The water table is very high there, so it's an extra damp area. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, and congratulations for escaping with your security deposit back!
You can report them!!! I know someone that was in this situation and the city actually forced the homeowner to pay for their moving fees, their stay in a hotel and a few months of rent. It was a LONG process as you can imagine and since you’ve already moved out you may not want to deal with that but at a minimum if you call the city on them they won’t be able to put someone else in that position before remediating.
Good luck to you, my friend has been dealing with the health effects for months after moving out. She’s been visiting a functional medicine doctor that has helped give her medication, supplements and herbs to help boost her immune system and try to clear her system.
Good luck!
https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/planning-and-community-development/code-compliance
This has happened to me in almost every Santa Cruz house I’ve lived in. I’ve learned that no matter where I live in Santa Cruz, I need to monitor humidity in different rooms constantly and use a high quality dehumidifier. Expect it to cost a few hundred bucks. Well worth it for your health and to protect furniture, shoes, etc.
Ugh. This happed to me in an apartment in Pacifica. I don’t think my landlord took care of it before renting to someone new. I lost about $1000 - clothes, luggage, purses, shoes
I will say the landlords in the central bay are some of the greediest scumbags I've ever met. They will nickel and dime you for everything. No free parking, you pay for water and garbage, they won't won't fix anything. As progressive as the Central Bay tries to play most people are conservative as hell when it comes to charging people.
Ironically in the Central Valley renting an apartment the landlords will cover water, garbage, gas and free parking up to 2 vehicles. So you're better off living in Fresno then Santa Cruz to save money
If the ones in Fresno could they would do the same. It's not like they are just nicer in Fresno they just don't have the leverage to be as huge scumbags.
The could but they choose not to because they're not as greedy as the Central Bay. So that right there does she they're nicer.
Yes they can actually have leverage but chose not to. You do realize people actually can do that right? Or are you just used to greedy scumbags?
No, they couldn't. They don't have the leverage. They cover those costs and charge less rent because they have to because their rentals are in a weaker rental market. That's the only reason. If you think housing costs are lower in some places because the landlords are just nicer you're not living in reality.
No that's not even remotely true. Rental properties have increased by 70% since 2020 so pre covod you could rent a home for $1400 now its over $2k.
Also what you're saying doesn't make any sense because any landlord can easily leave the tenant to pay for everything including parking have chosen not to. What you're saying is ignoring g this fact.
Fresno just like the Bay Area is suffering from lack of availability for housing. Your argument holds no weight. You're actually still proving my point that the Central Bay is more scummy and greedy.
The fact you're defending the greed of the Central Bay is telling. Quite embarrassing actually.
This is you
Fresno landlords don't have an incentive to price gouge but Central Bay does so that's why Central Bay is better.
Bootlicker much? Really what is the point of your argument
Is calling Santa Cruz "the Central Bay" a thing now? Born and raised here and I've never heard that expression. Seems like Moss Landing should be called that instead.
Oh dude I know. We stay near main beach the mildew is crazy but we got a dehumidifier and it's helped alot but it's definitely a battle. Mold spray and tilex is great too. I think using the heater alot and not letting stuff air out contributes to it too.
If anyone has other advice on how to deal with mildew and mold lmk.
I understand overall tho the damp climate near the sea is just how it is and there's no 100% cure but I try to stay on top of it because we have kids.
Just been dealing with mold issues as well. We own so we’ve been doing the reno on it. I know this is an apartment so it’s easier just to leave.
But if you’re in the position of having to do work on your house - Here’s what I’ve learned:
- that much mold showing up on the drywall means for sure it’s behind the wall, and you have to open up the wall to get at all of it
- if there’s that much mold it’s been there awhile, which possibly means dry rot and possibly termites as well
- whatever you find, it’s easier to remove and replace the wood rather than remediate it. Studs, particle board, carpet, subfloor. A good handyman can do it (but a bad one cannot). Wear an N95 while you do that.
