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u/Codeword_HavocB

Image 1 — [CA] How to go about mold in my unit?
Image 2 — [CA] How to go about mold in my unit?
Image 3 — [CA] How to go about mold in my unit?
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[CA] How to go about mold in my unit?

I’ve been living in this unit for about 5 years in California. One of my biggest regrets was not inspecting the unit more thoroughly before moving in. (I transferred from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom in the same complex, and I did take photos of any interior damage on move-in day.)

When I first moved in, I noticed white staining, like hard water residue, on the exterior siding panels around the water heater room. I mentioned it several times in passing to someone from the leasing/property management staff because I would regularly see them while walking my dog after work. Eventually, I stopped bringing it up, and it honestly didn’t occur to me to send an email since I had verbally reported it multiple times. The complex also performs bi-annual inspections, including inspections of the water heater room.

In January, I got a call asking if maintenance could come in to do drywall patching in the water heater room, and I agreed. That made me go take a closer look myself. I already suspected there had been a water leak because of the staining on the exterior panels, and it always seemed like it might be coming from the unit above me. It was nighttime, but I took photos anyway.

The next day, the maintenance worker came and did the repair. The room smelled strongly of bleach, so it was obvious he was attempting to clean up mold. (In my opinion, the maintenance worker is significantly underqualified.) He also didn’t finish the job.

I know I need to report the mold issue in writing to management, but I’ve had so many bad experiences with landlords in the past. I’m a young woman and I have a difficult time advocating for myself. I tend to get dismissed and overlooked because, and I hate to say it, I’m a woman. I’m worried about how serious this could be so I’m looking for real advice on how to handle this situation properly. Especially since it's been a couple months and my most recent inspection was in April without anything being mentioned about the condition the water heater room is in.

The pictures were taken one day apart.

u/Codeword_HavocB — 3 days ago