What does a rental property owner do when a tenant claims a property has mold but there’s no mold to be found? Claims of mold create liability for landlords. Here’s how a property management company handles mold claims from tenants.
Hi, there! Joe White here from Grow Property Management, your trusted property management company in Philadelphia.
So, I wanted to share something that came up recently with one of our tenants – something I think every landlord or property manager eventually deals with. It started shortly after the tenant moved in. Maybe a month or so in, she submitted a maintenance request through our tenant portal. She said she wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t sure why. According to her, she’d gone to the doctor, and the doctor basically told her he couldn’t find anything wrong – no respiratory issues or anything else measurable. He gave her some general health advice – eat more bananas, get more potassium, that kind of thing – but he also casually mentioned, “Maybe you should check your home for mold.”
That suggestion led her back to us, wondering if there might be mold in the property. Now, I understand the concern. Mold is serious when it’s present. But the challenge here is, we can’t just go into a rental property and start ripping down walls, floors, and ceilings because someone suspects there might be mold. That’s not practical. We need to have a specific reason to justify that kind of investigation – like evidence of water damage, visible signs, or a musty smell. Something that gives us a starting point.
So, I decided to take responsible steps while still protecting ourselves legally and financially. I sent a licensed Philadelphia contractor to the property to perform a visual inspection and a mold test. I asked that the results be sent to me directly, without involving the tenant, just to keep the situation clean and well-documented. When the contractor went out, he didn’t see or smell any signs of mold at all. In fact, he was so confident there was no issue that he skipped the actual mold test. But I insisted he go back and perform it anyway – because from a liability standpoint, we needed documentation that we took the complaint seriously.
So, we had a mold inspection done. It came back clean. No mold. Problem solved, right?
Well, a few months later, she contacts us again. Still not feeling well, and now she’s positive the property has mold. She’s escalated her concerns and has started threatening to contact the housing authority, fair housing, and L&I (Licensing and Inspections). And look, I’m pretty sure she’s serious about it. If she does, the optics are going to be bad. You’ve got a tenant -a woman with a baby claiming her health is suffering due to mold and saying her landlord refuses to do anything. That alone is enough to trigger a response from any city agency, and rightfully so.
But that’s why we always document everything. As soon as she submitted the original maintenance request, we responded quickly. We sent out a licensed third-party contractor -someone not affiliated with our company – to assess the situation. We gave clear instructions: check for water intrusion, assess the need for mold remediation, and perform a mold test. We have all that on file. We even sent out a second contractor just to be doubly sure.
At no point has the tenant ever said she’s seen mold or smelled mold. She’s just convinced it’s there, despite professionals saying otherwise. But again, we took it seriously. We went above and beyond. And now, if L&I or the housing authority comes knocking, I can immediately present the full communication history, the test results, the invoices, and all the actions we’ve taken.
It’s critical that landlords respond to these situations – even when you don’t believe the complaint has merit. You can’t afford to ignore it. A $200 mold test is worth every penny if it protects you from legal issues or damage to your reputation. The key is to look good on paper. You need to be able to show that you were responsive, that you acted in good faith, and that you took the health and safety of your tenant seriously.
But here’s where things get even more complicated. The tenant is now suggesting the entire house might be contaminated – every floor, all three levels, plus the basement. Her implication is that we need to investigate every wall, ceiling, and floor in the entire home. And that’s where I had to have a very honest conversation with her.
If she truly believes mold is present throughout the house, then she needs to understand what it would take to even verify that. We’d have to gut the property – rip down ceilings and walls, tear up floors. And once we start that process, the place becomes unlivable. So I explained to her: if you think you don’t feel well now, imagine how you’ll feel when the house is a construction zone and completely uninhabitable. And for what? For mold that, according to every expert we’ve sent out, doesn’t appear to be there?
To clarify, if we had an obvious issue – like a water leak from a toilet, a failing roof, or visible mold stains – I’d be the first one tearing into walls to get it fixed. But without a clear sign or a location to target, you can’t justify tearing apart an entire property. It would be irresponsible and completely disruptive to the tenant and the property alike.
There’s also something worth mentioning here: not all environmental hazards need to be removed to be made safe. Things like lead, asbestos, and even mold can be encapsulated – meaning if they’re sealed behind drywall or paint and undisturbed, they may not pose a threat. So, while I’m not saying mold is something to ignore (it’s not), I am saying the risk is minimal if it’s sealed away and undetectable by smell or sight. That’s just part of responsible property management.
If you’re a landlord or property owner and you ever find yourself in this situation, here’s my advice: Document everything. Take the complaint seriously. Hire a licensed contractor – not your buddy, not someone who works for you directly – and get that inspection and mold test done. Make sure your communication with the tenant is respectful, professional, and clear, because it might end up in front of a judge or a city inspector.
Don’t try to shortcut it or ignore it. And definitely don’t assume the tenant’s complaint will just go away. Even if it’s baseless, the optics can destroy you if you’re not prepared. Having a licensed third-party contractor’s report, showing both visual inspection and test results, is your strongest defense. And who knows – maybe it’ll help ease the tenant’s mind too.
In this case, I honestly think the tenant is grasping for answers. I don’t doubt that she doesn’t feel well. But I also don’t believe it’s the property that’s making her sick. And while I don’t mean to sound cavalier about someone’s health, I also have a responsibility to the property owner and to the property itself. We can’t tear it apart based on a vague feeling.
So, that’s where we are. A little wiser, a little more cautious, and fully documented. And hopefully, if this ever escalates further, we’ll be ready. Just a humble Philadelphia property manager doing his best to protect tenants and landlords alike.
As always, happy rental property investing.
