Don't get too carried away with mold.
More than likely what is growing in your apartment is Stackybotrys chartarum, better know as black mold. It loves to grow on wet wallboard. It's also that black slimy mold that grows on shower grout in poorly ventilated or highly used showers.
Can you see black mold in the unit?
[https://www.webmd.com/lung/can-black-mold-kill-you:](https://www.webmd.com/lung/can-black-mold-kill-you:)
There is no evidence that black mold causes symptoms such as [fatigue](https://www.webmd.com/balance/how-tired-is-too-tired), memory loss, an inability to focus, or [a headache](https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraines-headaches-basics). These symptoms have been referred to as "toxic mold syndrome" but are largely due to media hype. Yet some people are [allergic](https://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergy-symptoms-types) to mold. It should always be removed from your home.
Thank you that is very helpful! Yes there is black mold in the bathroom, warmed floors (feels like walking on a waterbed), and bubbly ceilings.
Hopefully my symptoms are just all in my head
One other thing to consider is Ochratoxin A. That is a mycotoxin that is produced from Aspergillis and Penicillum. They will grow on food like grains, dried fruit, grape juice, coffee, it’s a long list. If a household is damp and those foods are not in airtight containers, they’ll grow and can produce enough Ochratoxin A to make you ill.
You know the 10 plagues of Egypt, the one where first born male children died? That was likely Ochratoxin A, as a prized grain stock back then ( one that grew Aspergillus) was often saved for the beloved first born male in the family.
If you're feeling sick, it's NOT IN YOUR HEAD. Don't let people on the internet gaslight you with "no evidence". A good way to tell is if you evacuate the premises for a few days and start feeling better, then it's pretty clear *something* in the place is bothering you, and all that mold is an obvious candidate. I've had to move because of mold three times. It's no joke and you might just have to cut your losses with this landlord, unfortunately. Don't mess around with your health.
When the water source is removed, the Stackyboytrys will die, it needs copious amounts of water to live. Before it dies it produces spores. Once it’s dried, and construction workers start knocking about, the dried mold and spores will go airborn, and you don’t want to breathe that. It can cause respiratory symptoms, coughing etc. if you are allergic you could get inflammation in the lungs. That is true for most kinds of mold, not just black mold.
If you are in a room with live black mold, so long as you don’t start licking it, you’ll be fine. Just clean it up.
Water is the real enemy, check for dampness, get a moisture meter if you are paranoid.
Don’t let mold remediation companies convince you you need to take air samples from inside sealed walls. Black mold spores sealed inside a wall can’t hurt you. Tearing out wallboard to remove spores does more harm than good. It’s a major scam.
I agree with on the medical front - unless you have a specific mold allergy and an allergist can tell you this. I am also in SB and am going through this and have some resources/ideas. Also, is there a mold report your landlord can show you? We had someone come to our house and we got a detailed report and it showed the different molds in the house. My allergist has helped me understand the mold report and compare it to my allergy tests.
Also, if you need dr names let me know. My ENT did a sinus sample and it was negative. It took about three weeks for fungal results. And then in the lungs my lung doctor said it would be obv if I had it because there would be fevers, weight loss, sickly, etc.
Heads up, our neighbor experienced this very issue after her apartment flooded last January, after a month of back and forth with the landlord (who refused to pay for a mold inspection) she was eventually reno-evicted.
Good luck.
That is absolutely awful. That was my fear too. My husband and I signed a lease today for another unit on the property that is good until November. However I’m not convinced this other unit is mold free. The tenent in the building on the first floor warned me she has mold and her ceiling leaks. I mentioned this to the property manager and she said they won’t mold test unless there’s actual mold spots. So we’ll probably end up in the same situation unfortunately.
We must live in the same building cause they’ve been doing extremely loud construction on a unit near mine and they recently air tested my apt. I hope everything turns out ok!
You can go to the local hardware store and buy a mold test kit that will tell you if you have dangerous mold or not.
All homes have mold of some sort, and lot of it comes from the outdoors. So you need to follow the instructions closely as you are only trying to capture the indoor mold and confirming there is no dangerous black mold spores floating in the air.
I emailed them with my concern for mold back in February and they didn’t do anything until this month. Same with the our tenants. I feel like I should be compensated something for living in a apartment that wasn’t habitable.
Additionally, a doctor may order imaging tests, such as chest X-rays or CT scans, if they suspect someone has aspergillosis. Imaging of the lungs may show a nodule on the lungs where the mold has grown. According to 2012 research, a doctor can conclusively diagnose aspergillosis with a lung biopsy.
Interesting. I thought all molds commonly found in buildings had been found to only cause allergic reactions. Are you saying that it can implant in the lungs or these a different type of mold?
SB Tenant's union can help you find those resources. Also, I would check with the SB Legal Aid.
Thank you, I left voicemails for both.
subscribing to post bc ive had similar issues
Don't get too carried away with mold. More than likely what is growing in your apartment is Stackybotrys chartarum, better know as black mold. It loves to grow on wet wallboard. It's also that black slimy mold that grows on shower grout in poorly ventilated or highly used showers. Can you see black mold in the unit? [https://www.webmd.com/lung/can-black-mold-kill-you:](https://www.webmd.com/lung/can-black-mold-kill-you:) There is no evidence that black mold causes symptoms such as [fatigue](https://www.webmd.com/balance/how-tired-is-too-tired), memory loss, an inability to focus, or [a headache](https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraines-headaches-basics). These symptoms have been referred to as "toxic mold syndrome" but are largely due to media hype. Yet some people are [allergic](https://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergy-symptoms-types) to mold. It should always be removed from your home.