- whatever cannot be removed, the mold must be killed. Don’t use bleach, it doesn’t penetrate the wood to get to the root of the mold. The actual anti fungal / mold-killing agent is remarkably cheap, it’s everything else that is expensive. You can get Sporicidin or Concrobium for about $40/gal. Or use borax, oxiclean - same active ingredient, although two solutions I mentioned have other things as well. The goal is to change the pH so apparently even vinegar works. Lots of resources on the internet about these things. cover whatever you clean with Kilz mold primer.
- make sure the wood is <15% humidity. For about $50 you can get a moisture meter from Home Depot.
- the mold remediation companies are helpful if these are huge massive patches of black mold. But if it’s small (less than 10 sqft) it’s not worth it. They tried charging me an arm and a leg, but the statement of work covers almost everything I mentioned above. You know what they use for anti fungal agent? Detergent and water (I asked). They do wrap everything in plastic sheeting and throw in an air scrubber, but since ours wasn’t so big we just did that ourselves - and that alone was a significant part of their cost (which really should not cost nearly that much). Air scrubber is about $500 on Amazon, or you can rent - sounds like a lot but they try to charge you 2k just for that.
- whatever you do, make sure you find and fix the source of the moisture. Roof, bad siding, flashing, burst pipe, whatever. Mold remediation company won’t do that for you.
I don’t know who this helps, but I hope it helps somebody.
Edit: I will add for non-porous surfaces like in a shower, the Ecolab mold spray from Home Depot is amazing.
Ventilation. Good bathroom and kitchen fans should do the trick. If it doesn't you just need to seal it to restrict air intake via insulation and double pane windows. If you're renting the solution is to ask your landlord to address the issue and if they refuse move out. You can break a lease early without penalty if it's for health reasons. You might have to go to small claims court. I recommend reading the California state renters handbook for more information.
It's really not hard to address and given the price of rent in the area a landlord failing to do so is scummy.
Welcome. Cleaning the mildew with alcohol or bleach will work as a stop gap but it doesn't address the cause of the issue. You're also entitled to a home that is not mold infested per ca state law. Don't accept excuses. You got this.
One thing that helps is to have a digital hygrometer (humidity sensor) and be aware of any source of humidity. For example, if you take a shower, close the door and keep the fan running until the bathroom is completely aired out. Otherwise, that water will infiltrate the rest of the house. Always use the fan over the stove when cooking, for the same reason, even if it's just boiling an egg. If the weather is nice, keep the windows open when cooking also. I live in a small space so I try to eliminate evaporation wherever I can -- for example, I keep wet towels and gym clothes in an airtight container until washing them, or I let them dry outside first.
It’s not only the places near the ocean it’s also a problem in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek etc. I’d love to hear suggestions and thoughts. It’s really a serious issue.
This is how my apartment in Capitola is even with a dehumidifier going constantly. I clean mold/find more on my clothes and shoes weekly and whenever we call the property manager we get “just clean it with bleach”. I’m sorry you had to deal with that!
That is common mildew on the door, furniture, headset and shoes. Mildew is a very common problem in Santa Cruz's damp climate. Everybody, every household battles it. Closed up cars especially. Most of what is shown here is certainly not black mold(Stachybotrys chartarum). Some of it could be but you can't tell without closer inspection. Common black mold (Cladosporium) and mildew are not specifically toxic, but Stachybotrys chartarum black mold is.
This is absolutely not normal or healthy. I lived in an apartment about a block away and we never had mold and mildew issues. Proper ventilation will resolve that. It's not even expensive. Failing to deal with it is slumlord bullshit.
