Mold growth is a major concern for people whose homes flooded during Helene or Milton. It needs to be treated immediately, or it can be detrimental to your health.
Joseph Margherita with Tampa Bay Mold Testing has been booked solid for the last few weeks, testing homes that flooded for mold growth.
He said 75% of the homes he's checked test positive for mold.
Margherita explained that you need to clean and get rid of mold right away. If it's on a hard surface, you can scrub it with detergent and water. If you find it on absorbent materials like carpet or drywall, you need to throw it away.
You can also hire someone to professionally test and treat mold. But if you're renting, mold remediation is ultimately the landlord's responsibility.
Stephen Hachey is a real estate attorney. He said it depends on the severity of the mold, but if your home is no longer livable, you have the right to terminate the lease.
He suggests hiring someone to test the mold so you can send those reports to the landlord.
Click here to learn more about mold growth from the Florida Department of Health.
Click here for free mold testing:
'It's either eat or pay bills': Florida families desperate for answers after losing SNAP benefits to fraud
Florida families are losing hundreds of dollars in SNAP benefits to fraud, with multiple victims in the Tampa Bay area saying unauthorized charges on their accounts are being traced to the same California address — and the state is offering no way to get that money back.
