Black mold that is not being addressed

[Daphne200]

I’m currently staying in an Airbnb with mold in the bedroom. The host has done nothing to resolve the issue, and Airbnb has not been responding to my messages. Anyone have any suggestions for what I can do? I would like a refund so that we can move to a different apartment

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Daphne200 can you put up a picture of the mould? 

[Helen3]

Hi @Daphne200 

What did the host say about having Airbnb cancel so you can find an alternative place? 

If Airbnb aren't responding to your messages give them a call. 

[Ani-Jane0]

If a guest is having a problem in a home, all they have to do is call airbnb and they will relocate them immediately. Black mold is actually quite lethal as well

[Louise0]

Black mold lethal?  No, it most certainly isn't and for the vast majority of people it's utterly benign and exposure is asymptomatic.

Even for those sensitive to it, the most it will do is trigger an allergic reaction/asthma attack in the same way that that person might react to grass, flower pollens or any other substance their immune system recognises as a threat.

We are surrounded by millions of micro-fungi filaments and mycotoxins, including the 'killer' black mold, inside and out every moment of our lives; we just can't usually see them.  If black mold was 'quite lethal' the human race would have died out hundreds of millennia ago.

[Helen3]

Oh please Asthma attacks can be fatal please don't compare them with someone suffering from the affect of grass pollens @Louise0 

babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to the affects of black mould which can be fatal. 

[Louise0]

As someone who by necessity carries an epipen, I am more aware than most of the deadly potential of asthma attacks and anaphylactic immune responses. 

My point, as I thought I had clearly stated, is that black mold presents no higher risk than any other common allergen.  Though, if your only source of information was the scare-mongering nonsense promoted by the mold removal industry, you'd be forgiven for believing that death lurked at the back of every dark and slightly damp closet.   

We are surrounded by mold every day of our lives and, unlike peanuts, dogs, penicillin and other common allergens, it's almost impossible to avoid.  So it's heartening to know it poses little threat to our existence. 

But don't take my word for it.  I've included a link to a relatively accessible published, peer-reviewed paper from the Clinical Microbiology Reviews which covers the results of a meta-analysis of published research.  In short, they concluded "we have not found supportive evidence for serious illness due to Stachybotrys exposure in the contemporary environment. Our conclusion is supported by several other recent reports"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC145304/

[Helen3]

Not sure why you needed to be so aggressive in your response @Louise0 

My response is an informed one as an asthmatic and someone who works for our National Health Service . We have had young children die in the UK as a result of black mould . 

the majority of course don't but infants can and do die . 

I'm quite happy to rely on clinical advice offered by the NHS. 

here's one case https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/15/death-of-two-year-old-awaab-ishak-chronic-mould-in-f...

[Louise0]

May I suggest you relax? Black mold is no more harmful than any other mold.  Like most molds, it's only a problem if you are one of those rare individuals in whom it triggers a harmful immune response. 

Each day we are surrounded by thousands, millions even, of mycotoxins and microscopic fungi.  Humans have evolved to deal with this effectively, and even find some of them useful and health-promoting.  

The whole 'lethal black mold hysteria' is a myth promulgated by the mold removal/treatment industry.  The only reason for being concerned about the presence of black mold (and many other species of mold) is that it can be an indicator of indoor conditions that are less than optimal such as poor ventilation and/or rising damp.  However, even these are largely an aesthetic issue unless you are exposed to them in the long term.