Does a landlord have to fix mold?
Short answer: Usually yes when mold makes the unit unhealthy or comes from a leak or other condition the landlord must repair. Few states have mold-specific laws; most treat it under the landlord's general duty to keep the rental habitable, and some require mold disclosures.
Report mold and its cause (leaks, humidity) to the landlord in writing, take dated photos, and contact your local health or housing inspector if it isn't fixed.
The rule in every state
Each answer below links to the statute or official page it comes from (51 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | Mold |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2) |
| Alaska | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alaska has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable, and keep ventilating systems it supplies in good working order. AS 34.03.100(a)(1), (3) |
| Arizona | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Arizona has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building codes materially affecting health and safety and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. A.R.S. § 33-1324(A)(1)-(2) |
| Arkansas | No statute — Arkansas has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. Arkansas's implied residential quality standards (for leases entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021) require only running hot and cold water, electricity, potable water, code-compliant sewer and plumbing, a functioning roof and building envelope, and working heat and air conditioning if it served the unit when the lease was signed. Mold is not listed. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-502 (added by Act 1052 of 2021) |
| California | Visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, and dampness of habitable rooms are listed as substandard housing conditions, which make a unit untenantable under the landlord's repair duty. Minor mold on surfaces that can collect moisture during normal use is excluded. The Toxic Mold Protection Act also requires landlords to give written mold disclosures and a state mold booklet to tenants, but those duties do not start until the Department of Public Health adopts mold exposure standards, guidelines and the booklet. Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17920.3(a)(11), (a)(13); Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.1(a); Health & Safety Code §§ 26147, 26148 |
| Colorado | Yes. A rental is legally uninhabitable if there is mold associated with dampness, or any other damp condition, that would materially interfere with the tenant's health or safety if not fixed. Minor mold on surfaces that collect moisture through normal use is excluded. The landlord must make sure the unit is habitable before leasing it and must fix such conditions under the warranty of habitability; the tenant may use the remedies in § 38-12-507. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-503, 38-12-505(1)(a), (3) |
| Connecticut | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Connecticut has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with the tenement-house law and all building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. Stricter local codes take precedence. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7(a)(1)-(2), (b) |
| Delaware | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Delaware has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with all state and local housing codes, provide a unit that does not endanger the health, welfare or safety of tenants, and make all repairs needed to keep the unit in the condition it was, or should have been, at the start of the tenancy. 25 Del. C. § 5305(a)(1)-(2), (4) |
| District of Columbia | Yes. After written or electronic notice from a tenant that mold or suspected mold exists in the unit or a common area, the property owner must inspect within 7 days and remediate within 30 days of the inspection (unless a shorter deadline is ordered). Mold above the District's contamination threshold must be remediated by a licensed mold remediation professional. A professional mold assessment finding contamination creates a rebuttable presumption of a housing code violation, and a court may award assessment costs, attorney fees and, for bad-faith failure to remediate within 60 days, treble damages. When a tenant applies, the landlord must disclose either a 3-year history of mold contamination in the unit and common areas or proof of proper remediation. D.C. Code §§ 8-241.01, 8-241.02, 8-241.04, 8-241.05(a); D.C. Tenant Bill of Rights (OTA, rev. Sept. 25, 2026) |
| Florida | No statute — Florida has no mold-specific landlord-tenant statute. Mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes (or, where none apply, to keep structural components and plumbing in good repair). Fla. Stat. § 83.51(1) |
| Georgia | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024) |
| Hawaii | No statute — Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation rule. Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing laws materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. HRS § 521-42(a)(1), (3) |
| Idaho | No statute — Idaho has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law and no state agency that regulates mold inspection or removal in rentals. Mold is handled under the tenant's right to sue a landlord who maintains the premises in a manner hazardous to health or safety, fails to provide reasonable waterproofing and weather protection, or fails to maintain plumbing and ventilation facilities. The Attorney General advises tenants to report leaks, excess moisture, or recurring mold to the landlord immediately. Idaho Code § 6-320(a)(1)–(3); Idaho AG, Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), pp. 16–17 |
