Toxic Mould

Some types of mould are especially toxic. However one of the main issues with microscopic fungal spores can be as an irritant to human respiratory systems. Our laboratories can identify the presence of toxic mould and advise further.

Any type of fungal spore has the propensity to affect health if present in great enough numbers. Toxic mould requires specialist treatment.

Both types can be prevented in the first place by adequate heating, ventilation, and control of moisture creation. However with home occupiers out at work and a reluctance to leave windows open ventilation becomes inadequate and the drying of clothes on radiators can create high levels of moisture.

Landlords and property owners have a legally recognised and established duty of care to ensure tenants or staff who occupy commercial buildings do so safely. This includes even negligent actions by the tenant in such matters as drying clothes on radiators. Even though the tenant may have largely contributed to such condensation problems and encouraged the germination of toxic mould it is the landlord and owners duty to ensure this does not happen. Thus a tenant or his family may contract respiratory problems leading to a serious decline inn health as a result of being a tenant in the property and the landlord and agent are deemed to be responsible.

With the rise in buy to let landlords and proliferation of amateur landlords especially if not properly funded it is even possible that the lenders and purchasers solicitors could be responsible if they have not fulfilled their duty of care by ensuring the landlord they have created with their funding is not fully aware of responsibilities.

A successful legal claim against a landlord will potentially be catastrophic and the landlord could face financial ruin for damages including re housing of the tenant cleaning of the mould and surfaces installation of a positive pressure unit to remove moisture laden air safely. Damages could include compensation for ill health and loss of earnings attributable to the ill health.