NON-NEGOTIABLES For Renting or Buying
It can be overwhelming trying to find housing if you’ve experienced illness from mold (CIRS: Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome).
Below is my list of “non-negotiables” for when looking at properties to rent or buy in terms of toxins and mold risk. You may want to sit down and draft out your own list of considerations that represent a “hard no” that you feel confident in. When you see any of the following issues it can be considered a red flag, so (in my opinion) it’s best to not continue to tour it and get attached to the property. That being said, at least 50% of buildings have a mold issue at a given moment, so you have to weigh out whether you have a budget for remediation. Many remediation projects can cost $20,000-$50,000 or more, depending on the issue, if they follow CIRS protocols.
Major Things to Avoid:
- Flat roof; missing shingles or damaged roof
- Skylight(s), even if they are newer
- Older than 15-20 years (increased risk); some experts say 12 years should be the cut-off, others have more concern for newer building materials, so this is controversial
- Newer than 5 years (VOC’s/off-gassing)
- Finished basement
- Poor gutter system/drainage outdoors
- Slope/building built into a hill
- Brand new carpet; carpet in more than a few rooms
- Apartment living (duplexes/condos are generally better because people take better care of them and they are typically overseen by an owner instead of a company, though there are exceptions)
- History of smokers in unit
- History of pets in unit (depends on the person)
- ANY visible water staining or mold, anywhere
- Warped flooring, ceiling, or wall materials
- Musty odor, anywhere
- Candles or air fresheners potentially masking an odor when touring the property
- Close proximity to major sources of EMF exposure (cell towers, powerlines, etc.)
Other thoughts:
- Be a detective when touring a property. Walk around the exterior. Ask to see crawlspace and/or attic (ideally, have someone who is not mold sensitive do this). Look behind washer/dryer hookups. Look under all of the sinks. Examine bathroom tubs/tiles and around the toilet carefully. Look inside toilet lid to get an idea of moisture. Check around windowsills for signs of moisture build-up. See additional handout for other ideas.
- If it’s a hot market, you may not have time to get ERMI test results back before putting in an offer (though you can pay more to expedite the testing). To bypass the risk, many people will either use the much more affordable Immunolytics plate testing (not ideal but better than nothing) to do a quick analysis of risk, or they may work a clause into the contract that is contingent upon an passed mold inspection from a company of your choosing and/or a certain score on an ERMI test.
Do these considerations make house hunting challenging? Absolutely. But it’s best not to rush into a decision that you will be stuck in that could make your health worse.
Interested in working with Amber? Visit www.originwellnesscolorado.com to learn more!
