotherwise.
Stacie (14:52):
Right.
So check out your lease and seewhat it says with regards to
mold and how a tenant needs tohandle reporting it and what
their responsibility is in thematter.
For the most part theirresponsibility is to minimize
mold risk by keeping the unitclean, by controlling the
humidity, and reporting anyleaks that they know of.
(15:12):
And you guys if you want to seea sample of what our lease
includes with regards to themold addendum, shoot us an email
and we'll send it over.
You know we pay for it and it'screated and licensed by the
California Apartment Associationso we can't allow you to use it,
but if you want to see what itis, we will send you something
that you can view forinformational purposes only.
(15:33):
But I think it's, it's importantfor all of you to know that
landlords in all states areresponsible for maintaining fit
and habitable housing and forrepairing rental properties.
And this extends to fixingleaking pipes, windows and roofs
the causes of most molds.
And take note that each statehas its own definitions of what
(15:55):
quote unquote habitable housingis and each state's laws set its
own level of landlordresponsibility.
Some states have stricterhabitability laws than others
like California and New York.
If the landlord doesn't takecare of leaks and mold grows as
a result, a tenant might be ableto hold the landlord responsible
(16:18):
if they can convince a judge ora jury that the mold has caused
a health problem.
Each state also has a set amountof time that a landlord has to
respond and address mold issues.
Some are short, like a weeklong, others are up to 30 days.
So make sure that you know whatyour responsibility is with
regards to response time.
(16:39):
The bottom line is it is yourresponsibility as a landlord to
remediate mold growth and fixany underlying moisture
problems.
And that can be easy or it canbe super complicated and
expensive.
Kevin (16:52):
Yeah, seriously.
I mean, we have heard ofhomeowners and landlords having
to literally tear down theirwhole home or apartment building
to get rid of mold because itwas never addressed properly and
spread to a majority of theirproperty.
I mean there was a single familyhome, this wasn't a rental, but
it was an Austin, Texas thatwent years before they figured
(17:13):
out that much of the family'shealth issues were caused by
mold growth.
It ended up being an issue withthe roof from when the home was
actually built.
And due to the extreme spreadingof mold, they ended up having to
rebuild the entire home.
Another large multi familycomplex in Irvine, California,
had similar issues and thelandlord did make an effort to
(17:35):
remedy it, but again, there wereissues from construction that
created a mold problem that gotcompletely out of control.
We're not sure if they ended uptearing it down or not, but it
was a huge lawsuit that prettymuch started the whole tenant's
rights push for protectionagainst mold here in California.
Stacie (17:53):
Yeah, and you guys a lot of states have followed suit.
Maybe not as strict asCalifornia and New York, but
many states now require theirleases to state who is
responsible for what when itcomes to mold.
I believe we should also discussthe health hazards that can
occur from mold exposure.
So what do you do when a tenantnotifies you of a potential mold
(18:15):
issue?
And I know Kevin mentioned beingkind and responsive, which come
on guys, that should be obvious.
I'm talking about the actualprocedure now.
But you want to document,document, document.
Get over there as soon aspossible and take photos of the
mold that they have found.
If you know what needs to bedone, fix the issue and make it
(18:37):
happen as soon as possible.
If you cannot see where or whythe mold is growing, and if you
do not have the constructionexpertise, consider hiring a
professional mold inspector toinspect the property with you.
It may cost a little bit, but inthe end, no one can say that you
did not take the reportseriously or you failed to
(18:58):
respond.
With a mold specialist, you willget a detailed report as to what
kind of mold it is, meaning ifit is toxic or not, or how
dangerous exposure of it is,where it is coming from, and
their recommendation on how toget rid of it.
Now, if you get that report anddo nothing, then you're setting
(19:20):
yourself up for problems.
Because if the tenantexperiences symptoms from mold
exposure, which can run thegamut, like a dry and scratchy
throat, coughing, wheezing,stuffy nose, skin rashes,
headaches, muscles and jointpain, digestive issues, and
changes in their mood, likebrain fog, memory loss, and
(19:41):
anxiety.
Kevin (19:43):
I don't mean to laugh, but you sound like one of those
commercials talking about theside effects of a new drug
they're promoting.
Stacie (19:50):
I know, right?
Well, I guess now all I have tosay is, if you've experienced
these symptoms in your rentalunit, you should call Jacobi and
Myers law firm.
You may have a right tocompensation from your scumbag
landlord.
Kevin (20:04):
Okay.
I'm laughing, but you guys, thisis so true.
I mean, there's a ton of lawyersout there waiting to pounce on
landlords who failed to take theissues of mold exposure
seriously, so what we're sayingis just beware.
Tenants have won multi milliondollar cases against landlords
for significant health problems.
(20:24):
And just like Stacie mentionedbefore, such issues as rashes,
chronic fatigue, nausea,cognitive losses, hemorrhaging
and asthma allegedly caused byexposure to toxic molds in their
building.
And to finish up what to do whena tenant reports it.
Make sure you stay incommunication with your tenant
every step of the way.