| Illinois | No statute — Illinois has no statewide mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. Mold falls under the landlord's general duty to keep the unit fit to live in, make necessary repairs, and comply with state and local health and housing codes. For small repairs required by the lease or by law (lesser of $500 or half a month's rent), a tenant may use the statutory repair-and-deduct procedure after 14 days' written notice. Illinois Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws, p. 1; 765 ILCS 742/5 |
| Indiana | No statute — Indiana has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Mold is handled under the landlord's duties to deliver the premises in a safe, clean, and habitable condition and to comply with applicable health and housing codes. A tenant may sue to enforce these duties after giving notice and a reasonable time to repair. IC 32-31-8-5(1), (2); IC 32-31-8-6 |
| Iowa | No statute — Iowa has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Mold is handled under the landlord's duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable. Iowa Code § 562A.15(1)(a)(1), (2) |
| Kansas | No statute — Kansas has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Mold is handled under the landlord's duty to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to maintain plumbing, sanitary, and ventilating systems in good and safe working order. K.S.A. 58-2553(a)(1), (3) |
| Kentucky | No statute — Kentucky has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) has been locally adopted, mold falls under the landlord's duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable. Outside URLTA areas, no statewide habitability statute applies; the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.500 |
| Louisiana | No statute — Louisiana has no mold disclosure or remediation law. The Civil Code's general lessor duties apply. The lessor must maintain the property in a condition suitable for its leased purpose, make all necessary repairs during the lease (except those the lessee is responsible for), and warrant that it is free of vices or defects that prevent its use, including defects that arise later and defects unknown to the lessor. If the lessor fails to repair within a reasonable time after demand, the lessee may repair and deduct reasonable costs. La. C.C. arts. 2682(2), 2691, 2696, 2697, 2694 |
| Maine | Yes, by statute. It is a breach of the implied warranty of habitability for a landlord to offer for rent a unit with a leaking event (a water leak from flooding or a roof, window, door, plumbing, foundation or appliance failure), or chronic moisture or humidity outside the tenant's control, that results in the growth of mold, bacteria or other biological organisms. A tenant who gave written notice, is current on rent and did not cause the condition can sue; the court can order repairs, reduce rent to the unit's fair value, or let the tenant temporarily vacate without paying. Municipalities may adopt stricter standards. 14 M.R.S. § 6021(1), (3), (4), (6-B) (added by PL 2025, c. 515) |
| Maryland | Yes, by statute (Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act, effective July 1, 2025). Landlords must give each tenant the state mold information pamphlet when the lease is signed and on request, and ask the tenant to sign an acknowledgment. Within 15 days after written notice of mold from the tenant, a building occupant or the local housing-code agency, the landlord must do a mold assessment. If mold is found, the landlord must remediate it within 45 days after the assessment, or within a reasonable time if 45 days isn't feasible. Assessment and remediation must follow industry guidelines and state and local law. The landlord must keep the property properly ventilated with low indoor humidity, communicate with occupants during the work, and meet minimum livability codes. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-220; Md. Code, Envir. § 6-1702 (2025 Md. Laws ch. 539, SB 856) |
| Massachusetts | Yes, under the State Sanitary Code. Owners must keep buildings and structural elements watertight and free from excess moisture or the appearance of mold. After leaks or flooding, the owner must dry all surfaces within 48 hours of being notified or of the end of the event, whichever is sooner. No room may be used for habitation if it is subject to excess moisture. Code violations are enforced by the local board of health, and any violation not otherwise listed is deemed a condition that may endanger health or safety. Occupants must use building elements with reasonable care. No statute requires mold disclosure to tenants. 105 CMR 410.500(A)(1), (B); 410.510; 410.420(A); 410.630(A)(18); 410.020 ('Chronic Dampness') |
| Michigan | No statute — Michigan has no mold disclosure or remediation law. Every residential lease includes statutory covenants that the premises and common areas are fit for their intended use, that the landlord will keep the premises in reasonable repair, and that the landlord will comply with state and local health and safety laws. The exception is disrepair caused by the tenant's willful or irresponsible conduct. Where the Housing Law of Michigan applies, the owner must keep the roof from leaking and drain rainwater so as to avoid dampness in walls and ceilings. An occupant can sue for damages and injunctive relief if unsafe or unsanitary conditions go unabated after notice. MCL 554.139(1); MCL 125.471; MCL 125.536 |
| Minnesota | No statute — no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law. Mold is covered by the general statutory covenants that the unit and common areas are fit for their intended use, kept in reasonable repair, and kept in compliance with state and local health and safety laws. A condition with a serious negative impact on health or safety can support an emergency tenant remedies action, and tenants can also use rent escrow or a tenant remedies action. Minn. Stat. § 504B.161, subd. 1(a)(1), (2), (4); § 504B.381, subd. 1 |
