Dr. Cohen is a snowbird, who usually resides in his South Florida condo six months out of the year. Upon returning from his stay up north, he finds that while he was away, his toilet overflowed, causing mold all over his bathroom.
However, since Dr. Cohen and the association may not have known about the mold for months, since Dr. Cohen was out of town, the 14 day notice may have lapsed, leaving Dr. Cohen and/or the association responsible for the entire cost of the mold remediation, which can run up to $6,000.
Situations like the one mentioned above, brings many condo associations to consider if the association should conduct checks during the months the units are vacant. By law, condo associations have the right to access all units for maintenance, at reasonable hours, with notice. Condo associations also have the right to require unit owners to provide keys to their units. If condo associations are able to conduct periodic checks of the snowbirds’ units, it could prevent mold from becoming a major issue.
Mold can be extremely dangerous causing respiratory problems, infections and asthmatic episodes.
Mold can easily be prevented by noticing the following signs and acting immediately:
Here are the beginning signs of mold to look out for:
Types of Mold:
Mold Remediation:
If you discover a water leakage in your condo or suspect mold damage, contact your insurance company right away. Also, contact a mold remediation specialist immediately. The specialist will inspect the surroundings to figure out the scope of the infestation, as well as the source. It is estimated that mold remediation can cost anywhere from $500 to $6,000, depending on the type of mold and the severity.
Have you or your condo association experienced an issue with mold? Tell us how you handled it in the comments section below.