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bower · October 5, 2017

Patti, it sounds like there is way too much moisture in your apartment.

If the moisture is there since the unfixed roof leak, maybe your landlord would agree to pay the cost of running a dehumidifier to bring the moisture level down to normal. May even supply you a dehumidifier for that purpose. That is the first thing to do.

The attic vent may or may not be causing the problem. I advise you to shift focus from the vent (which landlord says is as it should be) to the problem itself which needs to be solved, ie too much moisture in the apartment plus the spores are there to bring back the mold. That started with the leak, and frankly the place should be dried out, painted and cleaned throughout and your furniture/carpet should be professionally cleaned as well. Otherwise, you will have a recurring problem.

Moisture management inside homes or apartments has been an issue since we started building insulated homes. Moisture is simply trapped inside unless you deal with it one way or another. Every year when it gets cold outside, the moisture that built up during the summer condenses on the windows. There is seasonal maintenance that has to be done in fall (and sometimes winter), to mop the condensation off the windows and prevent mold from settling in.
Our local housing authority has a section on mold prevention in the manual they give out to tenants. They are told to use bathroom and kitchen fans, not to leave standing water, and keep the temperature in all rooms at least 15 C (60 F). They basically told tenants that they will have mold if they don't follow these regs, and it will be their own responsibility.

In your case, the mold has already got a foothold because of the leak, and it will keep coming back unless the proper remediation is done. Honestly I think you would be better off moving out so the place can be dried out and totally cleaned and painted.

If you don't want to move, talk to your landlord about
(1) dehumidifier
(2) need a paint job
(3) will he pay for your furniture to be professionally cleaned, as damage caused by the leak.

October 5, 2017	#15
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	Patti, it sounds like there is way too much moisture in your apartment. If the moisture is there since the unfixed roof leak, maybe your landlord would agree to pay the cost of running a dehumidifier to bring the moisture level down to normal. May even supply you a dehumidifier for that purpose. That is the first thing to do. The attic vent may or may not be causing the problem. I advise you to shift focus from the vent (which landlord says is as it should be) to the problem itself which needs to be solved, ie too much moisture in the apartment plus the spores are there to bring back the mold. That started with the leak, and frankly the place should be dried out, painted and cleaned throughout and your furniture/carpet should be professionally cleaned as well. Otherwise, you will have a recurring problem. Moisture management inside homes or apartments has been an issue since we started building insulated homes. Moisture is simply trapped inside unless you deal with it one way or another. Every year when it gets cold outside, the moisture that built up during the summer condenses on the windows. There is seasonal maintenance that has to be done in fall (and sometimes winter), to mop the condensation off the windows and prevent mold from settling in. Our local housing authority has a section on mold prevention in the manual they give out to tenants. They are told to use bathroom and kitchen fans, not to leave standing water, and keep the temperature in all rooms at least 15 C (60 F). They basically told tenants that they will have mold if they don't follow these regs, and it will be their own responsibility. In your case, the mold has already got a foothold because of the leak, and it will keep coming back unless the proper remediation is done. Honestly I think you would be better off moving out so the place can be dried out and totally cleaned and painted. If you don't want to move, talk to your landlord about (1) dehumidifier (2) need a paint job (3) will he pay for your furniture to be professionally cleaned, as damage caused by the leak.