Just discovered mold in your apartment or rental home in Washington State? We can tell you all you need to know about what to do about mold in an apartment in Washington State!
We’re Cleaner Guys, a professional mold removal company in Washington State with more than 60 years of combined experience! We know that dealing with mold can be scary, and you may feel uncertain. That’s exactly why we wrote this article to help you through this trying time! Read on for all our best advice!
Table of Contents
- First 3 Things To Do When You Find Mold In Your Apartment
- What Are My Rights As a Renter With Mold In Washington State?
- Can I Withhold Rent for Mold in Washington State?
- How Long Does My Landlord Have to Fix Mold In Washington State?
- Is Mold Common In Washington State?
- Can Mold Make a House or Apartment Uninhabitable?
- What To Do Next
First 3 Things To Do When You Find Mold In Your Apartment
The first 3 things you should do right away when you find mold in your apartment are:
- Contact your landlord by phone, email, and written notice, and tell them about the mold. Explain the location of the mold, when it appeared, and the size of the area it covers. Document the mold with lots of photos, and send those to your landlord too. Your landlord needs to be aware of the issue, regardless of who is responsible for its removal.
- If possible, shut off the room with the mold and do not reenter it until it has been inspected, and, preferably, removed. Exposure to mold in an apartment can make you sick. Worse than that, it can be very dangerous for those with weak immune systems, like children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions!
- Determine if the mold is actually mold, or if it’s mildew. This may seem like a silly distinction to make, but it is the difference between whether you can easily clean it yourself, no fuss, or if you’ll need professional help. Mildew grows only on hard, non-porous surfaces, like plastic and tile. It’s most commonly found in showers. Mold, on the other hand, grows on porous surfaces like drywall and wood. If you find mold on drywall or wood, you’ll probably need to call a professional mold removal company, like Cleaner Guys.
Open our quick guide on mold and mildew now to learn how to tell which one you have, and what you can do about it. This is an important step!
What Are My Rights As a Renter With Mold In Washington State?
According to Enjuris.com, renters in Washington State do not have any specific rights about or protection from mold. Furthermore, according to the Washington State Department of Health, landlords are not legally required to remove mold once it’s there. They are legally required to maintain the plumbing and the building itself. This is good because those are usually the causes of water intrusion, which leads to mold. Landlords are also required to inform their tenants that mold is dangerous and that they should take steps to prevent it. But once there is mold, the landlord is not required by law to fix it.
This means it’s up to you to watch for any damage or leaks in your apartment, such as leaking plumbing. Check regularly, and if you ever find anything, urge your landlord to repair it right away. You will also probably be responsible for hiring a mold removal company to take care of it.
We strongly caution against trying to just clean the mold growth yourself, unless it’s mildew, as explained here. Mold roots deeply into drywall, carpet, and word. This means that even if you clean the surface, it will come back because it is still in the drywall!
Can I Withhold Rent for Mold In Washington State?
According to WashingtonLawHelp.org, no, it is not legal in Washington State to withhold rent from your landlord because of mold, because they are not legally obligated to remove it. Note that Cleaner Guys is not a law practice, and we are not giving legal advice. We are simply passing along the legal advice of experts who do have the qualifications to advise you. We encourage you to seek more information with legal experts.
How Long Does My Landlord Have to Fix Mold in Washington State?
Again, your landlord is not legally required in the state of Washington to remove or fix the mold. You should contact them by phone, by email, and by written notice about the mold. Confer with them about what to do. If they will not fix the mold (which they are not legally required to do), then it will likely be up to you. You’ll have to either figure out how to clean the mold (only if it’s very small), or hire a professional mold removal company.
Please remember: we do not advise that you attempt to clean mold yourself unless it is mildew or it is an extremely tiny amount. Mold is not safe to work with, and if it is not removed properly, it will come back!
Click here to learn how to determine if the mold you are dealing with is mildew or not. Remember, this will determine whether you can clean it yourself or not)
Is Mold Common In Washington State?
In our experience as professional mold remediation company in Washington State, yes, mold is very common in Washington State. But actually, Washington State is not one of top states in the United States for mold. In fact, the World Population Review puts Washington in the bottom 10 states for mold incidents! This is because, while Washington is very rainy and wet, it is not very humid or warm. Mold loves moisture, humidity, and warmth to grow. That’s why more humid states, like Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi have the most mold.
Can Mold Make an Apartment Uninhabitable?
Yes, mold can make an apartment uninhabitable. However, it doesn’t always. Small amounts of mold are usually not dangerous enough to force you out of your apartment. But there are 3 situations with mold where you should leave until it’s removed.
- If someone who lives in the apartment is immunocompromised or is having severe allergic reactions to the mold, you should relocate immediately until the mold is removed. Those who may be considered “immunocompromised” are those with preexisting health conditions such as cancer, asthma, HIV, or an autoimmune disorder. Children and the elderly are also at risk, because they have weaker immune systems. These people are at great risk from mold, and should not be exposed to it!! Leave the apartment as soon as possible and hire a professional mold removal company.
- If the mold is black, you should leave the apartment immediately until the mold is removed. There is a species of black mold that is considered the most toxic mold species there is. Prolonged exposure to it can lead to lung damage, nausea, neurological damage, and even internal hemorrhaging. There is almost no way to tell the extremely toxic black mold from any other kind of black mold. However, we still recommend that you can read about its few distinguishing factors in this guide.
- If the mold has spread further than about 2 square feet of space, you should vacate the apartment until it is removed. Mold is not healthy to live around and breathe in, and the more of it there is, the less healthy it is to stay around it.
We’ve written a whole guide on living in an apartment with mold, what to do if you can’t leave, and more tips on how to seclude the area. Check it out here!
What To Do Next
Once you’ve contacted your landlord about the mold, used our guide to determine if the growth is mildew or mold, and done your best to shut off the moldy area from the rest of the apartment, the next thing you should do (if you’re dealing with mold and not mildew) is to call a professional mold removal company in Washington State.
It may be tempting to try to just clean the mold yourself, but it is necessary to leave most mold cleaning to the professionals. This is because when mold grows in drywall, carpet, or wood, it digs its roots deep and spreads under the surface, where you can’t see it. So even if you clean the mold off the surface, there’s almost certainly more mold under the surface that you can’t reach. Professional mold remediators need to be the ones to remove it completely.
If you live North of Seattle, consider Cleaner Guys as a high-quality, well-trusted option for professional mold removal! We’re known for our affordable prices, award-winning customer service, and top-notch workmanship. Call us right now at (360)757-4300, or message us through the menu at the top of your screen, and let’s talk through your mold problem!
More Resources
Need to know more about mold? Check out some of our other popular articles and guides below!
What Causes Mold In An Apartment? ➜
Top 5 Ways How To Prevent Mold In An Apartment ➜
Top 5 Spots People Miss When Cleaning That Can Cause Mold! ➜
What Happens If You Touch Mold With Your Bare Hands? ➜
To see even more useful articles on mold, leaks, house fires, and more, check out our full blog archive next!
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