(20:45):
After the initial inspection,email them with your findings
and photos.
Let them know what the nextsteps are and when you expect to
complete them.
By taking the time tocommunicate the what, where and
when to the tenant, you willsignificantly decrease your
chances of your tenant takinglegal action.
If you are sending over acontractor or coming back with a
(21:06):
mold specialist, tell them whoand when so they're aware of
your plan of action.
I mean, you really should bedoing this anytime you have to
go over to a unit.
But when there is an issue suchas mold, please be extra
cautious about detailedcommunication.
Okay, I do think it is importantto note though that not all
molds are toxic.
(21:27):
For instance, mold that grows onshower tiles is not dangerous.
It does take an expert to knowwhether a particular mold is
harmful or just annoying.
And it's really tricky to findout whether a person who has
been exposed to mold hasactually inhaled it or ingested
it.
Now there are blood, urine, andother tests that can be used to
assess a person's exposure tomold, but these tests are often
(21:51):
inconclusive.
So you all need to know that asof now, there are no federal
laws that set the permissibleexposure limits or any building
tolerance standards for mold inresidential buildings.
There are a few states, which Ibelieve are California, Indiana,
Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas,that have begun the process of
(22:13):
establishing permissible moldstandards or guidelines and
regulations for mold that occursin indoor air.
There are also two cities, NewYork and San Francisco, not
surprisingly, that have begunthis process on a local level
also.
If you want to know the rulesand regulations on mold for your
state, you can go to your StateDepartment of Environmental
(22:35):
Protection or your StateDepartment of Public Health.
We have directories for both ofthose that we will link in the
show notes.
If you want to know whether yourstate is considering mold
related legislation, we willlink how to find that
information in the show notes aswell.
Stacie (22:51):
So if a tenant finds mold in their unit and you fail
to address it, your state lawmay allow them to withhold
paying rent as you are notmaintaining their quote unquote
implied warranty ofhabitability.
They can also sue you for healthand emotional distress.
Now the liability picturechanges when mold grows as a
(23:12):
result of the tenant's ownbehavior.
Such as keeping their unittightly shut, creating high
humidity, or failing to maintainnecessary cleanliness.
Tenants have some duties tomaintain their rental unit, so
when a tenant's own negligenceis the sole cause of injury, the
landlord is not liable.
To avoid causing any moldproblems, make sure in your
(23:35):
lease, for the clause that thetenant must practice good
housekeeping such as cleaningand ventilating their rental
unit.
And you guys most leases includethis verbiage now, so unless
you're still using like a twopage lease with only names and
dates on it, you should becovered.
All right.
We have a couple more items wewant to discuss, and one is that
(23:56):
your regular liability insurancedoes not cover mold.
I mean, unless there is a severeflood, then it will cover any
mold that has occurred as aresult of something that is
covered.
But if there is a roof leak or awindow leak and mold grows in
between the walls and goesundetected, insurance usually
does not cover that.
(24:17):
Now, some insurance companiesoffer add on coverage to cover
mold remediation, which caninclude testing, developing a
plan, and removing that mold.
Some insurance companies thatmay offer this mold coverage
include Security First InsuranceCompany, Federated National
Insurance Company, UnitedProperty and Casualty Insurance,
(24:41):
and Olympus insurance Company.
Keep in mind that mold coveragecan be expensive in states that
are prone to mold such asFlorida.
And insurance companies oftenconsider mold damage to be
preventable through basichousehold maintenance, and may
deny coverage if the mold is dueto neglect or lack of
maintenance.
Kevin (25:01):
All right, I think I'll take this last part if it's okay
with you.
Stacie (25:04):
Oh, that sounds good.
Kevin (25:06):
So if you do not have insurance coverage to pay for
the unfortunate circumstance ofmold growth in your rental unit,
do you have a plan in place topay for remediation?
And what I mean is, once youknow you have mold in your unit,
and regardless of whether thecurrent tenant stays or a new
one moves in, you have to do thenecessary repairs to remove the
(25:27):
mold and the issue causing it.
And that can be a simple task,or it can be a really expensive
project.
Usually it is never plannedmaintenance, so it is of utmost
importance to make sure you haveadequate reserves to lean on, so
you can pay for the removal ofthe existing mold and say, roof
repairs or replacing kitchencabinets when mold grows behind
(25:50):
them from an undetected leak.
Stacie (25:52):
Or flooring, like what happened when we had a washing
machine leaking and we had noidea.
Kevin (25:57):
Ooh, yeah, forgot about that one.
When our contractor Jim, pulledup flooring beneath it, and
several feet past it, theflooring was just riddled with
mold, as was the wall behind theunit.
And it cost us at least$2500 toget repaired at the time.
So, please do yourself a favorand have a separate bank account
(26:18):
that holds your reserves forproperty taxes, insurance
policies, and cash reserves forlarge projects planned out like
roofs and driveways, as well asreserves for vacancies, and in
the case we are discussingtoday, reserves for repairs and
maintenance.
If you'd like to learn moreabout cash reserves, give
(26:39):
episode 28 a listen.
