Property owners notice that with regard to maintenance and updates, thwarting the disturbance first of all and righting it without delay are good prudential stratagems. Avoiding a maintenance or repair dispute can result in much more outrageous repairs from here on and could even, in all likelihood, put you or your residents in danger.
One issue that can catch property owners and residents inadvertently is the sights of mold in the residence. Because it starts with degrees and unfolds slowly, normally inside walls or undisclosed within other structures, a small amount of mold can absolutely go from invisible to a dangerous health hazard suddenly.
There are scores of multifarious kinds of molds, but the toxic variety is called Black Mold or Stachybotrys atra. Often a slimy greenish-black or gray to the casual eye, toxic mold proliferates in damp places in the home, including leaky roofs, windows, or pipes, or even under floors and in ceilings if you’ve had a flood or leak. Black Mold gives off a terrible musty odor and, when present, can dreadfully limit your ability to vouch for the safety of a rental home. It is important to note that Stachybotrys molds are not always black, meaning molds of different colors could also be dangerous. In other words, there’s no way to tell just by looking at whether you’re dealing with toxic or harmless mold.
While mold, ordinarily is very common in damp indoor environments, Stachybotrys is less common than other mold species, including Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t have a study about how often Stachybotrys molds are found in buildings, but it’s less common than ornate media reports would prefer to admit.
Health Hazards
The presence of toxic mold is a serious health problem. The CDC reports state the link between the presence of mold in the home and serious health effects, including respiratory problems (coughing or wheezing, throat irritation, nasal stuffiness), eye irritation, or skin irritation. People with allergies, asthma or lung disease may be even more intently affected, resulting in serious infections in the lungs or other life-threatening conditions.
Property Damage
As a consequence of the danger advanced by toxic mold, it’s crucial to suppress an outbreak as excellently as possible. As a landlord, you may be held liable if you are aware that mold is present in a rental home but fail to take the pertinent steps to tackle it.
In addition to legal liability, toxic mold can produce severe damage to a rental home if left unhampered. Mold grows well wherever a steady supply of moisture is present. It can grow on cardboard, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, carpet, and upholstery. It can also grow on wood products, including the wood inside walls and floors, on insulation, and even on drywall and paint. With so much hanging on in your rental properties, it’s critical to administer regular maintenance that includes good mold prevention strategies.
Call the Experts
Startlingly enough, some property management companies don’t treat mold as a serious factor. They may try to keep from costs by failing to tackle water damage or telling residents to deal with it themselves. However, mold should never be handled negligently, and placing the health of your residents at risk is not, by any means, a good idea. The serious hallmark of the damages caused by ignoring mold makes it a job for a company that will work to protect you and your residents from unwanted developments.
In Conclusion
At Real Property Management Baton Rouge, we take in mind the hazards that unbounded mold presents to rental property owners. Our team of able property managers and service professionals in Prairieville will take up the issue with time to spare and reform it, thereby saving you both time and money. Would you like a free assessment of your rental property? Please contact us online or call us at 225-389-6860 for more information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.