When it comes to repairs and maintenance of a property, owners know that catching the problem early and solving it right away are good strategies to save on costs. Fix the issues you find immediately. Ignoring a maintenance or repair issue can lead to more expensive repairs later on. It could even put you or your residents at risk.
One typical problem in a property is the appearance of mold. This issue can catch both residents and owners off guard. Because it starts gradually and spreads slowly, often inside walls or hidden within structures, certain molds can go from barely visible to a serious health hazard in a blink of an eye. Left alone, mold could cause a lot of damage to buildings.
There are many varieties of molds, but the toxic variety is called Black Mold, or Stachybotrys atra. Often presenting as slimy greenish-black or gray, toxic mold thrives in damp places in the home. This includes leaky roofs, windows, or pipes. This also includes under floors if you’ve had a flood or in ceilings if you’ve had a leak. Black Mold releases a musty and unpleasant odor. When it appears in your rental home, it can severely limit your ability to guarantee safety. This is because of the health problems it can potentially cause. It should be noted that Stachybotrys molds are not always black. This means molds of different colors could also be dangerous. In other words, there’s no way to know just by watching whether you’re dealing with toxic or harmless mold.
While mold, in general, is typical in damp indoor environments, Stachybotrys is less common than other mold species, like Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t have data about how frequently Stachybotrys molds are located in buildings, but it’s less common than ostentatious media reports would want to say.
Health Hazards
Toxic mold, when it appears, is a serious health concern. The CDC reports connect 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. Individuals with allergies, asthma or lung disease could be even more severely affected, resulting in serious infections in the lungs or other life-threatening issues.
Property Damage
Because of the danger posed by toxic mold, it’s important to take hold of an outbreak as fast as possible. Ongoing damage from mold can completely damage walls, ceilings, and a tenant’s possessions. As a landlord, you may be held responsible if you are aware that mold is present in a rental home but fail to take the proper steps to address it.
Besides legal liability, toxic mold can deal a lot of damage to a rental home if left unmanaged. Mold grows well wherever there is a regular supply of moisture. It can grow on cardboard, wallpaper, ceiling tiles, carpet, and upholstery. It can also grow on wood products, including the wood inside walls and floors, on drywall and paint, and even on insulation. While mold is a problem, in most instances its growth can be prevented before it causes too much damage. The key is to perform regular maintenance that includes good mold prevention strategies.
Call the Experts
Oddly enough, a number of property management companies don’t consider mold a serious problem. They may try to avoid expenses by disregarding water damage or telling residents to deal with it themselves, Purposely ignoring or not taking mold seriously puts the health of your residents at risk. That is not a good idea. The serious nature of the damages caused by ignoring mold makes it a job best suited for a company that will work for your best interest; a company that will protect you and your tenants from unwelcome consequences.
In Conclusion
At Real Property Management Talent, we recognize the hazards that uncontrolled growths of mold pose to rental property owners. Our team of professional property managers and service professionals in College Station will address the issue early and fix it, thus saving you both time and money. Would you like a free assessment of your rental property? For more information, please contact us online or call us at 254-401-0400.
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