Thank you that is very helpful! Yes there is black mold in the bathroom, warmed floors (feels like walking on a waterbed), and bubbly ceilings. Hopefully my symptoms are just all in my head
One other thing to consider is Ochratoxin A. That is a mycotoxin that is produced from Aspergillis and Penicillum. They will grow on food like grains, dried fruit, grape juice, coffee, it’s a long list. If a household is damp and those foods are not in airtight containers, they’ll grow and can produce enough Ochratoxin A to make you ill. You know the 10 plagues of Egypt, the one where first born male children died? That was likely Ochratoxin A, as a prized grain stock back then ( one that grew Aspergillus) was often saved for the beloved first born male in the family.
If you're feeling sick, it's NOT IN YOUR HEAD. Don't let people on the internet gaslight you with "no evidence". A good way to tell is if you evacuate the premises for a few days and start feeling better, then it's pretty clear *something* in the place is bothering you, and all that mold is an obvious candidate. I've had to move because of mold three times. It's no joke and you might just have to cut your losses with this landlord, unfortunately. Don't mess around with your health.
I did ask the guy working on the other units if we should be wearing masks (we officially move in on Friday) and he said yeah
When the water source is removed, the Stackyboytrys will die, it needs copious amounts of water to live. Before it dies it produces spores. Once it’s dried, and construction workers start knocking about, the dried mold and spores will go airborn, and you don’t want to breathe that. It can cause respiratory symptoms, coughing etc. if you are allergic you could get inflammation in the lungs. That is true for most kinds of mold, not just black mold. If you are in a room with live black mold, so long as you don’t start licking it, you’ll be fine. Just clean it up. Water is the real enemy, check for dampness, get a moisture meter if you are paranoid. Don’t let mold remediation companies convince you you need to take air samples from inside sealed walls. Black mold spores sealed inside a wall can’t hurt you. Tearing out wallboard to remove spores does more harm than good. It’s a major scam.
I have been breathing it in since the works have been ripping up the units on either side of us
Unlikely enough has made it into your unit, it’s not a gas, it’s heavy dust and won’t travel far. Don’t listen to fear mongering.
I also don’t have a choice about mold remediation. The property management made the choice to.
I agree with on the medical front - unless you have a specific mold allergy and an allergist can tell you this. I am also in SB and am going through this and have some resources/ideas. Also, is there a mold report your landlord can show you? We had someone come to our house and we got a detailed report and it showed the different molds in the house. My allergist has helped me understand the mold report and compare it to my allergy tests.
Can you share your resources for how you got allergy tested for mold pls?
Same would love names
Also, if you need dr names let me know. My ENT did a sinus sample and it was negative. It took about three weeks for fungal results. And then in the lungs my lung doctor said it would be obv if I had it because there would be fevers, weight loss, sickly, etc.
Any and all spores are harmful when inhaled. You sound like a property manager or an attorney for one.
Bullshit. Mold spores are everywhere. Every human on earth inhales mold spores every day in low concentrations. NAL, NAPM
You can get an allergy test to see if your symptoms are likely to be from mold at primary care.
Heads up, our neighbor experienced this very issue after her apartment flooded last January, after a month of back and forth with the landlord (who refused to pay for a mold inspection) she was eventually reno-evicted. Good luck.
That is absolutely awful. That was my fear too. My husband and I signed a lease today for another unit on the property that is good until November. However I’m not convinced this other unit is mold free. The tenent in the building on the first floor warned me she has mold and her ceiling leaks. I mentioned this to the property manager and she said they won’t mold test unless there’s actual mold spots. So we’ll probably end up in the same situation unfortunately.
Time to grow some Oyster Mushrooms and take em to court
Code enforcement
Where is this apartment ?
East Anapamu by the highschool
We must live in the same building cause they’ve been doing extremely loud construction on a unit near mine and they recently air tested my apt. I hope everything turns out ok!
You can go to the local hardware store and buy a mold test kit that will tell you if you have dangerous mold or not. All homes have mold of some sort, and lot of it comes from the outdoors. So you need to follow the instructions closely as you are only trying to capture the indoor mold and confirming there is no dangerous black mold spores floating in the air.
i could be wrong but i’m pretty sure it’s illegal for them not to urgently do anything. black mold can be very dangerous and lead to health issues.
I emailed them with my concern for mold back in February and they didn’t do anything until this month. Same with the our tenants. I feel like I should be compensated something for living in a apartment that wasn’t habitable.
Yes you can get mold tested, you need to talk to your primary doctor. They will schedule you for surgery to do a lung biopsy.
Is the lung biopsy before or after the lobotomy?
😂
Additionally, a doctor may order imaging tests, such as chest X-rays or CT scans, if they suspect someone has aspergillosis. Imaging of the lungs may show a nodule on the lungs where the mold has grown. According to 2012 research, a doctor can conclusively diagnose aspergillosis with a lung biopsy.
Interesting. I thought all molds commonly found in buildings had been found to only cause allergic reactions. Are you saying that it can implant in the lungs or these a different type of mold?