- Because who here actually likes mold?
As a rental property owner, it’s in your best interest to keep the property in good, livable condition, both to remain compliant with the law and to keep your tenants happier so you can improve tenant retention. Because you also have a financial stake in the property, it benefits you to keep the property in the best possible condition.
There are many external and internal threats that can jeopardize the livability and structural integrity of your property, but one of the scariest and least understood of these is mold.
How do you prevent and mitigate mold in a rental property?
The Problems With Mold
Mold is devastating for both commercial and residential rental properties. In case you aren’t familiar, mold is a type of fungus that thrives in dark, humid environments. If any mold spores are present, and the conditions are right, mold can quickly grow and take over a given environment.
There are many individual species of mold (and mildew, which, while related, is a distinct type of fungus), and mold can appear in many areas of the home. It’s most commonly found in areas with high levels of moisture or humidity, like basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Mold can appear to be green, black, blue, or another shade, and it typically appears as a spotty patch on a surface that it has infected. It’s also possible for mold to lurk behind walls or in other invisible areas.
If left unabated, mold can cause the following:
- Structural damage. In some cases, mold can spread so far and fast that it compromises the structural integrity of your home. Mold itself doesn’t do much damage, but because it appears in moist conditions, it’s usually a sign of another lurking problem.
- Allergic reactions and illness. Even more seriously, mold can trigger allergic reactions and cause illnesses in some people. Certain types of mold are more dangerous than others, and some people don’t react to mold at all, but breathing in mold spores can be devastating under the worst conditions.
- Tenant dissatisfaction. Even if you somehow evade structural damage and allergic reactions, your tenants probably won’t be happy living in a building that’s infested with mold. The mold may be surface-level and relatively harmless, but it’s still disconcerting for most people.
It’s also important to realize that mold problems generally worsen over time, especially if left untreated. Responding to a small mold outbreak gives you a chance to contain this phenomenon before it spirals out of control.
Mold Prevention in a Rental Property
These are some of the best strategies for preventing mold in a rental property:
- Fix any leaks immediately. Mold can’t thrive without a reliable source of moisture, so it’s important to fix any leaks immediately. Even a slowly dripping pipe or a trickle leak from the roof are things that demand immediate response.
- Facilitate better air flow. For similar reasons, it’s important to facilitate better air flow throughout your rental property. Superior air flow accelerates drying action, depriving mold of its most important resource. Sometimes, structural changes are in order, but you can also improve air flow with ventilation fans and conveniently accessible windows.
- Reduce humidity levels. Areas with high moisture should be addressed with dehumidifiers. Make sure your tenants understand how to operate these to reduce moisture levels.
- Encourage regular cleaning. You may not have ongoing access to the property, but you can at least encourage your tenants to practice good hygiene and clean moist areas with products capable of killing mold.
- Respond to floods and leaks quickly. If there’s ever a flood or a leak, respond immediately. Floods are especially dangerous, since they can introduce water to invisible areas of the home. Work quickly to get the area as dry as possible as soon as possible.
- Replace water-damaged items immediately. If certain elements of the house have been waterlogged for a long time, such as drywall or carpets, they should probably be replaced to prevent mold growth.
- Provide tenants with fact sheets about mold. Consider providing your tenants with fact sheets and information about how to prevent mold. The CDC has excellent resources on mold, which you can share via email.
- Ask tenants to report mold proactively. In addition to raising awareness of mold, make sure tenants understand the importance of reporting mold if they ever encounter it.
Mold Mitigation in a Rental Property
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, mold rears its ugly head. These strategies can help you recognize and mitigate or eliminate mold as quickly as possible:
- Inspect the property regularly. Commit to inspecting the property regularly, as sometimes tenants will not notice or prioritize reporting mold.
- Identify and eliminate the source of the problem. Even if you treat mold directly, it will probably keep coming back until you address the root cause of the problem. This is usually a leak or an ongoing source of moisture.
- Use diluted bleach to scrub the area clean. Diluted bleach can be used to kill mold (and mold spores), but there are a few important caveats to keep in mind. For example, you should never mix bleach with other cleaning products, and you should ensure the area is properly ventilated to avoid breathing in fumes unnecessarily.
- Open the windows and encourage more airflow. When treating mold problems, leave the windows open and use box fans and ventilation fans to encourage more airflow. The drier the environment is, the less likely mold will be to return.
- Hire a professional if necessary. Some mold outbreaks can’t be addressed topically with diluted bleach. If the problem is beyond your understanding or control, hire a professional mold remediation specialist.
Mold should be near the top of your list of concerns for your rental property, at least when it comes to structural and health considerations. But the better you understand mold, and the more urgently you work to prevent and mitigate it, the less of a problem it becomes.