EXPATS Moving in and MOULD

Does this sound familiar… You’ve just arrived in Asia. You’ve had a week to find the perfect home for your
family, settle the children into the Right school, the car, the new grocery store, maybe a helper – it’s an
avalanche!

Due to the tropical climate and weather conditions in Asia it is common place to find mould, of some
description, in most buildings. Before you take the keys to your new accommodation ensure you inspect all
cupboards and dark places for mould, your nose will be the best guide.

It is normal practice for your landlord to have the property painted before you arrive. If there was mould
present, you can be assured it has just been painted over. Painting is one of the cheapest services in Asia
and it is also normal for the paint to be of cheap quality which is often watered-down. If mould was present
be aware it has not been removed, merely masked. Once painted, mould soon comes back with a
vengeance, as it has been sealed over and is now in a nice dark moist environment. Mould loves that.

Remember, if the house smells musty, even though you might not be able to see it, it’s a sure indication that
mould is present.

Another area to be aware of is in the Air-conditioning units. You will be instructed through your Landlord to
have a quarterly service contract in place for each unit. These services ensure the AC units are kept clean,
but only on the outside. The process is to remove the front filter and clean by spraying it with water.

Mould very regularly thrives within an AC unit. They need to have a regular (i.e. Yearly) Internal Chemical
clean to rid it of the mould that is growing happily in the dark, moist internals of the unit. If this is not
undertaken you could be blowing fine harmful mould spores all about the room.

Do not believe that anyone but yourself will have the best health interests of your family at heart. Simply
put, a landlord might ‘prefer’ to pay the least amount of maintenance as possible.

MouldGone trained and certified staff can undertake a mould treatment prior to you moving in. If mould
does become an issue after you move in, it could become an ongoing battle with your landlord and agent.
This could mean a cost to your landlord and they just will not be interested. Perhaps you will receive an offer
to repaint, at best.