| Mississippi | No statute — Mississippi has no mold disclosure or remediation law. The landlord's general statutory duty applies: comply with building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety, and maintain the unit and its plumbing, heating and cooling systems in substantially the same condition as at the start of the lease, reasonable wear and tear excluded. There is no duty for defects caused by the tenant's deliberate or negligent acts. Tenants must tell the landlord about conditions that may cause damage. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23; § 89-8-25(g) |
| Missouri | No statute — Missouri has no mold disclosure or remediation law. Missouri courts recognize an implied warranty of habitability as case law, not statute. Local housing codes set specific standards. If a condition that detrimentally affects habitability or sanitation violates a local housing or building code, an eligible tenant may use the statutory repair-and-deduct remedy. To qualify, the tenant must have lived there 6 consecutive months, be current on rent, and have no uncured lease-violation notices. RSMo 441.234; RSMo ch. 441 and 535 (checked) |
| Montana | Montana Mold Disclosure Act: a landlord who knows mold is present must disclose it to the tenant before or when the lease is signed, and a landlord who knows the building was tested for mold must say so and give the tenant the test results (if available) and evidence of any later mitigation. A landlord may also give a statutory mold disclosure statement for the tenant to sign; a landlord who gives it, discloses prior testing and mitigation, and discloses known mold is shielded from liability based on the presence of or propensity for mold. No state mold-remediation standard; the general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable applies. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-16-701 to 70-16-703; § 70-24-303(1)(b) |
| Nebraska | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. After written or actual notice, the landlord must substantially comply with applicable minimum housing codes and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises fit and habitable. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1419(1)(a)-(b) |
| Nevada | No statute — general habitability duty applies. The landlord must maintain the unit in a habitable condition at all times; a unit is not habitable if it violates housing or health codes on health, safety, sanitation, or fitness, or substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, working plumbing, or walls, floors, and ceilings in good repair. NRS 118A.290(1) |
| New Hampshire | No statute — general habitability standards apply. The state minimum housing standards do not mention mold but prohibit related conditions such as roofs or walls that leak consistently and defective internal plumbing or sewage back-ups. RSA 48-A:14, II and IV |
| New Jersey | No statute — the implied warranty of habitability and state/local housing maintenance codes apply. New Jersey has no enacted mold disclosure, testing, or remediation standard for rentals. Marini v. Ireland, 56 N.J. 130 (1970) (implied warranty of habitability); N.J.A.C. 5:10 (Regulations for Maintenance of Hotels and Multiple Dwellings) |
| New Mexico | No statute — general repair duty applies. The owner must substantially comply with applicable minimum housing codes and make repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a safe condition. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-20(A)(1)-(2) |
| New York | No statewide mold statute — the warranty of habitability applies. Every residential lease includes a non-waivable warranty that the premises are fit for human habitation and free of conditions dangerous, hazardous, or detrimental to life, health, or safety. N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b |
| North Carolina | No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l) |
| North Dakota | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. North Dakota has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with applicable building and housing codes affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' N.D.C.C. § 47-16-13.1(1)(a)-(b) |
| Ohio | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Ohio has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building, housing, health and safety codes and 'do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04(A)(1)-(2) |
| Oklahoma | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Oklahoma has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the tenant's dwelling unit and premises in a fit and habitable condition.' 41 O.S. § 118(A)(2) |
| Oregon | No mold-specific statute — the general habitability duty applies. A unit is unhabitable if it substantially lacks effective waterproofing and weather protection, plumbing in good working order, or floors, walls and ceilings in good repair, among other items. Mold is expressly excluded from the 'minor habitability defect' repair-and-deduct remedy (repairs up to $300), so tenants must use the other habitability remedies. ORS 90.320(1); ORS 90.368(1)(b) |
| Pennsylvania | No statute — Pennsylvania has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals. Conditions such as mold are governed by the court-created implied warranty of habitability, which requires the landlord to keep the unit fit and habitable and to fix serious defects affecting safety or the ability to live there; the duty cannot be waived by the lease. Implied warranty of habitability (Pugh v. Holmes, 405 A.2d 897 (Pa. 1979)), as described in the PA Attorney General's Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights |
| Rhode Island | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Rhode Island has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22(a)(1)-(2) |
