SLQ's Profile

I lived in Seattle and successfully got a new fridge two years ago. Here's what I did: (1) I bought an inexpensive fridge thermometer, which showed that it was not consistently keeping the interior below 40 degrees, which is a safety hazard; (2) I had Seattle City Light come in and do a free energy audit, and they found that the fridge was so old it was a huge energy hog (it didn't even have a frost-free freezer!); (3) Seattle City Light wrote me a letter to that effect; and (4) I submitted a maintenance request asking politely that it be replaced and why, attaching the SCL letter. What they did was move in a newer fridge from an empty unit (my landlords were awful about spending any money at all, as you can imagine from the 60s era not-frost-free fridge.) But it worked for me, as what I cared about was that my food was not adequately cold and I hated defrosting the freezer. (P.S. I don't live there anymore, due to the crappy maintenance issues.)

In Washington, landlords are governed by the Residential Landlord Tenant Act. Under the act, they have a duty to "maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied by him or her in reasonably good working order." http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.060. (Disclaimer: this is legal information, not legal advice). : )

So, with that knowledge in mind, you can make your request, see what they propose, and go from there (offering to pay for upgraded appliances, if necessary). Good luck!

Here is some good information:

http://www.epa.gov/mold/pdfs/moldguide.pdf

http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/mold-and-dampness.html

http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/emergencies-disasters/flood-water-damage.html

I'm an attorney. At this stage, this is a landlord/tenant repair issue. As some posters have said, you need to find out what the landlord/tenant law is in your state and follow the information regarding repairs. Landlords and tenants have duties that are specified by law. Some states have specific statutes regarding mold (CA is one). Whatever your LLT act says, I suggest putting your repair request in writing and sending it certified mail to your landlord. Then, the landlord has X number of days to repair it. Generally, there are different deadlines for beginning work on different types of problems. In my state, it's 24 hours for emergencies (heat, water, plumbing), 3 days for serious problems (large appliances), and 10 days for everything else.

If there is a tenant's union in your area, or a free legal hotline, that is also a good place to start. The American Lung Association does free inspections for this kind of thing, in some areas. (You can google American Lung Home Health Assessment.) Mold is a tricky issue, and, depending on what you want, you may need an attorney.

If there is no mold information in your LLT law, one approach is to focus on the moisture/ventilation issue. Landlords generally have a duty of providing a safe and healthy environment. Moisture/ventilation issues may violate that part of the code. Also, if the ventilation is not up to code, you may contact building code enforcement for information and an inspection. If there is a plumbing leak, a repair is clearly needed, which would include repair of the wall.

Note that repair of the wall will likely require replacement of drywall, and possibly removal of the tile to check for moisture behind it. Painting over it with KILZ does not repair the moisture already inside the drywall, which is a source of mold until the wet drywall is removed. Once an area is thoroughly dry, and there is no danger of further moisture issues, KILZ can cover an old water stain. It can't solve a moisture problem or "un-moisture" wet drywall.

Bottom line is that you have a right to a safe, healthy environment. Conditions that allow for mold growth are not safe/healthy. You also have a duty, as a tenant, to bring these issues to your landlord's attention immediately. Good luck.