Landlord/Mold issue...help?

[suddenlyamama]

Hi there mamas,

So we live in the Bay Area of California where it is generally pretty moist. 

That being said we have little pools of water at the bottom of our windows. We also have mold growing along the ceilings. Not a ton, but enough to notice and clean with bleach. We have tons of mold all over our windows (In the crevices, latch, etc)

Also we moved a filing cabinet and it had mold growing up the back of it last week. 

We have only lived in our house for 6 months but it has been long enough to discover many things about our house that doesn't seem right.  Like moist floors, a strange mold smell when the sun hits the roof, and large gaps from the door to the outside. 

How do I address this issue with our Landlord? We are getting worried that the mold problem might create future health problems for our 5 mth old. I have also been suffering from a ton of migraines since moving in here, but have always chalked it up to hormones. Could it be mold?

Thanks for your advice.

[justmama]

It could totally be mold-related.  We had mold issues in our last home after a flood and our landlord didn't want to fix it.  Refused actually.  So we ended up having to move and lo and behold, the constant migraines and post-nasal drip werre gone.  I wouldn't hesitate to mention it to the landlord and ask that it be fixed.  A dehumidifer would be first on my list of things to request the landlord purchase.  That will remove the source of the mold.  And then you can deal with clean-up.  If the air is too wet, no matter how many times you bleach down the mold you see growing, you'll always keep having to do it.  Mold loves porous things like carpet and wood and paper and any fabrics really.  Washing linens in hot water is a good idea.  If you do have carpets, you may want to talk to the landlord about removing them.  They harbor mold like nobody's business.  Definitely call up yo ur landlord and just mention that you've seen these things and you've been cleaning it with bleach and water but you are concerned as to the health risks.  Tell him you don't feel comfortable living in a home that has mold and you really would like him to come check it out and buy you a dehumidifier to fix the problem.  Also, add anything else you feel he should be responsible for.  Mold is a SERIOUS health concern, don't feel like you are being nitpicky here.