| South Carolina | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. South Carolina has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is reasonably necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' S.C. Code § 27-40-440(a)(1)-(2) |
| South Dakota | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. South Dakota has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must keep the premises and common areas in reasonable repair, fit for human habitation and in good and safe working order, except for disrepair caused by the tenant's (or the tenant's invitees') negligent, willful or malicious conduct. SDCL 43-32-8 |
| Tennessee | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401 |
| Texas | No landlord-tenant mold statute — Texas law sets no mold disclosure or mold-specific remediation duty for residential landlords. Mold is handled under the general duty to repair: after written notice from a tenant who is current on rent, the landlord must make a diligent effort to repair a condition that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant. Separately, the Occupations Code licenses professional mold assessors and remediators; an owner of residential property with fewer than 10 units (or its employee) may do its own mold assessment or remediation without a license. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.052; Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1958 (Sec. 1958.102) |
| Utah | No statute — the Utah Fit Premises Act does not mention mold. Mold is governed by the general duty to keep the unit fit for human habitation and in accordance with local ordinances and local board of health rules, and not to rent premises unless they are safe, sanitary and fit for human occupancy. The act applies only to conditions that materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter. Utah Code 57-22-3; 57-22-4(1); 57-22-6 |
| Vermont | No mold-specific statute, but the state Rental Housing Health Code requires every rental unit to be kept free from the regular or periodic appearance of standing water or excessive moisture that may result in visible mold growth, and bars use of humidifiers in ways that raise relative humidity above 60%. The landlord's statutory warranty of habitability requires premises that are safe, clean, fit for habitation and compliant with building, housing and health regulations; the warranty cannot be waived. 9 V.S.A. § 4457(a)-(b); Vermont Rental Housing Health Code §§ 8.2, 10.3 |
| Virginia | Yes — detailed statute. Disclosure: the move-in inspection report must state whether there is visible evidence of mold in readily accessible interior areas; a 'no visible mold' statement is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within 5 days. If mold is disclosed, the tenant may terminate and not take (or keep) possession, or take possession and have the landlord remediate within 5 business days, reinspect and issue a new report. Duty: the landlord must maintain the premises to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth, respond promptly to tenant notices, and promptly remediate visible mold to professional standards, reinspect, and give the tenant a summary of remediation information. Where mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may relocate the tenant for up to 30 days to a comparable unit or hotel at no cost to the tenant (rent continues). Tenants must use reasonable efforts to prevent moisture and mold and promptly report it. Va. Code § 55.1-1215; § 55.1-1220(A)(5); § 55.1-1227(A)(10); § 55.1-1231 |
| Washington | Disclosure required: the landlord must give tenants information provided or approved by the Department of Health about the health hazards of indoor mold and how tenants can control mold growth, either in writing to each tenant or posted in a visible public location on the property. The landlord is immune from civil liability for failing to do so unless the failure is knowing and intentional. There is no mold-specific remediation standard; mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit for habitation, comply with health and safety codes and make repairs. RCW 59.18.060(1), (5), (14), (15) |
| West Virginia | No statute — West Virginia's landlord-tenant law does not mention mold and sets no disclosure or remediation rule. Mold is governed by the general duty to deliver and maintain the unit in a fit and habitable condition, to meet applicable health, safety, fire and housing codes, and to make repairs needed to keep it habitable — unless the problem was caused by the tenant, family or guests' lack of reasonable care. The landlord need not make repairs while the tenant is behind on rent. W. Va. Code § 37-6-30(a)(1)-(2), (4), (c) |
| Wisconsin | No statute — neither Wis. Stat. ch. 704 nor the rental-practices rule (ATCP 134) mentions mold. Mold is handled under the general repair duty (structural repairs, keeping equipment and landlord-controlled areas in repair, complying with any local housing code) and the pre-lease disclosure rule: before signing or taking a deposit, the landlord must disclose known uncorrected code violations that significantly threaten health or safety, and conditions that are a substantial hazard to the tenant's health or safety. A tenant may also use the untenantability remedies if the premises become unfit for occupancy. Wis. Stat. 704.07(2), (4); Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.04(2) |
| Wyoming | No statute — Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act does not mention mold, and no state housing code addresses it. Mold is governed only by the general duty to keep the unit safe, sanitary and fit for human habitation; the act applies only to conditions that materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter. The renter must be current on payments and give written notice (certified mail or as allowed by W.S. 1-21-1003) before court remedies are available. W.S. 1-21-1202(a), (c); 1-21-1203(a)-(b); 1-21-1206 |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.