Before you start shopping for a new apartment, click on the PDF link above to learn how you can do a mold test of apartments while you are inside looking at them. If the moisture test is positive, the apartment you are looking at likely has hidden mold that may not be visible and so therefore, you would be smart to walk away because of how mold can cause health issues including skin, respiratory, mental/cognitive, and other issues. However, if you still want to rent the apartment, look at the leasing company's Mold Addendum first (before you sign anything) to see what recourse you have if the hidden mold becomes worse/visible after you lease the apartment (California Senate Bill 655 is also good to know about). Make sure there is language in the lease/Mold Addendum about providing you a temporary place to live at no cost to you while the repairs are done. If this language is missing or the agreement says that cases like this are handled on a "case-by-case" basis or the leasing rep tries to claim that this would be covered by your renter's insurance, ask for a rent reduction to compensate you for the risk you would be taking in renting the apartment. If the leasing company says 'no', find another place to rent to avoid getting screwed later.

Many renters don't realize that their apartments may contain hidden mold that can cause health issues including skin, respiratory, mental/cognitive, and other issues. Therefore, it's critical that you click the PDF icon above to learn how you can do a mold test in your apartment in seconds. If your apartment tests positive for moisture, hidden mold likely exists. The next step should be to contact your leasing office and demand that they fix the problem. Per California law (click red link below for info), moisture (dampness) inside an apartment makes the apartment 'substandard' and not tenantable and therefore, leasing offices are required by law to fix the problem or face fines and possible jail time per California Senate Bill 655. Once the problem is fixed, you should do the moisture test again to verify that the problem was resolved and every two months afterwards. If your lease is up for renewal, read the Mold Addendum carefully (before signing a new lease) to see what happens if the mold problem reoccurs or becomes worse. Make sure there is language in the renewal's Mold Addendum about providing you a temporary place to live at no cost to you while the repairs are done. If this language is missing or the agreement says that cases like this are handled on a "case-by-case" basis or the leasing rep tries to claim that this would be covered by your renter's insurance, ask for a rent reduction to compensate you for the risk you would be taking by renewing. If the leasing company says 'no', find another place to rent to avoid getting screwed later.