Official reporting and private work are separate

Mold in Ann Arbor rental properties

A tenant report, a housing-code inspection and a remediation contract answer different questions. Use the official process for a rental complaint, and confirm the scope of any private assessment or repair separately.

Find the official route Compare proposed work

For tenants

Report the concern through Ann Arbor's housing process

The city's tenant-resources page says to contact the landlord or management company first and allow an opportunity for correction before filing a housing complaint. It explains how to raise unresolved concerns with Rental Housing Services and what information the office needs.

Keep the dates of reports, replies, observations and any official notice. Describe what you can safely observe rather than opening walls or entering hazardous areas. Ask the city about the next step for the specific complaint; a website summary cannot decide a deadline, habitability issue or tenant's rights.

The rental office says it cannot test or recommend someone to test for mold or lead. It directs environmental-health questions to Washtenaw County Health Department on 734-222-3800. That number is a public information line, not a contractor booking number.

For questions about rent, lease termination, responsibility for costs or a dispute, seek appropriate legal advice. The city's resource page links to legal-help organizations. This site does not advise withholding rent or arranging work without the authority to do so.

For owners and managers

Check the official notice and the proposed work separately

Ann Arbor's Rental Housing Services page describes a 30-month inspection cycle and says a Certificate of Compliance is issued to a property that passes inspection. It also explains registration and certification requirements. Confirm the actual property's status and instructions with the city.

A private cleanup, test or contractor invoice does not itself issue that certificate. Ask the inspector what documentation and follow-up are required for the cited condition. Do not assume that painting a surface, obtaining a laboratory result or scheduling a repair automatically clears a violation.

Questions for the contractor's written proposal

What has been assessed? Ask for observed conditions, accessible areas, moisture findings and unresolved questions.
What is included? Separate cleanup, correction of the moisture source and reconstruction. Identify responsibilities and exclusions.
What arrangements are needed? Ask about access, occupants, protection of belongings and the expected sequence of work. Do not promise a resident an outcome the contractor has not established.
What evidence will be provided? Agree the report, photographs or other completion documentation and any follow-up before work begins.

Our written-scope comparison and downloadable worksheet help record these questions. They are not a legal contract or a substitute for the city's instructions.

Read the original sources in context

Surface treatment is not the whole remediation decision

The city tenant page describes asking an owner to use bleach or mold-killing paint on suitable surfaces when inspectors see mold. That is a description of the city's published process, not this site's recommendation to treat a property that way.

The EPA's home cleanup guidance emphasizes correcting water problems and drying materials. It advises against painting or caulking moldy surfaces before cleanup and drying. Its remediation planning guide does not recommend biocides as a routine practice and calls for judgment about actual conditions. Washtenaw County also publishes cleanup and removal information.

Ask the responsible professional to explain the plan for the affected materials and moisture source, and ask the city how that relates to the specific notice. The documents do not justify a guarantee of permanent mold prevention, automatic certification or one universal cleanup method.

Common rental questions

Assessment, qualifications and timing

Should I buy a mold test before contacting the city?

Do not assume a test is required. The city does not provide mold testing, and EPA says sampling is usually unnecessary when mold is visible. Ask the relevant office or professional what question a proposed test would answer. See our inspection and testing guide for the distinctions.

Can the same company inspect, clean and rebuild?

Possibly, but confirm what that company actually offers and is qualified to do. Different parts of the job may need different contractors or permissions. Use Michigan LARA's residential-builder resources to check building-work requirements and credentials. A mold-service label does not establish an exemption from other requirements.

Can I do work myself between rental periods?

Do not infer safety, legal permission or an appropriate method from the size of a visible patch alone. Review the official cleanup guidance, the actual materials and any applicable building requirements with the relevant professional or authority. This page cannot assess an owner's eligibility or an individual property's hazards.

What if an inspection or repair deadline is approaching?

Contact the responsible city office and the contractor directly about the actual notice, available work dates and required evidence. A quotation or planned appointment is not an approved extension, and this site cannot promise that the work will finish in time.

What should be recorded at a property handover?

Record safely visible concerns, existing reports, known water incidents and maintenance information relevant to the property. If something is unresolved, identify who will investigate it and how the result will be communicated. Do not turn assumptions about tenants or seasonal occupancy into a diagnosis.

Current service status

This site cannot arrange a rental visit

Service requests are paused because no remediation company is currently partnered with us. Use the official resources above for a housing complaint and contact an appropriate professional directly for work. Read what to prepare for a contractor conversation and the site's role and limits.

Current request status

This site is not accepting service requests. We do not currently have a local provider to receive or answer them. Please contact a qualified local company directly.

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