Mold Testing & Inspection NYC

If you are considering buying a home or property in New York, be sure to have it assessed for potential mold issues to protect your health as well as your investment.

If your tenant is reporting mold in a rental property, you must have the mold investigated and dealt with. Likewise, if your landlord refuses to take action, third-party proof could help your case. Tenants can call 311 for HPD to assist.

If you’ve noticed mold-like growths in the home, you should have it inspected and tested to find out what kind of mold it is and its level of toxicity. Mold can also cause serious structural damage to buildings.

You should also get a mold test and inspection when anyone in the household is experiencing signs and symptoms of mold exposure. Poor indoor air quality is a health hazard.

Molds vary widely in appearance, and not all of them are toxic. A lab test is the only way to be certain which species of mold you are dealing with.

Mold is often black, brown, green, blueish, yellow, or grey in color. It can have fuzzy or slimy patches or spots, or be drier and look similar to a stain or dust.

Mildew refers to certain types of mold, often flat and white. Common types of indoor mold include Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria.

Mold spores are everywhere in the air. This means any area of a building can develop mold growth. We often find it in:

• Humid areas – kitchen, bathroom
• Pipes, insulation
• Air systems, ventilation
• Behind appliances
• Garage, basement, attic
• Crawl space, storage
• Near windows, tile

It is frequently in areas that are missed by the untrained eye: under floorboards, inside walls and ducts, and so on. That’s why it’s important to have a mold expert verify your property is mold-safe if you have any reason to believe it may not be.

Home inspection and mold inspection are different roles. In NY, you need a license to conduct professional mold assessment.

A property is not considered mold-safe just because your home inspector did not notice any mold. You should call a mold inspector, not a home inspector, to determine whether you have mold.

A home inspector is responsible for assessing the condition of a home in terms of its safety and your investment when making a purchase. They may bring up a mold issue, but they are not a mold professional with specialized training.

Mold test is a lab test conducted on mold samples taken from the air or affected surfaces, to determine the type and concentration of mold present. Our professionals will help you analyze the results.

In mold inspections, a licensed mold inspector looks for mold and conditions liable to cause mold such as sources of excess humidity. It involves mold testing.

• Also done after a mold remediation project, to confirm that the area is mold-safe and the mold should not return.
• Mold assessment is another term for this.

Here in the Empire State, as it is such a populous area with many homes and buildings of varying condition, indoor mold often occurs as a result of water leak, excess humidity, poor ventilation, or an infestation of mold in the building complex.

As a landlord, you may be responsible for mold removal in New York rental properties under certain conditions, as well as to prevent future mold problems. You are also required to conduct annual indoor allergen testing, per Local Law 55 of 2018 (Asthma-Free Housing Act). Give AAA NY a call to learn about your case!

Here are links with more information about mold in New York City.

• NY Health Dept – Mold
• EPA – About Mold
• NYC HPD – Indoor Allergen Hazards Law
• NYC DOHMH – What Tenants and Landlords Should Know about Local Law 55
• NY Attorney General – Residential Tenants’ Rights Guide
• AccuWeather – NYC Mold Allergens Forecast