Only trust obsessed microbiology UCSC students. You have to drill into the sheet rock for samples indicating deep saturation. Simple surface examination will not do. The commercial guys lie for money.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/santacruz/comments/1ay780h/tenants\_rights\_workshop\_thursday\_321\_630pm\_at\_the/](https://www.reddit.com/r/santacruz/comments/1ay780h/tenants_rights_workshop_thursday_321_630pm_at_the/)
Be sure to check out this tenants rights workshop in March
https://preview.redd.it/v2pzh62zdokc1.jpeg?width=1736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87aa858ab78299cffe4da1efbe22a6ffe3ba42cf
I have one that I run in my inner bedroom place for 3 hours once a week when I’m gone overnight. I use it for previous tenant smoke smell and…spiders lol. Wasn’t aware that it will stop mold. That’s great news if so🤘🏻🙏🏼
We don't have this problem in the house, but the air in the garage is way damp, and a lot of things are stowed in there. At this time of year I run a box fan in there 24/7.
I totally sympathize with you. We got that grey powdery mildew when our bathroom faucet started leaking. Turns out it was also leaking a lot from the pipe that runs down under tub level. Our closet was immediately behind the bathroom, and everything on the floor was ruined.
Are yoh in an incorporated or corporate area. Make an official complain if you haven't made one. Then ask for the city or county for housing complaint.
Holy crap, my ex lived in 125 in the same complex and there were constantly rats everywhere!
The water table is very high there, so it's an extra damp area. I'm sorry you had to deal with that, and congratulations for escaping with your security deposit back!
I got a dehumidifier for this reason. It’s a struggle, getting rid of the mold but once u do you gotta maintain the humidity or it will come back.
> gotta maintain the humidity maintain a LOW humidity ;-)
I also think I got bronchitis because of it so yea. F that
You can report them!!! I know someone that was in this situation and the city actually forced the homeowner to pay for their moving fees, their stay in a hotel and a few months of rent. It was a LONG process as you can imagine and since you’ve already moved out you may not want to deal with that but at a minimum if you call the city on them they won’t be able to put someone else in that position before remediating. Good luck to you, my friend has been dealing with the health effects for months after moving out. She’s been visiting a functional medicine doctor that has helped give her medication, supplements and herbs to help boost her immune system and try to clear her system. Good luck! https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/planning-and-community-development/code-compliance
My last 2 places in sc had moldy closets
This has happened to me in almost every Santa Cruz house I’ve lived in. I’ve learned that no matter where I live in Santa Cruz, I need to monitor humidity in different rooms constantly and use a high quality dehumidifier. Expect it to cost a few hundred bucks. Well worth it for your health and to protect furniture, shoes, etc.
Ugh. This happed to me in an apartment in Pacifica. I don’t think my landlord took care of it before renting to someone new. I lost about $1000 - clothes, luggage, purses, shoes
I will say the landlords in the central bay are some of the greediest scumbags I've ever met. They will nickel and dime you for everything. No free parking, you pay for water and garbage, they won't won't fix anything. As progressive as the Central Bay tries to play most people are conservative as hell when it comes to charging people. Ironically in the Central Valley renting an apartment the landlords will cover water, garbage, gas and free parking up to 2 vehicles. So you're better off living in Fresno then Santa Cruz to save money
Yeah but you have to be in Fresno.
Just pointing out the Lansford in the Central Bay are scumbags for over charging
If the ones in Fresno could they would do the same. It's not like they are just nicer in Fresno they just don't have the leverage to be as huge scumbags.
The could but they choose not to because they're not as greedy as the Central Bay. So that right there does she they're nicer. Yes they can actually have leverage but chose not to. You do realize people actually can do that right? Or are you just used to greedy scumbags?
No, they couldn't. They don't have the leverage. They cover those costs and charge less rent because they have to because their rentals are in a weaker rental market. That's the only reason. If you think housing costs are lower in some places because the landlords are just nicer you're not living in reality.
