- September 24, 2018
Mold is a four-letter word that no one wants to hear, especially when it’s concerning the property the live in. When renters discover mold growth in their apartment, do they have to live with it, or is there a way to avoid getting sick as a result of being exposed to toxic mold?
These are questions that a Miami mother had after she discovered mold grow in her apartment that led her to contact a local news agency.
The rain showers that fall on South Florida are responsible for the beautiful flora; however, it’s also responsible for something notorious: toxic black mold growth.
Keala Mero, a resident of an apartment in Miami, was concerned about mold. “I was scared because I didn’t know what effects it already had on my family,” she told reporters.
All it takes is a small leak from a window, a roof, or a pipe and you can end up having a huge problem with mold contamination. According to Mero, she noticed that there was black, brownish, and yellowish stuff growing in her neighbor’s apartment.
Mero said that her 6-year-old noticed the mold and that she would point it out on a regular basis. “Mom, it really smells in the apartment next door when we walk by. There’s that smell”, Mero said that her daughter would exclaim on a daily basis.
When Mero saw the mold herself, she said that it explained why her daughter had been experiencing health problems. She claims that her daughter had developed an on-and-off cough, which lasted for about 10 months. She said that when she saw the mold in her neighbor’s apartment, she “put two and two together,” and figured that maybe the two – the mold and her daughter’s health problems – were related.
In addition to her 6-year-old, Mero also has a 9-month old and is pregnant with her third child. Concerned about her family’s health, she asked the manager of the apartment complex to test her apartment for mold.
Mero said that the manger told her that, “we don’t do that”. So, to ensure the safety of her family, Mero paid to have a mold inspection performed in her unit herself. The results of the test confirmed that mold was, indeed, growing in her apartment.
Of the inspector who tested her apartment, Mero said, “ He told me that there’s supposed to be like, 1,000 per square centimeter or something, and there is 15,000 or 20,000 per square centimeter behind the baseboards.”
Mero asked the rental office if she could be transferred to another apartment, but they told her that she would have to pay a $500 transfer fee. She said that she should be liable for a transfer fee because the mold isn’t her fault. For Mero, a single mother, a $500 transfer fee on top of paying movers, is a lot of money.
Mold Inspection & Testing Miami has vast experience performing mold tests in apartment complexes throughout the city. To protect the health of their residents, we strongly urge the owners of Keala Mero to perform regular mold inspections, whether through MI&T or another third-party mold testing company. To speak with an MI&T representative, call 305.999.5131.