It's called The Cash ReservesBlueprint, Protecting and
Expanding Your Portfolio.
We will link it in the shownotes for you.
Stacie (26:48):
Yeah, you guys there's a lot of information out there
regarding mold and most of it'sdirected to the tenant and how
they should deal with it whenthey find it in their unit.
And your job as a landlord is tomake sure that they have all the
tools they need to report anyissues to you and guidelines on
how it should be handled.
So do yourself a favor and donot wait until it happens
(27:09):
because at some point in time,there is a high likelihood that
it will on some level.
All right, so let's recap reallyquick.
First and foremost, you want tomake sure your lease is up to
date and includes verbiage onhow to handle reporting mold
growth, as well as the tenant'sresponsibility for maintaining a
clean, moister free environmentin their unit.
(27:31):
and that they have to reportleaks or water damage to you
right away so you can beproactive on preventing mold
from happening in the firstplace.
Second, know what the tenant'srights are and what your legal
responsibilities are when itcomes to remediating mold within
your rental property.
If you do not know, we will linkhow to find that out in the show
(27:53):
notes.
Third, have proper procedures inplace on how to deal with the
report of mold.
These procedures are not onlyfor you, they are also for
anyone who might be working foryou, or even taking over for you
should you become incapacitatedand cannot work.
For more on how to create yourstandard operating procedures,
(28:13):
check out episode six wherewe're talking all about those.
It also happens to be in our topfive most listened to episodes,
so there's that.
And last but not least, have aplan on how you will pay for any
expenses that arise from moldgrowth.
It can cost very little to tensof thousands of dollars to fix.
(28:34):
So whether you prefer to pay forinsurance coverage for mold or
stash away cash reserves forunexpected repairs, make sure
that you know how you're goingto pay for it.
Kevin (28:45):
And one more thing, if you want more information on
mold, including what it lookslike, how to test for mold, the
health effects of mold exposureand how to clean up mold, check
out the mold section of the EPAwebsite.
We will also link that in theshow notes for all of you.
Stacie (29:02):
Yeah, you know, that's actually a really good reference
and it's it's nice and it's nonbiased, which is good.
All right, you guys that's awrap for this episode.
We know you were busy as heckand we appreciate that you would
take the time to listen to ourpodcast.
So, thank you.
We are very grateful for eachand every one of you.
With that said, we would love tostay in touch with you.
(29:24):
We have a private Facebook groupwhere we have been seeing a lot
of activity lately with memberquestions, so that's been good.
We're also on Instagram,Facebook, and YouTube, so give
us a follow on those as well.
And speaking of following, ifyou're new here, please follow
or subscribe on your favoritepodcast platform so you won't
(29:44):
miss out on any episodes.
When you subscribe or follow ourpodcast, it actually really
helps our metrics and helps usget in front of other landlords
so that they can experience ourpodcast as well.
And the whole goal for Kevin andI is to guide all you guys out
in landlord land to being moreefficient and professional in
(30:05):
your day to day practice ofowning and self managing rental
properties.
All right, a few morehousekeeping items.
We have a free newsletter thatwe send out each week that
includes a deep dive into alandlord tip, our favorite
landlord products, and alwayshas several landlord and rental
property management specificarticles for you to learn more.
(30:27):
We have a bunch of freedownloads that we offer, like
email templates that we use, aguide on tenant screening,
checklists, et cetera.
And we link those all in ourshow notes for you to access.
And lastly, we will include alink to sign up for the waiting
list of our upcoming course fromMarketing to Move In, How to
Place Your Ideal Tenant.
(30:49):
Whew.
All right.
Lots of stuff for you to knowabout there.
Anyway, we want to tell youthanks again for listening and
supporting us.
And until next time, you've gotthis, landlords.
Most everything we found was written by lawyers, where
(00:03):
the writing was focused on thetenant's side of dealing with
mold issues.
You know, regarding theirrights.
And of course, those lawyers aremore than willing to help
tenants win a lawsuit should alandlord not take the report of
mold seriously.
And that my friends is thereason we're doing this podcast
today.
We want to make sure that youare all informed on the severity
(00:26):
of the subject and get someinsight on how to handle the
situation should you experiencean issue with mold in one of
your units.
Specifically, we are discussinglandlord liability,
responsibility, and prevention.
And prevention, not only in thetraditional sense of preventing
mold from occurring in the firstplace, but prevention by way of
(00:48):
mitigating risks through athoughtful, prepared lease, as
well as having solid operatingprocedures and rules and
criteria in place to protectyour rental property business.
Welcome to your landlordresource podcast many moons ago.
When I started as a landlord, Iwas as green as it gets.
(01:11):
I may have had my real estatelicense, but I lack confidence
in the hands on experienceneeded when it came to dealing
with tenants, leases,maintenance, and bookkeeping.
After many failed attempts, fastforward to today.
Kevin and I have doubled ourdoors and created an organized,
professionally operated rentalproperty business.
Want to go from overwhelmed toconfident?
(01:32):
If you're an ambitious landlordor maybe one in the making, join
us as we provide strategies andteach actionable steps to help
you reach your goals and thelifestyle you desire.
