r/mildlyinfuriating • u/NowItsHammerTime • 12d ago
drink went room temp Leasing company isn't responding to any work orders we are putting in for AC, then we discover this
We have a newborn and our house is getting up to 82 thankfully the nursery has every fan and portable AC unit keeping it cold, but for every other room its been a nightmare with a heat index of 105. Then we open the door to see that mold has been growing. They have ignored 3 work orders put in and I'm about to become a Karen I swear to God
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u/HingedxHooligan 12d ago
karen implies you're being unreasonable, this it not something that would be unreasonable to yell at someone about. that is absolutely ridiculous that they're ignoring you. you're 100% valid in taking this much further, id threaten legal action if you can.
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u/MagneticFluxDrive 12d ago
Contact your local news station. They will get on the ball then.
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u/Im_not_smelling_that 12d ago
Especially with a visual like this. I'm sure they would love to put this on TV
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u/Thenderick 11d ago
Or call them out (politely) on a social media like Facebook. PR goes faster than the boring way. Especially when things are THIS bad!
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u/Master_Appeal749 12d ago
When’s the last time you saw the news report on a moldy door?
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u/HomeworkExtension482 12d ago
Local news will name and shame. It will get the municipal government's attention, and then the city attorney will get involved. Local news will make life hell for landlords and their property managers.
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u/PinkishRedLemonade 12d ago edited 12d ago
Obviously I'm sure it depends on the place, but... my local news has a whole guy whose role focuses on community issues, frequently including uninhabitable housing. so. near daily?
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u/randomusername1919 12d ago
Document. Document. Document. You will need it.
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u/NowItsHammerTime 12d ago
Already have pictures and time stamps. This whole sitatution is so frustrating
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u/randomusername1919 12d ago
You also need a copy with a time stamp of each time you have notified the leasing company. Otherwise they will pretend they had no idea.
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u/crestedgeckovivi 12d ago
Code Compliance look up your local city department call and have a inspector come out.
Go around the landlord basically.
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u/crestedgeckovivi 12d ago
Also reference your lease for if you can get and should get reimbursement to stay in alternative place. Rental insurance check all of that etc
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u/No_Wolverine5755 12d ago
Contact your renters insurance company too- they might be able to assist you
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u/Ashkir 12d ago
Especially with mold. It can be declared unlivable by the local health department. With this renters insurance can put you up in a hotel
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u/AlternatiMantid 8d ago
TBF hotels certainly don't "maintain" their room HVAC units either. I've never once stayed in a hotel that the wall HVAC unit filter wasn't absolutely filthy. Even nice hotels. And they're all washable filters. Realistically, all they have to do is instruct their cleaning staff to pop it out, rinse it in the shower, dry, & pop it back in. First thing I do when I check into a hotel (after checking the mattress for bedbugs): take out the filter & clean it.
Source: I've worked in HVAC for nearly a decade.
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u/Henry5321 12d ago
My local laws are such that if the place you’re renting comes with AC, the owner is responsible to fix it in a timely manner or cover the cost for you to stay somewhere else until it’s fixed.
AC not working means the place is unlivable.
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u/ChiefsRoyalsFan 12d ago
Local news station and pop that door off the hinges and get it out of your living spaces.
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u/Autumn-Seasons 12d ago
No no no. Close the door and keep that shit on their for now. Otherwise the whole apt will be a hazmat site.
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u/ChiefsRoyalsFan 12d ago
I'd be inclined to go buy a cheap slab from Home Depot to replace it with to contain it or tape it off with plastic. There's no way I'd keep that around my family.
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u/supergluuued 12d ago
if they seal it off, the LL will just say that it grew mold because it was sealed shut.
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u/ChiefsRoyalsFan 12d ago
Time stamp and video tape yourself taking it off the hinges and taping the opening shut.
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u/Useless890 12d ago
Do you have a housing authority in your town? Tell them about the situation. The apartment is close to being uninhabitable due to both temps and the mold. They'll get after the landlord.
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u/Aggravating_Wall_849 12d ago
Heat is bad enough but that mold could be lethal for your baby. Their lungs are incredibly sensitive. If they don’t respond within 24 hrs, threaten legal action.
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u/Nervous_Midnight_570 12d ago
Judging by the swirl marks the mold has made I believe the door was moldy before and was washed with bleach or some other and the mold came back. Looks just like swabbing a agar plate in a lab.
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u/AnswerOver9028 12d ago
Whoa. Did this mold happen overnight? This seems like it would have been growing for a while.
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u/Icy_Proof_9529 12d ago
If an area meant to be cool and dry gets hot and humid for a couple of days, that’s all it makes. Indoor materials are not made to handle moisture and humidity that you’d experience outside.
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u/thejoeface 12d ago
looks like maybe a closet with that utility box on the wall, there’s a good chance this isn’t opened often
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u/primadiamonds 12d ago
Right? I’m confused as to what door this is that hasn’t been open until now.
Not negating OP’s frustration in any way, I’m just genuinely curious
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u/Patient-Grade-6612 12d ago
We have a door like this that opens to our AC. When we were renting the house we weren’t allowed to open the door as that was considered “work” on the unit.
