Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Apr 22, 2015 1:52 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by AllyM [NJ]) Apr 22, 2015 6:37 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by JR [ME]) Apr 22, 2015 7:33 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Apr 22, 2015 7:36 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Apr 22, 2015 7:37 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Cat [WI]) Apr 22, 2015 9:59 PM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Apr 23, 2015 4:41 AM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by AllyM [NJ]) Apr 23, 2015 7:53 AM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Apr 23, 2015 8:58 AM
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 1:52 PM Message:
State Specific Question About: NORTH CAROLINA (NC)
I have a rental property in GA but today I've got a question from the "tenant" perspective. I moved into an apartment community about 2 months ago. Absolutely love my unit, the neighborhood, etc. When I moved in, I noticed a water stain and tear above the fireplace. There is also a long, rusty stain near the tain. It's not super dark but faint. I indicated as such on my move-in report and figured they might have had a problem before, but was thinking surely they handled things between last tenant and the time I moved in.
It rained the first month I was here....no leaking. Then last week is started to leak. Not horribly, but water was dripping from the ceiling. I then noticed a moisture spot on my bedroom ceiling. Nowhere near as bad as living room area, but I noticed it. I submitted online maintenance request 1 week ago. Service manager said he reached out to roofing company but has not given me an ETA as to when they will be back.
It rained since I first submitted request, and more dripping occurred.
Question: is there a high probability that mold is up there and only getting worse until they come out?
I noticed mold in the linen closet when first moved in....near the floor. The closed is adjacent to the AC unit and the service person said there was no leak there, it was simply condensation from the AC unit. He then sprayed Lysol and that was it.
Can I insist that service department conducts a mold test?
Thanks for any feedback you have.....it will be most appreciated. --65.190.xx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by AllyM [NJ]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 6:37 PM Message:
Probably a leak near the chimney on the roof because the flashing was not installed properly.
Had the ssme think happen when I rented a house in MA years ago. It was a one story and I went up in the attic when it poured one day and there was a one inch gap and water was rushing in alongside the chimney. I shoved a bunch of clothing in the gap and called the landlord.
You can ask them to check for mold. They didn't fix the problem between tenants or the stain and certainly did not paint since you saw the stain. Probably why the last tenant moved.
I had a chimney that leaked and tried everything to get it fixed. It would cause plaster loss in the bedroom below it. No one could find the cause. Two years ago I had the big oak tree next to the house cut down just in time for Hurricane Sandy. If that thing had gone down it would have torn up a sidewalk and stone garage wall. Anyway, the leak is no longer in the ceiling. The stone chimney was soaking up water through the mortar and never drying out because the tree was shading it. Now there is no more leak. --73.33.xxx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by JR [ME]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 7:33 PM Message:
Mold is more of a scary thing than an actual threat to 99% of humans. The plaintiff's bar has milked this cash cow or all its worth. I woudn't worry about itoone bit The roof leak does need to be addressed, but if you have notified the landlord, there is not much else you can do. --45.46.xxx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 7:36 PM Message:
Glad your leak went away AllyM. I really love my apartment but I am disappointed that it's been a week and nothing has been done by maintenance.
Maybe they were thinking the next tenant wouldn't notice / complain about it? Yep, I didn't look up during the walk through but noticed it on Day 2 when filling out the inspection report.
I was prepared to ignore ot, but when it started dripping, it's kinda hard to.
I hope they do the right thing and test for mold. I mean the place "feels" clean but I did see a little bit of mold in the closet. Therefore, who knows what's under the ceiling.
--65.190.xx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 7:37 PM Message:
Thanks, JR. Yeah, I've been here 2 months and no health issues. I just keep thinking how many times does it have to rain before they come out here. --65.190.xx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Cat [WI]) Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 9:59 PM Message:
If it was me, I think I would contact them again, maybe by mail or text, since you have already contacted them in writing.
From my prospective as a landlord, I have had leaks in the past and the repairman had come and supposedly fixed them, only to have them leak again or have had issues, trying to get them fixed, when the repairman is backed up doing other jobs. Sometimes, as landlords, we need to wait until they have the time to do the work. I am not saying that the leak should not have been fixed to start with, but maybe the landlord was assured that it was fixed and it was not.
