My wife and I moved into a new rental house two months ago. Our small dog, my wife, and myself have all started experiencing symptoms such as headaches, runny nose, constant congestion, cold-like swelling in the sinuses, neck, and throat, general head-cold-like symptoms, and allergies (dog sneezing included); the dog had exhibited very strange and constant anxiety, lack of appetite, and an erratic bathroom and feeding schedule (all of which were previously extremely predictable). All three of us have also experienced extremely erratic and poor-quality sleep.
We had not considered that the house was to blame until we left for a week-long vacation. The dog stayed with my parents; all of our problems were alleviated by the third day of being away from the home, and all of our problems returned within two days of being back in the home. This is what made us suspect the home or something inside it was the cause. Being sick or having symptoms of illness for nearly two solid months except the time we were away from our home for a period of days. My wife and I get sick very irregularly (my wife, for example, only twice in the last six years she has lived in this city), and none of us have any allergies, seasonal or otherwise.
Needless to say, it's quite frustrating and worrying.
I do not know what it is about the house that is causing these problems, but I would like to work with my property management company to get it fixed or to work out an exit from our lease and find a new place to live. How do I determine the problem? I called a general home inspector and their only suggestion was a mold and termite inspector. If it is not mold, what other possibilities are there, and is there a certain type of inspector or inspection I should look for to diagnose the cause of our health problems?
Best Answer
There could be several factors that may be contributing to the situation. It sounds like an air quality problem. This could be caused by airborne mold spores, chemical contamination from bad paint or flooring adhesives (VOC's) etc. , CO from a malfunctioning heating or A/C unit or something from outside getting in. I have had to address this problem with some customers in the past. We contracted an air quality testing from a local environmental testing lab. In your case, I would first consult with the management of the property. Explain the situation, confirm your conversations in writing, (document, document, document) and see if they will contract this service. If they won't for some reason, then I would have it done privately. Depending on the results and plan for mitigation, these costs should be reimbursed by the landlord. At minimum, it would give just cause to break the lease. If the results are bad and the management won't work with you, share the results with your local code enforcement office as they may help you and require the management to fix the problem. Once the type of irritant is identified, then the cause will be much easier to find. Good Luck.