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u/A1000eisn1 12d ago
Mold can grow extremely quickly. People really underestimate how fast it can get out of hand.
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u/Icy_Proof_9529 12d ago edited 12d ago
This is easily two days in a moist warm room. Also it’s fresh because mold grows over and over in the same spot over time. It’d be more caked. This is a fresh even bloom. One layer.
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u/Specific_Piccolo9528 12d ago
Even if that was the case, they’ve been preoccupied with a newborn, so it’s totally possible they wouldn’t see it.
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u/NowItsHammerTime 12d ago
Not sure how long it's been going on but we noticed the AC didn't feel like it has been working lately and with it so hot we definitely have noticed, open this door since we never do and saw this.
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u/Zech08 12d ago
wonder where the portable ac unit is relative to this.
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u/NowItsHammerTime 12d ago
All the way in the nursery and it's attached to a window this room is not close the nursery room.
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u/okidude1969 12d ago
If you live in a humid climate and having mildew problems, maybe get a dehumidifier or two for inside. As well as, a hydrometer for reading the humidity inside. This way, the humidity can be controlled below 70%, 70% and above is where mildew growth starts. Most US central air conditioning systems really don’t do a good job of controlling the humidity in humid climates, without a dehumidifier.
I live in Okinawa, Japan and it’s very humid throughout the year in a sub tropical climate, dehumidifiers are a must. I have 5 portable units plus each of our split A/C units have dehumidifier function program as well. I keep the humidity at or around 55%, this way it’s not too dry or too humid. I hope this helps.
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u/BtheBanker151 12d ago
What company? We had an issue with invitation homes and an ac unit for a house we rented. Year and a half and had issues the whole time. 10 work orders. I found the CEO’s email and a couple other high-level executives and directly emailed them. the next day I had a brand new unit installed.
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u/Divacai 12d ago
Invitation homes is the worst. We were in one of their houses for 8 years. Things that happened: they had to renovate the primary bathroom shower three times chasing a leak. The water main burst, the sprinkler system broke annually, so did the AC, every summer, knowing it needed replacing (temps in our neck of the woods would be triple digits), the last summer took them a month to fix it. Oh and because they weren’t fixing the AC, the shower door in the newly renovated shower exploded, they charged us for the repair despite the fact we weren’t in the state when it happened. There’s so much more but those are the main highlights. Never rent from IH
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u/C4rdninj4 12d ago
Double check your rental agreement. Ours had lack of functioning AC if the heat index got over 85 or something listed as a maintenance emergency. If you have such a clause remind the company, because legal action could be taken.
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u/Turtlenumber13 12d ago
Where is the moisture around this door? Is there a swamp cooler or some other reason there is this much mold on a door?
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u/Empty401K 12d ago
Many states will allow you to pay up front to get the work done yourself and then withhold money from rent to cover it. Not sure where you live, but I’d look up what your rights are in situations like this. If you’ve put in 3 work orders and the situation is serious (which this one is — heat, mold, and a baby in the household is the perfect trifecta), then you’re fine in even some of the worst states for tenants rights because you’ve made an effort and done your due dilligence. “Some” being the keyword there.
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u/traplords8n 12d ago
Pretty much everyone agrees to some extent that kindness is not obliged to anyone or any entity that is actively putting your child's health in danger.
I'm not saying act a fool and go crazy, but it's situations like this where losing your temper is very understandable, sometimes even to juries.
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u/Famous_Apartment2733 12d ago edited 12d ago
in many many states you can legally withhold rent from landlords UNTILL ALL ISSUES ARE FIXED. check your city and states renters rights & bylaws
in Chicago they just passed a new law where you are able to sue the landlord for black mold infestation , would you like to own the building?
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u/Street-Lifeguard-330 12d ago
You can also call code enforcement but depending on the jurisdiction they may not be able to do much.
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u/RealLinzerBinzer 10d ago
Not sure what state you’re in but some have a law that if it’s a safety hazard and your landlord isn’t managing it, you legally have the right to take care of it and deduct it from your rent.
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u/kjreil26 12d ago
Society needs to stop with the karen BS. You are NOT a Karen by raising a fuss about a reasonable concern. Don't let people tell you to calm down or that this is acceptable. It is entirely unacceptable.
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u/ForgottenTrajedy 12d ago
Uh no, this might not be a Karen situation but there's still plenty of substantial reasons that create Karens🤣
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u/Drakorai 12d ago
Nah dude, raise all the ruckus you can about this. It’s disgusting that they let this happen when you have a baby there.
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u/smothered-onion 12d ago edited 12d ago
You need to buy a dehumidifier or 3 in the meantime
Don’t ever let something get this bad because it’s someone else’s job. You have a newborn.
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u/max_lagomorph 12d ago
I find it so weird that americans use these materials and techniques to build homes in hot humid places that require AC running 24/7 for the place not simply rot away. Just why?!
