Mold Faithful: Four Things You Need to Know About This Unwelcome House Guest

First, make sure it’s really mold
“When a board is told that a mold condition exists, the first thing the board should do is investigate the circumstances in order to determine whether there’s mold,” says Marc Schneider, a partner in the law firm Schneider Mitola, which specializes in issues affecting cooperatives and condominiums. “Typically, we would recommend that a certified industrial hygienist be brought into examine the mold and do an air quality test to determine whether there are any health-related issues which exist.”

Remember, mold can pose serious health risks
Exposure to mold can produce minor symptoms, such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin irritation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with allergies to mold can suffer more severe reactions, including fever, shortness of breath, even mold infections in their lungs. The CDC adds, “Recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children.”

“It has been determined that mold can cause health effects,” Schneider confirms. “Mold is dangerous if you’re continuously exposed to it. So if you walk out of a room that has mold in it and then you walk away from the condition, typically the risk no longer exists. It’s when you’re living in that condition (that you’re at risk). So a board wants to make sure that you’re not exposing people to a circumstance that puts their health at risk.”

Boards should step in and do the cleanup

With mold, the clock is ticking. Rather than waiting for a shareholder to perform removal and remediation, boards should act quickly to make sure the mold doesn’t spread to other parts of the building.

“It’s not just the apartment with the mold that you’re concerned about,” says Schneider, “it’s the other residents in the building who could suffer effects. Mold travels.”

Adds real estate lawyer Richard Klein, “It’s like the issue with bedbugs. It’s the co-op’s responsibility, and the board should take action because you want to make sure the mold is not spreading anywhere. It could be at the the initial stages, limited to one apartment. But if it’s in the walls, you don’t want it spreading around. So it’s in the board’s best interest to step in and take action right away.”

Who should perform the remediation work?
Your building’s super is not the person to remediate a mold infestation. “Initially, you could send the super to the apartment to make a quick assessment,” says Schneider, “you know, turn off the water, stop water from coming into the apartment.”

But, as mentioned earlier, a certified industrial hygienist should be brought in to determine if mold exists. If it does, a certified remediation company should be contracted to perform the mold removal.

“Those professing to offer these services should be questioned closely,” advises Robert Leighton, president of Leighton Associates, a Queens environmental consulting company. “In addition to asking about the company’s experience in solving similar problems, ask about the training and experience of the staff that will be performing the work.”