All while building a streamlinedand profitable rental property
business.
This is your landlord resourcepodcast.
(01:53):
Well, hello there, everyone.
You are listening to the YourLandlord Resource Podcast, and
I'm your host, Stacie Casella.
I'm sitting here with my cohost, Kevin Kilroy, who also is
my business partner and mypartner in life.
Kevin (02:08):
Hey there, everybody, and thanks for listening.
Stacie (02:11):
So today's subject is an important one.
I mean, everything we talk aboutis important, but this is one
that can be a real seriousproblem that can affect the
health of your tenants.
And that is toxic mold exposure.
Kevin (02:25):
Well, even the word mold can be intimidating, don't you
think?
Stacie (02:29):
Oh yeah, of course it is.
But there are a variety of moldsand they have different effects
on people.
And that is one of the things wewant to discuss here today.
That along with how to handlethings when a tenant reports
they found mold, what theirrights are, if indeed the mold
is toxic, and how to handle thesituation if it is found to be
(02:51):
of the tenant's negligence.
And additionally, we want totalk about as landlords, what
you need to be doing to coveryourself before the tenant even
moves in.
,Alright, the first thing I wantto say is that for landlords,
there's not a lot of informationout there on how you can 1),
prevent it from happening and2), how to handle it when a
(03:14):
tenant reports it.
When we were doing our researchfor the subject of mold, there
was only one article written onbehalf of landlords, and the
focus of that was around theirresponsibilities and the
potential health risks fortenants.
Most everything we found waswritten by lawyers, where the
writing was focused on thetenant's side of dealing with
(03:37):
mold issues.
You know, regarding theirrights.
And of course, those lawyers aremore than willing to help
tenants win a lawsuit should alandlord not take the report of
mold seriously.
And that my friends is thereason we're doing this podcast
today.
We want to make sure that youare all informed on the severity
(03:57):
of the subject and get someinsight on how to handle the
situation should you experiencean issue with mold in one of
your units.
Specifically, we are discussinglandlord liability,
responsibility, and prevention.
And prevention, not only in thetraditional sense of preventing
mold from occurring in the firstplace, but prevention by way of
(04:20):
mitigating risks through athoughtful, prepared lease, as
well as having solid operatingprocedures and rules and
criteria in place to protectyour rental property business.
Kevin (04:32):
Exactly, so let's get into it.
Let me start off by saying thatmold is considered an
environmental hazard and therehave been some monumental multi
million dollar lawsuits againstlandlords who have not handled
the reports of mold in theirrentals properly.
So, let's quickly go over thedifferent kinds of mold.
And, let me just clarify here.
(04:53):
We are talking about toxic mold,not mildew.
And, there is a differencebetween the two.
Where they are both types offungus, mildew is much easier to
deal with.
I mean both are known to grow inwarm, humid, and damp
environments.
Which is why you see moldcommonly in showers where there
is not adequate ventilation.
(05:14):
Mold can get into a structureand destroy it from the inside.
Mildew is a flattened, powderysubstance that mostly grows on
the surface of living things.
You know, like plants and trees.
It begins as white and thenturns a brown or gray color.
Mold is fuzzy in appearance andgrows on organic matter that
used to be living things, likesheetrock or paneling, wood
(05:38):
flooring, trim, and in atticsand on bathroom ceilings.
Basically, mold can grow on anyorganic surface in a home, and
given enough time, it can causematerials to rot and can destroy
the structural components ofwhatever it's growing on.
Toxic mold can have a grayish,like, soot like texture, or a
(05:59):
slimy, wet surface.
It may also have furry orange orbrown spots, but the real
difference is the smell.
You see, mold smells musty,which is actually the living
organism off gassing as itdigests what it is eating.
I mean, it's kind of weird andgross all at the same time.
Stacie (06:20):
Yeah, off gassing is a very nice way of doing
Kevin (06:22):
it.
Thank you.
Stacie (06:24):
You know, orange spots are what I have seen on the
ceiling in one of the kid'sbathrooms years ago.
Mostly because the house wasbuilt without exhaust fans and
the kids couldn't reach thewindow to open it.
So the moisture rises and sitson that surface, which in our
case is sheetrock.
And if I had to guess, thatwould be the case in most homes.
(06:44):
We did have black mold in acouple of spots in the bedrooms
as well, and that kind of reallyfreaked me out.
So for one room, it grew behinda shelving unit that backed up
to an outside wall.
And on the outside of that wall,we have wood siding, and the
water was getting in between theslats, creating moisture in
between the wall.
(07:04):
When we pushed the shelving unitup against that wall in the
exact spot where we had no ideathat water was getting in, we
created a situation where thatmoisture had no way to
dissipate.
Essentially, we're trapping itin.
The only reason we found outabout it was because we had to
grab something that had fallenbehind the shelving unit.
(07:26):
And boy, what a shock that was.
You see, if air was able tocirculate where that cabinet
was, the chance of mold is lesslikely.