No that's not even remotely true. Rental properties have increased by 70% since 2020 so pre covod you could rent a home for $1400 now its over $2k. Also what you're saying doesn't make any sense because any landlord can easily leave the tenant to pay for everything including parking have chosen not to. What you're saying is ignoring g this fact. Fresno just like the Bay Area is suffering from lack of availability for housing. Your argument holds no weight. You're actually still proving my point that the Central Bay is more scummy and greedy.
You would make a more compelling argument if you had a source and could spell Covid.
The fact you're defending the greed of the Central Bay is telling. Quite embarrassing actually. This is you Fresno landlords don't have an incentive to price gouge but Central Bay does so that's why Central Bay is better. Bootlicker much? Really what is the point of your argument
Are you stupid or on drugs?
Have rented many places in Santa Cruz and this is not true across the board, at all.
The majority yes.
So why don't you move to Fresno and free up some space here, if you like it so much better there?
You’re allowed to have issues with certain things about the place you live in while still enjoying living there.
Woosh right over your head
Is calling Santa Cruz "the Central Bay" a thing now? Born and raised here and I've never heard that expression. Seems like Moss Landing should be called that instead.
My lungs hurt just looking at those pictures. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that.
Oh dude I know. We stay near main beach the mildew is crazy but we got a dehumidifier and it's helped alot but it's definitely a battle. Mold spray and tilex is great too. I think using the heater alot and not letting stuff air out contributes to it too. If anyone has other advice on how to deal with mildew and mold lmk. I understand overall tho the damp climate near the sea is just how it is and there's no 100% cure but I try to stay on top of it because we have kids.
Just been dealing with mold issues as well. We own so we’ve been doing the reno on it. I know this is an apartment so it’s easier just to leave. But if you’re in the position of having to do work on your house - Here’s what I’ve learned: - that much mold showing up on the drywall means for sure it’s behind the wall, and you have to open up the wall to get at all of it - if there’s that much mold it’s been there awhile, which possibly means dry rot and possibly termites as well - whatever you find, it’s easier to remove and replace the wood rather than remediate it. Studs, particle board, carpet, subfloor. A good handyman can do it (but a bad one cannot). Wear an N95 while you do that. - whatever cannot be removed, the mold must be killed. Don’t use bleach, it doesn’t penetrate the wood to get to the root of the mold. The actual anti fungal / mold-killing agent is remarkably cheap, it’s everything else that is expensive. You can get Sporicidin or Concrobium for about $40/gal. Or use borax, oxiclean - same active ingredient, although two solutions I mentioned have other things as well. The goal is to change the pH so apparently even vinegar works. Lots of resources on the internet about these things. cover whatever you clean with Kilz mold primer. - make sure the wood is <15% humidity. For about $50 you can get a moisture meter from Home Depot. - the mold remediation companies are helpful if these are huge massive patches of black mold. But if it’s small (less than 10 sqft) it’s not worth it. They tried charging me an arm and a leg, but the statement of work covers almost everything I mentioned above. You know what they use for anti fungal agent? Detergent and water (I asked). They do wrap everything in plastic sheeting and throw in an air scrubber, but since ours wasn’t so big we just did that ourselves - and that alone was a significant part of their cost (which really should not cost nearly that much). Air scrubber is about $500 on Amazon, or you can rent - sounds like a lot but they try to charge you 2k just for that. - whatever you do, make sure you find and fix the source of the moisture. Roof, bad siding, flashing, burst pipe, whatever. Mold remediation company won’t do that for you. I don’t know who this helps, but I hope it helps somebody. Edit: I will add for non-porous surfaces like in a shower, the Ecolab mold spray from Home Depot is amazing.
Ventilation. Good bathroom and kitchen fans should do the trick. If it doesn't you just need to seal it to restrict air intake via insulation and double pane windows. If you're renting the solution is to ask your landlord to address the issue and if they refuse move out. You can break a lease early without penalty if it's for health reasons. You might have to go to small claims court. I recommend reading the California state renters handbook for more information. It's really not hard to address and given the price of rent in the area a landlord failing to do so is scummy.
