Bad black mould problem, what should I do? Expensive villa

[Oliver620]

Hi all,

I am staying in an Airbnb for 80 days, it is fairly expensive, £14,500 for the stay. It is described as 'luxury' and the pictures show a very clean and suitable villa.

We have been here for two weeks and have started to notice black mould in both bathrooms getting much worse every time we shower. In the main bathroom is is now all over the ceiling and shower curtain, in the second bathroom it is breaking through the paint. I am asthmatic and it's starting to give me real trouble when breathing. I can post images later.... it's not just one little streak it's literally the whole ceiling and it's getting worse daily.

I have contacted the host, who has been very kind and helpful with everything else. He has said he will 'get a cleaner' to come in and fix the mould. I am fearful that even with bleach, this problem won't go away quickly, and we are here for another 10 weeks. 

Bleach itself is not great for asthma, so I'm not really sure what to do. The villa is fine, apart from a lot of dust, aside from the bathrooms. But considering I have paid a lot of money for it I do expect a lot better.

I spoke to my brother who uses Airbnb a lot, he said to contact Airbnb support directly and request to be moved. I don't want to upset the host, but is this a viable option? Would requesting a slight refund and having it deep cleaned be better?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Kind regards,

Oliver

[Oliver620]

This is one of the bathrooms, I had to screengrab from video so image is not great. It appears that the mould has been painted over before our stay and now it's violently breaking out. I've had a bad chest/lungs for the past few days and it's making the stay quite stressful, but as stated - the host has been very kind in text so far. Not sure what to do as I paid extra in the knowledge that it would be a very clean and safe place.

[Anonymous]

@Oliver620  If the mold was not present when you arrived, I'd give the host the benefit of the doubt and assume it was not an ongoing issue. This stuff can rear its ugly head even in an impeccably clean luxury environment, if enough moisture gets trapped in a room. But now that it's there, it will unfortunately take more than just a "cleaning" to remove it - black mold requires a somewhat specialized operation. It would benefit both you and the host if you terminate your booking and move elsewhere.

The best resolution would be for you and your host to mutually agree to a booking alteration, advancing the checkout date to the earliest date possible and refunding the unused dates of your stay. I assure you, proposing this directly to your host would be far less upsetting to them than following your brother's advice, which could result in having their listing de-activated. And asking for a discount on days already stayed would not be a welcome move. The fact is, the host can deal with the mold much more effectively if you aren't occupying the home, so if you show the initiative to relocate, your host should be able to meet you halfway.

If that doesn't work out, you can contact Airbnb support directly as a last resort. But getting someone to actually understand your issue and have a clue about what to do could take days, and the end result could be a costly headache for both you and the host.

[Oliver620]

Thank you @Anonymous. The host has paid for a cleaner to come round and bleach both bathrooms, the mould appears to be gone now but the stench of bleach is causing a tight chest in itself. Hopefully this will be the end of it but I'm fearful it will come back.

I'm working out here 8-6 so it'd be difficult to arrange a move of accomodation, let's see if this is resolved now, thanks for your help.

[Mark116]

@Oliver620  I would guess the smell of bleach will disappate after a few hours, but I'd be pretty concerned that this level of mold if it has appeared during your stay suggests there is an underlying problem with moisture that is going to need more remediation than just cleaning of the surfaces.

Is there anything in the room above that bathroom that could be leaking into the ceiling and causing the mold and discoloration such as another bathroom or a room with a sink in it?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Oliver620  I don't want to blame it on you but I have just one question - do you air the space every day at least 2x? Do you open the window after taking shower or cooking? If not, then the condensation causes humidity and it causes mold. Mold starts to grow at 70% humidity or higher.

To me, opening all windows and airing the place I am living in at least 3-4x a day is normal but, since I started hosting I realized how many people never open the windows during their stay. The humidity level and the smell some guests leave behind after just a few days' stay often surprise me.

Humidity and mold problems cannot be easily and quickly solved. Mold has to be sprayed with bleach or some other harsh chemicals, wiped off the walls, and then the walls have to be thoroughly dried with the help of dehumidifiers. When walls are dry then they can be repainted. Drying can last for a month

If the villa is brand new it is possible that the structure was not let to dry enough before it was painted and moved in. It happens when investors and builders are in a hurry.

You can either move out or keep the windows open as much as you can to keep the air dry

[Debra300]

@Branka-and-Silvia0,

You and I were on the same line of thought.

[Debra300]

@Oliver620,

I can see a window in the picture that you shared.  Is there any other type of ventilation is available in the bathrooms, like a manual or electronic vent?  Have you been opening the window and/or turning on the vent during every time a shower or moisture generating activity (e.g., laundry, sauna), and leaving them open and/or on afterwards long enough to allow the moisture to fully dissipate? 

[Oliver620]

Hi all, thank you so much for your thoughtful replies.

Some context here would be useful.

Bathroom one (pictured) has a window, which is left open after every shower for at least 2-3 hours. The issue is there isn't much windflow due to the design of the villa, so the air often stagnates - we could fan it manually everytime by hand, but I fear the mould would come back anyway.

Bathroom two has no window. Neither bathroom has an electronic fan, just a static vent in the side of the wall. 

I don't know what's above the area, possibly loft space but I doubt there is any damp/mould up there. It has now been cleaned off by the bleach but I will update if it comes back in a week or so. The host was, as expected, very kind about it all and offered to pay for a cleaner to come around anytime. 

I guess now it's just a waiting game to see if the asthma continues to flare up or whether the problem has been solved, but I must admit it's slightly disappointing after paying around £4,750/month to live somewhere. The host has been great though so no fault of his.

Thanks again all @Debra300 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Mark116 

[Debra300]

@Oliver620,

Ask the host to provide a couple of portable dehumidifiers for the bathrooms.  I did a quick search on Amazon, and they aren't expensive: https://www.amazon.com/Schmitt-Dehumidifier-Water-Ultra-Quiet/dp/B083Y74YVV

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Oliver620  instead of a fan could you open 2 or more windows on opposite walls to create stronger airflow?