But because the cabinet blockedair from moving behind there,
the moisture turned to mold andwe got a bunch of black spots on
the drywall.
A similar thing happened inanother bedroom where we had a
roof leak.
(07:46):
We have cathedral ceilings inthis particular room, and the
water was traveling down thebeams into the lowest corner of
the roof above the drywall.
And instead of the water comingthrough the drywall, we actually
had a bright uplight that stoodin that corner, which threw a
bunch of heat on the exactcorner where that water was
ending up.
So the heat from the lamp andthe cold outside basically
(08:10):
created a petri dish and moldstarted to grow.
And of course, we took care ofall these issues, but we want
you to know it doesn't take muchfor mold to grow, especially in
older homes that tend to needmore maintenance.
And the point is, even if youare the cleanest of people and
you feel that you stay on top ofpreventative maintenance, you
still can experience issues withmold.
(08:33):
And the mold we're discussingtoday is toxic mold and is
commonly found in humidenvironments.
So here are some signs you wantto look for.
Visible mold, such as on walls,ceilings, or floors, much like
the ones I just described fromour home.
You might also just smell amusty odor.
You might find mold where yousee water damage such as water
(08:55):
stains, discoloration, peelingor bubbled paint, warped floors,
or rotted wood.
So keep an eye out for damp ormoist materials including
condensation like you find onwindows or sometimes walls where
there's a leak on the back sideof it.
And in more severe cases, you oryour tenant might be
experiencing some healthsymptoms such as coughing and
(09:18):
sneezing or respiratory issues.
Kevin (09:20):
Yeah, I mean, let's hope it doesn't get to that point for
anyone.
So, you get the gist on mold.
It can vary in color andtexture, can smell, can grow
where you can't see it, and cancause pretty severe health
symptoms if it goes untreated.
So how do you prevent it?
All right, that's a tough one.
(09:41):
We can't tell you exactly how toprevent it from happening,
except that you need to bemaking sure you are doing
periodic inspections of yourrental properties to look for
evidence of water intrusion.
And guess what?
Part of that inspection meansyou're looking behind any
furniture that your tenantshave, especially if they are on
an outside wall.
A lot of water intrusion willhappen when the seal around a
(10:04):
window fails, or if the roof orgutters are leaking and the
water is getting in under theeaves, and then running down the
inside of the wall.
Occasionally you can experiencethis water intrusion on an
inside wall, especially ifthere's a bathroom or any water
source above that room.
But it does seem to be morecommon on outside walls,
especially where there are bigtemperature differences between
(10:26):
the inside and the outside.
But we take a flashlight andlook behind beds, dressers,
solid desks, etc.
to make sure there is nothinggoing on behind it.
Stacie (10:37):
And we also absolutely let the tenant know that we do
this when we send out ourinspection notification via
email.
We break down exactly what we'relooking for and where we're
going to be looking.
Kevin (10:49):
Yeah, I mean we do whatever we can so they can't
come back later and say we weresnooping or violating their
privacy.
So we just tell them we'll belooking for any evidence of mold
and we'll be checking behind allfurniture and inside the
closets.
We also let them know that wewill be checking for leaks under
all the sinks and toilets.
And of course, we ask them tolet us know if there's anything
(11:12):
they've noticed that would be aconcern.
You know, like if the windowswere leaking or the exhaust fans
aren't working, or if any of thesinks are dripping or toilets
running, you know, stuff likethat.
So, that is your first step ofdefense against issues with
mold.
And I mean that by finding anddealing with the mold itself.
(11:32):
As well as you being proactiveand letting your tenants know
you're taking mold growthseriously, and that's why you
look for it during yourinspections.
Because one of the main issuesthat lawyers love when defending
tenants is when they find thatthe landlord did not take
appropriate action or act fastenough to remedy the issue.
(11:53):
Just by sending that email andletting them know that you're
going to do inspections and lookfor mold growth eliminates a lot
of their case for not beingproactive and finding mold
before it became a seriousproblem.
Now, with that being said, ifthere is mold behind a wall and
you can't see it, then youcannot really be to blame.
(12:14):
But you do need to have thoseinspection records to cover
yourself and prove that you havemade an effort to be proactive
in your prevention.
Stacie (12:23):
Alright you guys, so let's talk a little about what
else you can do to protectyourself when it comes to toxic
mold exposure, because that'sreally what we're talking about
here today.
We want to let you know what youshould be doing to protect
yourself and your property incase something goes wrong.
And a huge part of that isdisclosures.
(12:43):
These would be found within thebody of the lease and in some
states like here in California,it is required for us to include
it.
Kevin (12:51):
And I believe most California specific leases have
like a really large addendumthat includes it already for
you, right?
Stacie (12:57):
Yep, most California leases have been adapted to
include I think it's like fourpages of information about mold
for the tenants to sign off on.
Essentially It includes verbiageon what to look for, where it
commonly occurs, and our showsseveral photos of what it looks
like too.
It also discusses ventilationand cleanliness and the tenant's
(13:20):
responsibility to prevent moldgrowth from occurring and
potential health risks that canoccur from mold exposure.