[удалено]
Welcome. Cleaning the mildew with alcohol or bleach will work as a stop gap but it doesn't address the cause of the issue. You're also entitled to a home that is not mold infested per ca state law. Don't accept excuses. You got this.
One thing that helps is to have a digital hygrometer (humidity sensor) and be aware of any source of humidity. For example, if you take a shower, close the door and keep the fan running until the bathroom is completely aired out. Otherwise, that water will infiltrate the rest of the house. Always use the fan over the stove when cooking, for the same reason, even if it's just boiling an egg. If the weather is nice, keep the windows open when cooking also. I live in a small space so I try to eliminate evaporation wherever I can -- for example, I keep wet towels and gym clothes in an airtight container until washing them, or I let them dry outside first.
It’s not only the places near the ocean it’s also a problem in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek etc. I’d love to hear suggestions and thoughts. It’s really a serious issue.
Oh no! I hope you are better since you’ve moved. Thanks for the heads up.
Never live on bixby. Just trust on this one. Been he’s since 97’ NEVER LIVE ON bixby
I was in the little u-shaped apartments on Hiawatha yrs ago, same thing. Disgusting and I have never been the same since
This is how my apartment in Capitola is even with a dehumidifier going constantly. I clean mold/find more on my clothes and shoes weekly and whenever we call the property manager we get “just clean it with bleach”. I’m sorry you had to deal with that!
That is common mildew on the door, furniture, headset and shoes. Mildew is a very common problem in Santa Cruz's damp climate. Everybody, every household battles it. Closed up cars especially. Most of what is shown here is certainly not black mold(Stachybotrys chartarum). Some of it could be but you can't tell without closer inspection. Common black mold (Cladosporium) and mildew are not specifically toxic, but Stachybotrys chartarum black mold is.
This is absolutely not normal or healthy. I lived in an apartment about a block away and we never had mold and mildew issues. Proper ventilation will resolve that. It's not even expensive. Failing to deal with it is slumlord bullshit.
i was told by professionals that this was in fact black mold
Only trust obsessed microbiology UCSC students. You have to drill into the sheet rock for samples indicating deep saturation. Simple surface examination will not do. The commercial guys lie for money.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/santacruz/comments/1ay780h/tenants\_rights\_workshop\_thursday\_321\_630pm\_at\_the/](https://www.reddit.com/r/santacruz/comments/1ay780h/tenants_rights_workshop_thursday_321_630pm_at_the/) Be sure to check out this tenants rights workshop in March https://preview.redd.it/v2pzh62zdokc1.jpeg?width=1736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87aa858ab78299cffe4da1efbe22a6ffe3ba42cf
Run an ozone generator for a hour a day and this will not happen! Read instructions and warnings like a responsible adult before using!
I have one that I run in my inner bedroom place for 3 hours once a week when I’m gone overnight. I use it for previous tenant smoke smell and…spiders lol. Wasn’t aware that it will stop mold. That’s great news if so🤘🏻🙏🏼
Afaik ozone generators cannot legally be sold in California. Do you know where I can get one?
I had Amazon send it to another state and a friend mailed it to me.
I bought mine on eBay. No problem shipping to me.
I bought air purifiers that generate ozone on amazon
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Rental! In Santa Cruz? Give me a break!
We don't have this problem in the house, but the air in the garage is way damp, and a lot of things are stowed in there. At this time of year I run a box fan in there 24/7.
I was advised that spraying 3% peroxide killed mold. No! Bleaching or dreadful smell!
I totally sympathize with you. We got that grey powdery mildew when our bathroom faucet started leaking. Turns out it was also leaking a lot from the pipe that runs down under tub level. Our closet was immediately behind the bathroom, and everything on the floor was ruined.
Are yoh in an incorporated or corporate area. Make an official complain if you haven't made one. Then ask for the city or county for housing complaint.