I live in a rowhouse in eastern Baltimore. The neighborhood is very good. The area is clean. I live across the street from a large park (yes, you Baltimorians will be able to know exactly where I live based on that ;)). I have friendly neighbors. My house is fairly large and has decent amenities for the rent I pay, which isn’t excessive at all.
I’m happy here. However, there’s one issue with the house that’s been pretty taxing on my nerves.
The bathroom is very small. It has absolutely no ventilation whatsoever. I’m not talking about a vent that doesn’t do anything… I mean it has no vents. None in the walls, ceiling, floor, or doors. As you can imagine, it gets plenty humid in there after a shower.
The humidity has caused problems. The mildew is sickening. A top-to-bottom scrub-down will cover the smell, but one shower later and everything’s the same as before. The grout and tub sealants have turned black with mold. It’s not healthy. Taking a shower with the door open is not an option as I have a female roommate.
When my first year’s lease was up, I told the landlord that I would like to stay, but the bathroom is a problem. He said the bathroom used to have ventilation, but it leaked, so they took it out. He told me he’d let me know if he comes up with a fix. I told him even installing a vent on the door would be a major help.
I called him a week later and he told me he’s not really willing to do anything about it, not even install a vent on the door. He said if there’s mold, then I should give it a good bleach scrub-down. That’s it. :dubious:
I should also report that this 100-year-old house is actually owned by my landlord’s wife. She grew up in it and it has a ton of sentimental value to her. When we moved in, even minor alterations were pretty much prohibited. No painting, no holes in the walls (from picture hangers), no changing the blinds without approval, etc.
So what do I do? I like the house a lot and don’t want to move, but the bathroom’s becoming unbearable. I realize that mold is a health hazard and I could put the rent in escrow until he does something about it, but we’re on a month-to-month basis and I don’t want to piss him off. Suggestions? Thanks in advance.