And that is important because ifyou get a call from a tenant
that says they have mold growingon the bathroom ceiling and they
insist you come and handle itright away.
And let's say being that veryresponsible landlord that you
(13:40):
are, you go over and you handleit.
And you find that they just tooka shower and the exhaust fan is
not on, nor is the bathroomwindow open to vent the moisture
out of the room and prevent thatmold from growing.
At that point, you would explainto them what you believe the
problem is and ask them toplease vent the bathroom out
after a hot shower is taken.
(14:01):
And then of course you're goingto remedy the issue by cleaning
it using a special mold primerand then painting the ceiling
again.
Now is this the only reason thatthere could be mold growing?
No.
There could be a bathroom abovethis one that has a leaky toilet
or maybe there's a roof leak.
So don't be too quick to dismissthe problem and blame the
tenant.
Just let them know that if theydo what you ask by way of
(14:24):
ventilation, the problem comesback to let you know.
Kevin (14:28):
Yeah, so our advice is to treat this issue with the alarm
it deserves.
Start with the obvious and thenkeep hacking away at it until
you know the problem has beenresolved.
But most of all, beprofessional, be kind, and
definitely be concerned.
Because as soon as you blow offthat tenet and act like their
health and safety don't matter,you can bet they're going to
(14:50):
find a lawyer to let you knowotherwise.
Stacie (14:52):
Right.
So check out your lease and seewhat it says with regards to
mold and how a tenant needs tohandle reporting it and what
their responsibility is in thematter.
For the most part theirresponsibility is to minimize
mold risk by keeping the unitclean, by controlling the
humidity, and reporting anyleaks that they know of.
(15:12):
And you guys if you want to seea sample of what our lease
includes with regards to themold addendum, shoot us an email
and we'll send it over.
You know we pay for it and it'screated and licensed by the
California Apartment Associationso we can't allow you to use it,
but if you want to see what itis, we will send you something
that you can view forinformational purposes only.
(15:33):
But I think it's, it's importantfor all of you to know that
landlords in all states areresponsible for maintaining fit
and habitable housing and forrepairing rental properties.
And this extends to fixingleaking pipes, windows and roofs
the causes of most molds.
And take note that each statehas its own definitions of what
(15:55):
quote unquote habitable housingis and each state's laws set its
own level of landlordresponsibility.
Some states have stricterhabitability laws than others
like California and New York.
If the landlord doesn't takecare of leaks and mold grows as
a result, a tenant might be ableto hold the landlord responsible
(16:18):
if they can convince a judge ora jury that the mold has caused
a health problem.
Each state also has a set amountof time that a landlord has to
respond and address mold issues.
Some are short, like a weeklong, others are up to 30 days.
So make sure that you know whatyour responsibility is with
regards to response time.
(16:39):
The bottom line is it is yourresponsibility as a landlord to
remediate mold growth and fixany underlying moisture
problems.
And that can be easy or it canbe super complicated and
expensive.
Kevin (16:52):
Yeah, seriously.
I mean, we have heard ofhomeowners and landlords having
to literally tear down theirwhole home or apartment building
to get rid of mold because itwas never addressed properly and
spread to a majority of theirproperty.
I mean there was a single familyhome, this wasn't a rental, but
it was an Austin, Texas thatwent years before they figured
(17:13):
out that much of the family'shealth issues were caused by
mold growth.
It ended up being an issue withthe roof from when the home was
actually built.
And due to the extreme spreadingof mold, they ended up having to
rebuild the entire home.
Another large multi familycomplex in Irvine, California,
had similar issues and thelandlord did make an effort to
(17:35):
remedy it, but again, there wereissues from construction that
created a mold problem that gotcompletely out of control.
We're not sure if they ended uptearing it down or not, but it
was a huge lawsuit that prettymuch started the whole tenant's
rights push for protectionagainst mold here in California.
Stacie (17:53):
Yeah, and you guys a lot of states have followed suit.
Maybe not as strict asCalifornia and New York, but
many states now require theirleases to state who is
responsible for what when itcomes to mold.
I believe we should also discussthe health hazards that can
occur from mold exposure.
So what do you do when a tenantnotifies you of a potential mold
(18:15):
issue?
And I know Kevin mentioned beingkind and responsive, which come
on guys, that should be obvious.
I'm talking about the actualprocedure now.
But you want to document,document, document.
Get over there as soon aspossible and take photos of the
mold that they have found.
If you know what needs to bedone, fix the issue and make it
(18:37):
happen as soon as possible.
If you cannot see where or whythe mold is growing, and if you
do not have the constructionexpertise, consider hiring a
professional mold inspector toinspect the property with you.
It may cost a little bit, but inthe end, no one can say that you
did not take the reportseriously or you failed to
(18:58):
respond.
With a mold specialist, you willget a detailed report as to what
kind of mold it is, meaning ifit is toxic or not, or how
dangerous exposure of it is,where it is coming from, and
their recommendation on how toget rid of it.
Now, if you get that report anddo nothing, then you're setting
(19:20):
yourself up for problems.
