Common use of Avoiding Moisture Buildup Clause in Contracts

Avoiding Moisture Buildup. To avoid potential mold growth, it’s important to prevent excess moisture buildup in your Apartment. Failing to promptly attend to leaks and moisture accumulations on dwelling surfaces can encourage mold growth, especially in places where they might get inside walls or ceilings. Prolonged moisture can come from a wide variety of sources, such as: • Rainwater leaking from roofs, windows, doors, and outside walls, as well as flood waters rising above floor level. • Overflows from showers, bathtubs, toilets, sinks, washing machines, dehumidifiers, refrigerator or air-conditioner drip pans, or clogged air- conditioner condensation lines. • Leaks from plumbing lines or fixtures, and leaks into walls from bad or missing grouting or caulking around showers, bathtubs, or sinks. • Washing-machine hose leaks, plant-watering overflows, pet urine, cooking spills, beverage spills, and steam from excessive open-pot cooking. • Leaks from clothes-dryer discharge vents (which can put a lot of moisture into the air); and • Insufficient drying of carpets, carpet pads, shower walls, and bathroom floors. Reporting Suspected Mold. You are required to promptly notify Landlord in writing about any condition in your Apartment that may result in moisture build up or mold growth and or any suspected mold growth. • Promptly notify Landlord in writing about any air-conditioning or heating-system problems you discover. Follow any of our rules about replacing air filters. It’s also good practice to open windows and doors periodically on days when the outdoor weather is dry (i.e., humidity is below 50%) to help humid areas of your Apartment dry out. • Promptly notify Landlord in writing of any signs of water leaks, water infiltration, or mold. Landlord will respond in accordance with state law and the Lease Agreement to repair or remedy the situation as necessary. Cleaning Mold. If small areas of moisture build up or mold have already accumulated on nonporous surfaces (such as ceramic tile, Formica, vinyl flooring, metal, wood, or plastic), the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you first clean the areas with soap (or detergent) and water and let the surface dry thoroughly. Applying biocides without first cleaning away the dirt and oils from the surface is like painting over old paint without first cleaning and preparing the surface. When the surface is dry—and within 24-hours of cleaning—apply a premixed spray-on household biocide such as Lysol Disinfectant®, Original Pine-Sol Cleaner, Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover® or Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner+ Bleach. Only a few of the common household cleaners can actually kill mold. Tilex and Clorox contain bleach, which can discolor or stain surfaces, so follow the instructions on the container. Always clean and apply a biocide to an area five or six times larger than any mold you see—mold can be present but not yet visible to the naked eye. A vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used to help remove nonvisible mold products from porous items such as fibers in sofas, chairs, drapes, and carpets provided the fibers are completely dry. Machine washing or dry-cleaning will remove mold from clothes. Do not clean or apply biocides to visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheetrock walls or ceilings or to large areas of visible mold on nonporous surfaces. Instead, notify us in writing and we will take appropriate action.

Avoiding Moisture Buildup. To avoid potential mold growth, it’s important to prevent excess moisture buildup in your Apartment. Failing to promptly attend to leaks and moisture accumulations on dwelling surfaces can encourage mold growth, especially in places where they might get inside walls or ceilings. Prolonged moisture can come from a wide variety of sources, such as: • Rainwater leaking from roofs, windows, doors, and outside walls, as well as flood waters rising above floor level. • Overflows from showers, bathtubs, toilets, sinks, washing machines, dehumidifiers, refrigerator or air-conditioner drip pans, or clogged air- air-conditioner condensation lines. • Leaks from plumbing lines or fixtures, and leaks into walls from bad or missing grouting or caulking around showers, bathtubs, or sinks. • Washing-machine hose leaks, plant-watering overflows, pet urine, cooking spills, beverage spills, and steam from excessive open-pot cooking. • Leaks from clothes-dryer discharge vents (which can put a lot of moisture into the air); and • Insufficient drying of carpets, carpet pads, shower walls, and bathroom floors. Reporting Suspected Mold. You are required to promptly notify Landlord in writing about any condition in your Apartment that may result in moisture build up or mold growth and or any suspected mold growth. • Promptly notify Landlord in writing about any air-conditioning or heating-system problems you discover. Follow any of our rules about replacing air filters. It’s also good practice to open windows and doors periodically on days when the outdoor weather is dry (i.e., humidity is below 50%) to help humid areas of your Apartment dry out. • Promptly notify Landlord in writing of any signs of water leaks, water infiltration, or mold. Landlord will respond in accordance with state law and the Lease Agreement to repair or remedy the situation as necessary. Cleaning Mold. If small areas of moisture build up or mold have already accumulated on nonporous surfaces (such as ceramic tile, Formica, vinyl flooring, metal, wood, or plastic), the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you first clean the areas with soap (or detergent) and water and let the surface dry thoroughly. Applying biocides without first cleaning away the dirt and oils from the surface is like painting over old paint without first cleaning and preparing the surface. When the surface is dry—and within 24-hours of cleaning—— apply a premixed spray-on household biocide such as Lysol Disinfectant®, Original Pine-Sol Cleaner, Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover® or Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner+ Bleach. Only a few of the common household cleaners can actually kill mold. Tilex and Clorox contain bleach, which can discolor or stain surfaces, so follow the instructions on the container. Always clean and apply a biocide to an area five or six times larger than any mold you see—mold can be present but not yet visible to the naked eye. A vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used to help remove nonvisible mold products from porous items such as fibers in sofas, chairs, drapes, and carpets provided the fibers are completely dry. Machine washing or dry-cleaning will remove mold from clothes. Do not clean or apply biocides to visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheetrock walls or ceilings or to large areas of visible mold on nonporous surfaces. Instead, notify us in writing and we will take appropriate action.