From a landlord prospective, mold complaints are now a sore issue for me, after a tenant used it for an excuse to try to extort money from me. I also think that tenants sometimes jump to mold complaints because it has been in the spotlight so often the last couple years.
I had this complaint myself, from a tenant that I knew was trying to force me to pay for his doctor bills, which had nothing to do with me or my apartment. He was very overweight and a heavy smoker and started complaining about mold in the bathroom. I saw NO mold. I paid for the mold inspection (which was not cheap) and he was angry because no mold was found anywhere in the entire apartment. He even argued with the inspector (which HE chose and I paid for) because nothing was found. He wanted there to be mold and there was not even a moisture issue in the unit.
It just makes landlords cringe these days because it has become an excuse for tenants to end leases, get compensation, etc, from landlords or at the very least, force a landlord to get an expensive mold inspection/testing. I hear prospective tenants complain to me that they need to move out because of mold and yet seem to not be in a hurry at all. One tenant said she was desperate to get out of her place because of dangerous mold but would not rent my place because she said her headboard to her bed would not fit along the wall where the bed would need to go. The bed would fit but not the big headboard. I knew right then, that she was not worried about mold. Who would choose keeping a headboard over getting her kids away from a mold situation if it was the dangerous type mold (and most are NOT)? A lot of the time it is mildew. Moisture CANNOT be allowed to build up in showers, etc. That is what exhaust fans and/or windows are for, in a bathroom but many tenants do not use the exhaust fan or clean up excess water.
I am not saying any of this is the issue that you have but just from a landlord point of view, I never used to get prospective tenants even mentioning mold and now it seems common place to use it as an excuse to move around here. I am sure it is even worse in larger cities. --45.53.xx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Posted on: Apr 23, 2015 4:41 AM Message:
Hi Cat --- yes I read your story on here....you handled it well and glad it had a positive outcome. My situation is different in that I LOVE the apartment, the community....I in no way want to leave. I am here to stay hopefully for another year past my lease and my lease just started. I think my concern stems from the service manager's slow response. Up until now I have been 110% happy with everything. But with more rain in the forecast, I just don't want anything "growing" in the ceilings and walls! Maybe they were assured that it was fixed by contractor but apparently it never was.
The service manager is nice but is lacking in follow-up and communication and that is what I don't like. --65.190.xx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by AllyM [NJ]) Posted on: Apr 23, 2015 7:53 AM Message:
Can you see the roof from the ground? What is directly over your unit? Is there a gutter nearby above your unit?
Where are the bathrooms located in the units? Is there one above and near the leak location?
Closet floors can get mildew which looks like mold from someone throwing wet boots in there and there is no air circulation.
I don't know how to make an unwilling landlord or management company to take notice. I go out right away to look at an issue. They may know what is causing the problem and intend to do some big work on the roof but are not communicating with you. Sometimes clerks etc. are not the brightest and just don't communicate with tenants.
You might want to send a certified letter the address where your rent goes. --73.33.xxx.xxx |
Leak in ceiling /mold? (by Dawn [NC]) Posted on: Apr 23, 2015 8:58 AM Message:
Well, the major leak area is above the fireplace. But there is also a 3 inch wide moisture spot on the bedroom ceiling...which is on the opposite side of the unit....far away from the fireplace.
The linen closet is on the other side of the room from the fireplace. No, the bathroom is nowhere near the leak.
I think this has been an ongoing problem....maintenance is well aware of it....and they're just taking their time handling it. I'm in a huge apartment complex owned by a big corporation. Still, it's been 8 days since I submitted the work order and no one has come out. All I get is we've notified the roof company....that's it. They didn't respond to my email about mold inspection. Lousy communication. I'm in love with the apartment and won't be going anywhere...I just wish they would do their job and and at least act concerned.
Today the sun is out so I'm relaxed. It's supposed to rain over the weekend, so I'm sure I'll be mad then again...errgh --65.190.xx.xxx |
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