Mold in Homes

There are about 150,000 types of mold. Since mold occurs naturally, in both indoor and outdoor environment, the presence of mold is not uncommon. Residents have a responsibility to take steps to reduce the environment which breeds mold.  As the State of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services notes, "Control the Moisture, Control the Mold." Residents, including those who rent their property, need to do their part in reducing the opportunity for mold indoors. In addition, renters should consult the Missouri Landlord-Tenant Law to understand their rights.

It is important to note, that City staff are not environmental experts and will not determine the type of mold or its potential impacts for a resident.  If a resident has serious concerns regarding his/her indoor environment and their health, contact an environmental expert with experience in the treatment of mold and, if necessary, consult a health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.  The City will not make recommendations for the actions the homeowner should seek. 

If there is a concern regarding mold in a rental unit, the following steps will be followed:

  1. The resident should fix the problem themselves if possible.  There is information on the State of Missouri Health and Senior Services website on how to clean up mold at http://health.mo.gov/living/enviornment/indoorair/mold.php
  2. If the problem is something that has to be fixed by the landlord, the resident must send a letter in writing to their landlord describing the nature of the complaint and keep a copy of the letter.  If the resident's doctor made specific recommendations regarding their living environment, those should be included.
  3. If the landlord refuses to address the issue, residents may contact the City of Jefferson Property Maintenance Division. The City cannot address mold, because mold itself is not a code violation; however, the City can assist in identifying the cause of the mold if it is from a code violation, i.e. - missing roof shingles causing a roof leak.  The resident will need to provide the following to the City:
a.  History of the issue, including dates and personal remediation efforts;
b.  Steps taken to further prevent the spread of mold;
c. Correspondence to the landlord, as listed in step 2 above, as well as return correspondence from the landlord noting a lack of intent to address the issue; and 
d.  Specific code violations that exist which are leading to the mold.   
     
        A letter will be sent to the landlord identifying the potential code violations and corrective actions.  The
        landlord will have 30 days from date of the letter to make corrections.  A copy of the letter will be sent to
        the resident for their records.

   4. If a code violation does not exist, the resident may consider contacting an attorney or discussing the option
       of moving to a different unit with the landlord. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has additional information on mold in their printable brochure "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home" or visit their website at https://www.epa.gov/mold