Employees, Tenants, and Mold

As if mold invading our homes wasn’t enough, it also invades other buildings such as the places where we work. Anyone who owns a rental property or hires employees to work in a building that he or she owns must ensure that the building is free and clear of mold infestations not only because this can cause significant structural damage, but because they can be held legally liable for any and all medical bills associated with mold health complications resulting from working in a mold infested environment.

The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?

First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.

You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.