Your rights in case of mold infestation

Toadstools are poisonous, every child knows that. Mold on the walls is also harmful to health. This should be taken to heart above all by those who have heated particularly sparingly this winter and have thus encouraged the formation of mold in the apartment.

"If you turn off the heating completely, you risk excessive humidity in the living spaces, which leads to mold on the walls and in the corners of the room," warns the BVS expert association.

"At room temperatures below 18 degrees, we already see the risk of mold growth." To prevent mold, a constant room temperature is crucial, according to BVS: "Keeping the room air at a constant temperature of around 18 to 22 degrees is more energy-saving and cheaper than constantly turning the radiators on and off," knows Christiane Herget, a publicly appointed and sworn expert for mold. The expert recommends ventilating at least two to three times a day: "This is important to remove moisture from the air in the room.

In the case of rented apartments, the question arises as to who takes care of the removal of mold and who pays for it. Often, landlords and tenants shift the responsibility to each other.

Tenants must prevent mold by heating and ventilating.

Stiftung Warentest advises tenants to report the mold infestation to their landlord immediately and to ask him to remove the mold and the cause of the mold - but explicitly only if it is certain that they have done everything themselves to prevent mold.

Landlords are only liable if the mold is due to the condition of the building - such as cracks in the wall - and the tenant could not prevent the mold from forming by reasonable heating and ventilation.

Anyone who wants to reduce the rent should definitely seek legal advice. The total amount of all reductions may not exceed one month's rent, otherwise there is a threat of termination if the mold was caused by the tenant himself. There are a number of effective mold removers available in specialist shops. Seek advice in this case as well.

(Photo: © Franz W., Pixabay)