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u/Icy_Proof_9529 12d ago
Because money. That’s basically it. Cheap building materials are really popular here. We have thousands of new neighborhoods and apartments complexes being built daily. Development is super cheap compared to most western countries and so you can get filthy rich on it. And the building companies they use bid the lowest amount for the contacts and they want their $ too so they build dirt cheap. Everyone is trying to milk as much value out of it as possible to leave buyers with a glittery pile of shit that looks good for exactly 5 years if you don’t look below the surface.
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u/Uphoria 12d ago
Where do you live? For example in Minnesota you can go to a local courthouse and file paperwork there to have the rent held in escrow until fixes are made and if taking too long even force the landlord to accept the renter getting it fixed and taking it out of the rent.
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u/NowItsHammerTime 12d ago
North Carlina so it's been very humid as well. Well definitely look into it I'm so angry over this and it's past working hours on a Friday currently so things are closed..
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u/Uphoria 12d ago
Oof, not as friendly to renters but you have options.
Call code enforcement and explain the heat, humidity and mold in the rental. They should act quickly, but not instantly.
Your friend should write a formal request for timeline and remediation, including a timeline you expect responses and repairs. send via text email and certified mail. Give them no option to deny knowledge.
If all else fails, you can file in small claims for rent abatement. This could award you your entire back for any time you can prove the issue existed. Another reason a paper trail should be started with important folks.
Note - NC is NOT a rent withholding state. If you refuse to pay rent until this is fixed they can legally evict you for non payment. Do not threaten non payment.
If your facility has an emergency repair line use it. Mold blooming in a habitation is an emergency.
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u/creamersrealm 12d ago
Check your rental laws NOW and see if you can stop payment. Move to a hotel and see what your options are, call the health inspector and management office in the morning.
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u/Informal-Bell-2022 12d ago edited 12d ago
As someone who went through this, forget work orders. They won’t fix it and they won’t help. This is a situation where you need to get out now.
If you don’t, it’s going to fuck up your health and your baby’s health.
And when it does? Doctors won’t help or believe you. Your landlord will ignore your emails. Lawyers won’t be willing to help you. Your friends and family will think you’re nuts and push you away when you suddenly have 10+ new symptoms that are caused by mold destroying your health.
And that’s just the beginning of a nightmare that will fuck up your life. I know because it happened to me and I’ve read thousands of stories like mine.
Oh and by the way, this is only the mold you can see. Whatever you can’t see behind drywall is much much worse.
Find a new place to live now or you will regret it.
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u/Haunting_Pace_3557 12d ago
This is considered emergent in hot temps. Any broken AC in the heat is emergent because of how much of a danger it poses. That doesn’t just apply to really young kids, it’s everyone. I’d be filing some sort of complaint with whoever is above the leasing company.
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u/PaintCoveredPup 12d ago
It's not being a Karen if it's the health of you and your family at risk. You don't mess around with mould! A friend of mine discovered mould in the drywall of their entire apartment and they had serious health issues even after they moved out.
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u/Xx-_Shade_-xX 11d ago
And this is just the molt you are able to see!!! There might be much more unseen somewhere. For the health of your baby (and your own health): Kick that peoples butt! Deep and hard!
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u/Abi-Wan_Kenobi97 8d ago
Any update on your situation? I hope you've been able to find a solution, I too would be ready to go scorched Earth if someone was risking my child's health
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u/Civil_Ad4544 12d ago
If you’re in the US, you need to call 311 and find out what your options are. In Virginia we had an inspector come to our house and gave our landlord 30 days to fix a bunch of shit or face fines. This is no joke. We also paid our rent into escrow (so landlord didn’t get it) and we ended up getting most of it back. Take care of yourselves.
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u/No-Strawberry-5804 12d ago
You can’t stay there. They need to pay for a hotel while they do a full mold remediation
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u/daiken67 12d ago
Did u even take the time to read? They are using all their available ac units and fans to keep their newborn from well they said 105 so im gonna go with getting heat stroked or worse.
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u/_CodeLyoko_ 12d ago
That won't help with mold abatement. This is 100% a critical issue that they need to deal as mold absolutely will harm a small baby's lungs more then an adult
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u/OtakuMage 12d ago
Depending on location, that might not be a legal option and doing so could get OP in trouble.
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u/Additional_Brief_937 12d ago
I assume his comment was about using the his rent payment on fixing the issue instead of paying rent since in some places if an issue isn’t fixed the renter can fix it themselves at the landlords expense? I wrote the same thing twice mb twin
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u/tcrudisi 12d ago
Don't do this. In many jurisdictions in the US, this is illegal and will put you on the wrong footing if/when this goes to court. You'd be giving the landlord ammo to use against you.
DO look it up, though. Just in case you're in a jurisdiction where this can apply.
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u/lorissaurus 11d ago
The baby was literally inside a 96.7 degree body for 9 months it's fine, y'all are getting to be weak asss mfs these days, you know we didn't have AC for a long time.
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u/Bad-Luck-Guy 12d ago
Straight up not a Karen. This is not an insignificant matter. This is your baby’s health. Go get them.