Because if the tenantexperiences symptoms from mold
exposure, which can run thegamut, like a dry and scratchy
throat, coughing, wheezing,stuffy nose, skin rashes,
headaches, muscles and jointpain, digestive issues, and
changes in their mood, likebrain fog, memory loss, and
(19:41):
anxiety.
Kevin (19:43):
I don't mean to laugh, but you sound like one of those
commercials talking about theside effects of a new drug
they're promoting.
Stacie (19:50):
I know, right?
Well, I guess now all I have tosay is, if you've experienced
these symptoms in your rentalunit, you should call Jacobi and
Myers law firm.
You may have a right tocompensation from your scumbag
landlord.
Kevin (20:04):
Okay.
I'm laughing, but you guys, thisis so true.
I mean, there's a ton of lawyersout there waiting to pounce on
landlords who failed to take theissues of mold exposure
seriously, so what we're sayingis just beware.
Tenants have won multi milliondollar cases against landlords
for significant health problems.
(20:24):
And just like Stacie mentionedbefore, such issues as rashes,
chronic fatigue, nausea,cognitive losses, hemorrhaging
and asthma allegedly caused byexposure to toxic molds in their
building.
And to finish up what to do whena tenant reports it.
Make sure you stay incommunication with your tenant
every step of the way.
(20:45):
After the initial inspection,email them with your findings
and photos.
Let them know what the nextsteps are and when you expect to
complete them.
By taking the time tocommunicate the what, where and
when to the tenant, you willsignificantly decrease your
chances of your tenant takinglegal action.
If you are sending over acontractor or coming back with a
(21:06):
mold specialist, tell them whoand when so they're aware of
your plan of action.
I mean, you really should bedoing this anytime you have to
go over to a unit.
But when there is an issue suchas mold, please be extra
cautious about detailedcommunication.
Okay, I do think it is importantto note though that not all
molds are toxic.
(21:27):
For instance, mold that grows onshower tiles is not dangerous.
It does take an expert to knowwhether a particular mold is
harmful or just annoying.
And it's really tricky to findout whether a person who has
been exposed to mold hasactually inhaled it or ingested
it.
Now there are blood, urine, andother tests that can be used to
assess a person's exposure tomold, but these tests are often
(21:51):
inconclusive.
So you all need to know that asof now, there are no federal
laws that set the permissibleexposure limits or any building
tolerance standards for mold inresidential buildings.
There are a few states, which Ibelieve are California, Indiana,
Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas,that have begun the process of
(22:13):
establishing permissible moldstandards or guidelines and
regulations for mold that occursin indoor air.
There are also two cities, NewYork and San Francisco, not
surprisingly, that have begunthis process on a local level
also.
If you want to know the rulesand regulations on mold for your
state, you can go to your StateDepartment of Environmental
(22:35):
Protection or your StateDepartment of Public Health.
We have directories for both ofthose that we will link in the
show notes.
If you want to know whether yourstate is considering mold
related legislation, we willlink how to find that
information in the show notes aswell.
Stacie (22:51):
So if a tenant finds mold in their unit and you fail
to address it, your state lawmay allow them to withhold
paying rent as you are notmaintaining their quote unquote
implied warranty ofhabitability.
They can also sue you for healthand emotional distress.
Now the liability picturechanges when mold grows as a
(23:12):
result of the tenant's ownbehavior.
Such as keeping their unittightly shut, creating high
humidity, or failing to maintainnecessary cleanliness.
Tenants have some duties tomaintain their rental unit, so
when a tenant's own negligenceis the sole cause of injury, the
landlord is not liable.
To avoid causing any moldproblems, make sure in your
(23:35):
lease, for the clause that thetenant must practice good
housekeeping such as cleaningand ventilating their rental
unit.
And you guys most leases includethis verbiage now, so unless
you're still using like a twopage lease with only names and
dates on it, you should becovered.
All right.
We have a couple more items wewant to discuss, and one is that
(23:56):
your regular liability insurancedoes not cover mold.
I mean, unless there is a severeflood, then it will cover any
mold that has occurred as aresult of something that is
covered.
But if there is a roof leak or awindow leak and mold grows in
between the walls and goesundetected, insurance usually
does not cover that.
(24:17):
Now, some insurance companiesoffer add on coverage to cover
mold remediation, which caninclude testing, developing a
plan, and removing that mold.
Some insurance companies thatmay offer this mold coverage
include Security First InsuranceCompany, Federated National
Insurance Company, UnitedProperty and Casualty Insurance,
(24:41):
and Olympus insurance Company.
Keep in mind that mold coveragecan be expensive in states that
are prone to mold such asFlorida.
And insurance companies oftenconsider mold damage to be
preventable through basichousehold maintenance, and may
deny coverage if the mold is dueto neglect or lack of
maintenance.
Kevin (25:01):
All right, I think I'll take this last part if it's okay
with you.
Stacie (25:04):
Oh, that sounds good.
Kevin (25:06):
So if you do not have insurance coverage to pay for
the unfortunate circumstance ofmold growth in your rental unit,
do you have a plan in place topay for remediation?
