The battle over mold increasingly is pitting landlords against tenants.
Mold often is indicative of shoddy construction, experts say. But more landlords are looking to pass the buck on mold to tenants, said Ken Dobson, a Portland attorney specializing in mold complaints.
Mold addenda to rental agreements are becoming more common, Dobson said. These clauses require tenants to perform many bizarre tasks to prevent mold, including opening windows for two hours a week, even in the middle of winter, Dobson said.
"The landlords will try to blame the tenants for the mold problems," he said.
While Oregon law doesn’t address mold specifically, Dobson said keeping a dwelling free of mold falls under the landlord-tenant law stating landlords must provide "effective waterproofing and weatherproofing of the roof and exterior walls, including windows and doors," in addition to general language on keeping a rental in a safe and habitable condition.
Landlords and mold addenda usually instruct tenants to wipe away visible mold with bleach. Yet if a building’s inhabitants already are suffering from respiratory problems, spraying cleaning solutions makes the problem worse by stirring up mold, which becomes airborne, Dobson said.
Although tenants’ living habits certainly can contribute to a mold problem, landlords need to take complaints seriously and look below the surface, experts say. While the city of Medford has no ordinance concerning mold for residences, the presence of fungus alerts building inspectors to other potential problems, said Hugh Fechtler, city building inspector.
Mold complaints are not the county’s responsibility either, said Gary Stevens, head of Environmental Health Services for Jackson County. However, health workers tell people to leave a mold- affected area if they have allergies and also refer them to industrial cleaning companies.
The county health department gets about one call per day about mold, particularly in the summertime when warm temperatures allow mold to grow more rapidly, Stevens said.
"Mold is really a tough one," Stevens said. "I wish we had a dollar for every hour we’ve spent on mold."
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MOLD
1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.
- There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in an indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
- If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.
- Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.
- Reduce indoor humidity (to 30 to 60 percent) to decrease mold growth by: venting bathrooms, dryers and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and de- humidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dish washing and cleaning.
- Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
- Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent and dry completely. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles that are moldy may need to be replaced.
- Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e. windows, pipes, exterior walls, roof, floors) by adding insulation.
- In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e. by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks, or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).
- Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods.
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