Mold in an Altamonte Springs Condo
Altamonte Springs has condos where the walls, the pipes, and the roof belong to different owners. A leak in a common pipe grows mold in a private unit, and nobody knows who pays. A roof leak over the top floor drips into the unit below, and the HOA and the owner point at each other. For the full Altamonte Springs service list, see Altamonte Springs mold remediation services on the location page.
The first step is to find the source. A licensed assessor measures moisture in walls, floors, and ceilings with a meter and a thermal camera, and writes a protocol. The protocol names the source, the square footage, and the moisture readings. That protocol is the document the HOA, the owner, and the insurer all read. Without a protocol, every side argues about a different cause.
What the HOA Must Fix
Most condo declarations say the HOA owns the common elements: the roof, the exterior walls, the common pipes, and the shared drains. The owner owns the inside of the unit: the paint, the flooring, and the fixtures. A roof leak is usually the HOA job. A leak inside the unit, like a failed dishwasher hose, is usually the owner job. A leak in a common pipe inside a shared wall is usually the HOA job, even when the mold shows up in a private unit.
Read the declaration before you argue. The declaration names every common element and every owner element. Ask the HOA manager for a copy in writing. Send the HOA a written notice with the date, the address, the room, and photos with the time on your phone. Keep a copy of every reply. If the HOA sends a handyman to paint over the stain, write that down too, because paint seals moisture in and hides growth from the next inspector.
Who Pays for the Work
The side that owns the source usually pays for the fix. The HOA pays when the source is a common element. The owner pays when the source is inside the unit. The owner insurance pays when the water came from a sudden event, like a burst pipe or a failed appliance hose. Insurance pays only for sudden and accidental water events. A slow leak is classed as maintenance and is usually denied. Most Florida policies also carry a mold sub limit that caps the payout.
Do not pay for a full job before the assessor writes a protocol. The protocol says what to clean, what to remove, and what to dry. A crew that starts without a protocol may remove more than needed, or less. Ask for the license number of the assessor and the crew, and check both on the Florida DBPR portal. Ask for the name of the independent lab that will do the clearance test.
How a Licensed Job Runs
A full job runs in five stages. Stage one is inspection and moisture mapping. Stage two is testing, where needed, with an outdoor baseline sample taken the same day. Stage three is containment and removal, with six mil poly sheeting, a zippered airlock, and HEPA air scrubbers rated at 500 cubic feet per minute. Stage four is drying, with dehumidifiers and air movers running three to five days until lumber drops below 15 percent moisture. Stage five is clearance, done by an independent assessor who collects air samples and confirms Condition 1 normal ecology. Only after clearance does the rebuild start.
Florida Statutes Chapter 468, Part XVI, sets three rules. Only a licensed mold assessor can inspect and write a remediation protocol. That assessor cannot do remediation on the same property within 12 months. The remediation company cannot test its own work. Do not spray bleach on the mold. Bleach water feeds roots below the surface while the chlorine stays on top, and the colony returns in weeks. Mold Remediation Orlando is based at 200 S Orange Ave, Suite 1200, Orlando, FL 32801. Call (407) 439-7578 any time, day or night, for an emergency visit.