Mold: An unwanted roommate

Residents of some Moscow Palouse Properties apartments have noticed mold accumulating on walls and window frames inside their rooms, but while it may be unsightly and inconvenient, Palouse Properties manager Karl Johnson said the tenants can easily fix the problems themselves.

Carol Carrillo, who lives on South Lenter Street, said there is mold all around the walls near the ceiling in the bathroom. She said each time her or her roommate showers or runs the washing machine, which is in the bathroom, the apartment steams up. Even when they turn the fan on, Carrillo said it doesn’t really help.

“It’s been kind of livable,” Carrillo said. “I mean we make it work. It was little spots at first, and it just kept getting worse.”

Carrillo said neither her or her roommate have called Palouse Properties about the mold in their apartment.

Jorge Olivas, who lives on C. Street near Rosauers, said mold has grown on his apartment’s exterior wall adjacent to the parking lot, and the carpet near the wall is wet. Olivas said the mold has been a problem since he moved into the apartment in early 2016.

Carol Carrillo talks about problems with her appliances at her apartment on Feb. 29

The same wall is moldy in his bedroom behind the bed, Olivas said, so other than the bed, he and his roommate try to keep furniture away from the wall. Mold has also grown around the windows, Olivas said.

Olivas said neither he nor his roommate has called Palouse Properties because “it wasn’t worth it.”

“I don’t know if I should call to tell them about it,” Olivas said. “It’s the middle of winter. What could they even do? It’s not like they’re going to rebuild the apartment complex or anything. I didn’t think it fell under them to take care of it.”

Olivas said he sprays a disinfecting spray on the wall to kill the mold, which usually works to get rid of it for a while. The mold has not been getting worse, he said, but only because he is “aggressive” about cleaning it.

Johnson said the mold in apartments is usually caused by moisture condensed within the apartment — interior humidity.

It becomes apparent in the winter because residents do not want to ventilate their apartments by opening the windows and letting in the cold, dry air, Johnson said.

Johnson said tenants need to be proactive about controlling the humidity within their apartment and circulating fresh air.

“We like to educate (tenants) because most people do not understand this,” Johnson said. “It’s not obvious.”

Palouse Properties will loan tenants humidity and temperature gauges, so they can see how humid their apartments are, he said.

Johnson said bleach sprays work to kill mold, but tenants should be careful around clothes, carpet and furniture.

“We don’t really encourage them to work on it unless we have counseled them a little bit,” Johnson said.

Olivas said the mold in his apartment makes him feel anxious about the air quality.

Johnson said although some people think mold makes them sick — it is sealed — and that moist environment that causes mold to grow that also encourages the spread of illness.

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, typical household mold does not cause illness, but it can irritate some people who have asthma, allergies or compromised immune systems. 

Carrillo and Olivas both mentioned other maintenance concerns, like loose closet doors and hard-to-latch main doors. 

Carrillo said she has called Palouse Properties in the past and been told her and her roommate needed to fix a problem with a light fixture themselves. 

Olivas said he has called about a fallen cabinet and frozen lock in the past, and Palouse Properties responded very quickly.

Johnson said the company responds to every maintenance request.

“Sometimes the answer is ‘no,’” Johnson said. “Sometimes the answer is ‘You have to do this,’ but we don’t just ignore them. We will respond to them. Sometimes people do not want to hear the answer. They don’t like the answer.”

Concerning maintenance requests, Johnson said he prefers people call to describe their problems because it is easier to understand and assess versus when people send an email. Palouse Properties is typically able to address a maintenance question within 24 hours, Johnson said, but it is important for tenants to be flexible. 

“They need to communicate,” Johnson said. “And part of communication is being available to answer the phone, to answer an email. We are forced to assume that if they won’t communicate, it’s not a problem anymore.”

Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]