I received a call from the long-term tenants in this old apartment on the peninsula about possible mold growth, and I saw numerous issues which are very likely producing mold growth. My meters detected moisture behind the original wall tile above the bathtub on all three walls, and also under the counter tile to the right of the kitchen sink (depicted in photo below).
The quarter-round tiles across the front of the sink are actually all missing, and the rusted edge of the original cast iron sink is visible. The substrate under this kitchen counter tile is most likely dimensional 1 by 8 lumber, which was commonly used in this era of construction. This substrate has probably been wet for numerous years, and mold spores are likely growing on this substrate.
The tenants told me that their landlord is not very responsive to their requests for repairs, and this is a common lament from my clients who rent their homes and apartments. One of the reasons to have a mold inspection completed in a rental unit is to establish a “paper trail” that can be shared with a landlord who is reluctant to make necessary repairs. If, upon receiving the mold inspection report the landlord is still not willing to have the mold-causing problems addressed, the tenants can utilize the report in any civil action they might pursue. Reports from independent third-party inspection companies can be very useful evidence in civil actions, and serve to bolster the tenant’s case.
Likewise, when scrupulous landlords are maintaining their rental properties, but have tenants who are complaining about issues (such as mold), a report from a certified mold inspection company that the mold spore counts within a rental unit are not “elevated,” this too can be a valuable piece of evidence in a civil case.