The Responsibility of a Landlord To Prevent Mold Growth

7/28/2022 (Permalink)

Mold growth behind baseboard.

How To Protect Yourself Against Mold

As a landlord, you bear certain responsibilities to your tenants. Among the most basic is to provide a living space that is clean and safe. The presence of mold in a rental unit represents an unclean and potentially unhealthy environment. In some cases, a landlord, property manager, contractor, or engineer can be sued or held liable for injuries or illnesses to tenants caused by mold. The conditions vary as to when you might be susceptible to actions against you. To protect yourself against mold insurance claims, the following steps could be helpful:

• Rely on your general liability insurance, though this could be subject to interpretation
• Purchase environmental insurance liability which could cover a mold infestation
• Take action to prevent the spread of mold
  
  

Mold Remediation

The surest way to protect against mold insurance claims by tenants, either residential or commercial, is to make sure mold does not spread in your properties. Since fungi thrives in warm, moist conditions, it is a good business practice to maintain properties and to address any water issues such as pipe leaks or roof leaks. If mold does appear, quick, aggressive action can take care of the problem. A local mold mitigation company in Shoreline, WA, can arrive on scene fast and provide an inspection and assessment of the property. Mold testing is important since it will reveal how much mold is present and what strain. With fast action, a mold claim against the property owner can be avoided.

Mold Facts

Mold naturally occurs in the environment and is just about everywhere, albeit in low densities. There are hundreds of different types of mold, only a few of which are likely to cause a problem to homeowners or commercial property owners. Mold can grow on paper, drywall, cloth, wood, and other surfaces. Under the right conditions, mold colonies can form and spread in 48-72 hours. Mold insurance claims can be prevented by quick and effective mold remediation services.