And what I mean is, once youknow you have mold in your unit,
and regardless of whether thecurrent tenant stays or a new
one moves in, you have to do thenecessary repairs to remove the
(25:27):
mold and the issue causing it.
And that can be a simple task,or it can be a really expensive
project.
Usually it is never plannedmaintenance, so it is of utmost
importance to make sure you haveadequate reserves to lean on, so
you can pay for the removal ofthe existing mold and say, roof
repairs or replacing kitchencabinets when mold grows behind
(25:50):
them from an undetected leak.
Stacie (25:52):
Or flooring, like what happened when we had a washing
machine leaking and we had noidea.
Kevin (25:57):
Ooh, yeah, forgot about that one.
When our contractor Jim, pulledup flooring beneath it, and
several feet past it, theflooring was just riddled with
mold, as was the wall behind theunit.
And it cost us at least$2500 toget repaired at the time.
So, please do yourself a favorand have a separate bank account
(26:18):
that holds your reserves forproperty taxes, insurance
policies, and cash reserves forlarge projects planned out like
roofs and driveways, as well asreserves for vacancies, and in
the case we are discussingtoday, reserves for repairs and
maintenance.
If you'd like to learn moreabout cash reserves, give
(26:39):
episode 28 a listen.
It's called The Cash ReservesBlueprint, Protecting and
Expanding Your Portfolio.
We will link it in the shownotes for you.
Stacie (26:48):
Yeah, you guys there's a lot of information out there
regarding mold and most of it'sdirected to the tenant and how
they should deal with it whenthey find it in their unit.
And your job as a landlord is tomake sure that they have all the
tools they need to report anyissues to you and guidelines on
how it should be handled.
So do yourself a favor and donot wait until it happens
(27:09):
because at some point in time,there is a high likelihood that
it will on some level.
All right, so let's recap reallyquick.
First and foremost, you want tomake sure your lease is up to
date and includes verbiage onhow to handle reporting mold
growth, as well as the tenant'sresponsibility for maintaining a
clean, moister free environmentin their unit.
(27:31):
and that they have to reportleaks or water damage to you
right away so you can beproactive on preventing mold
from happening in the firstplace.
Second, know what the tenant'srights are and what your legal
responsibilities are when itcomes to remediating mold within
your rental property.
If you do not know, we will linkhow to find that out in the show
(27:53):
notes.
Third, have proper procedures inplace on how to deal with the
report of mold.
These procedures are not onlyfor you, they are also for
anyone who might be working foryou, or even taking over for you
should you become incapacitatedand cannot work.
For more on how to create yourstandard operating procedures,
(28:13):
check out episode six wherewe're talking all about those.
It also happens to be in our topfive most listened to episodes,
so there's that.
And last but not least, have aplan on how you will pay for any
expenses that arise from moldgrowth.
It can cost very little to tensof thousands of dollars to fix.
(28:34):
So whether you prefer to pay forinsurance coverage for mold or
stash away cash reserves forunexpected repairs, make sure
that you know how you're goingto pay for it.
Kevin (28:45):
And one more thing, if you want more information on
mold, including what it lookslike, how to test for mold, the
health effects of mold exposureand how to clean up mold, check
out the mold section of the EPAwebsite.
We will also link that in theshow notes for all of you.
Stacie (29:02):
Yeah, you know, that's actually a really good reference
and it's it's nice and it's nonbiased, which is good.
All right, you guys that's awrap for this episode.
We know you were busy as heckand we appreciate that you would
take the time to listen to ourpodcast.
So, thank you.
We are very grateful for eachand every one of you.
With that said, we would love tostay in touch with you.
(29:24):
We have a private Facebook groupwhere we have been seeing a lot
of activity lately with memberquestions, so that's been good.
We're also on Instagram,Facebook, and YouTube, so give
us a follow on those as well.
And speaking of following, ifyou're new here, please follow
or subscribe on your favoritepodcast platform so you won't
(29:44):
miss out on any episodes.
When you subscribe or follow ourpodcast, it actually really
helps our metrics and helps usget in front of other landlords
so that they can experience ourpodcast as well.
And the whole goal for Kevin andI is to guide all you guys out
in landlord land to being moreefficient and professional in
(30:05):
your day to day practice ofowning and self managing rental
properties.
All right, a few morehousekeeping items.
We have a free newsletter thatwe send out each week that
includes a deep dive into alandlord tip, our favorite
landlord products, and alwayshas several landlord and rental
property management specificarticles for you to learn more.
(30:27):
We have a bunch of freedownloads that we offer, like
email templates that we use, aguide on tenant screening,
checklists, et cetera.
And we link those all in ourshow notes for you to access.
And lastly, we will include alink to sign up for the waiting
list of our upcoming course fromMarketing to Move In, How to
Place Your Ideal Tenant.
(30:49):
Whew.
All right.
Lots of stuff for you to knowabout there.
Anyway, we want to tell youthanks again for listening and
supporting us.
And until next time, you've gotthis, landlords.
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