Landlord Liabilities: Mold

What role does mold play in a rental contract?

There are over 100,000 different types of mold, some of which can be dangerous to human health. While the vast majority of molds pose no significant threat to humans, there are growing concerns about the presence of mold, particularly with respect to landlord tenant law. At present time, the state of Oregon does not require that a tenant be notified of the presence of mold. This point seems to relieve a landlord of any liability should a mold issue arise, but this may not be the case. In fact, the presence of toxic mold may become a matter of personal injury, and can create legal issues in terms of defining what is habitable.

The fact that many laws do not yet exist to protect landlords or tenants from issues concerning the presence of mold, this does not mean that a landlord should not take the proper precautions for avoiding trouble. A skilled Portland landlord lawyer can advise you what to do if you discover that your property has mold, or a tenant brings this matter to your attention. It may be necessary for landlords prepare to avoid future problems by working to remove mold as quickly and as effectively as possible to avoid legal disputes. Failure to do so may result in costly personal injury claims that are often difficult to contest, especially without due diligence and common best practices that are intended to protect the safety and health of tenants.

Protecting Landlords from Mold Liability in Oregon

The most significant impact that most types of mold will have is the costs assessed paid by landlords who did not take the proper precautions to remove it, or keep renters informed. Here at Murphy Law Group P.C. we believe in working with landlords to make sure they are protected in any number of potential legal situations, including toxic mold. In our 16 years of legal service to the Portland area, we have helped many landlords prepare for various eventualities by drafting effective contracts that protect landlords from the different types of liabilities that exist in a standard landlord-tenant relationship.