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Aug 10, 2023

Renter Battles Mold In Plant City Apartment Complex

Plant City resident and single mom Carrie Rutter has been living a nightmare, grappling with hazardous living conditions in her apartment and waging a battle against a mold infestation while seeking

Plant City resident and single mom Carrie Rutter has been living a nightmare, grappling with hazardous living conditions in her apartment and waging a battle against a mold infestation while seeking assistance from housing authorities.

She moved into her two-bedroom apartment in Woodbridge at Walden Lake Apartments in May 2019 and receives rental assistance through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

She recognized that something was wrong with the apartment right away. “My clothes started smelling musty and mold was popping up in my bathroom above the shower head and my daughter started having health problems,” she said. “Maintenance came in, poked it with a screwdriver, told me it wasn’t a problem and just caulked over it,” she said. “The mold kept coming back and eventually the wall felt soft.”

According to Hillsborough County’s website, the mere presence of mold isn’t necessarily a code violation. Florida’s heat and humidity are conducive to growth of the unsightly, and sometimes dangerous, fungi, which, while most are harmless, some can cause flu-like symptoms or breathing problems.

Plant City’s Code Enforcement website states: “Mold growth itself is not a code violation. However, the presence of mold is sometimes related to building problems that are code violations. Plant City Code Enforcement Inspectors do not investigate complaints of mold inside buildings, unless contributing factors are present such as a leaking roof or leaking plumbing. If you suspect you have mold growth, attempt to identify the cause of the mold. If you are renting or leasing your residence, inform your landlord before contacting code enforcement. If your landlord is not properly responding or fails to address the cause of the mold in a timely manner, code enforcement may be able to intervene on your behalf. Please note, inspectors will not issue notices of violation for mold growth- only the property maintenance issue causing the mold, if visible.”

After three years, frustrated that the property management company wasn’t fixing the issues, she reached out to Plant City Code Enforcement in April about the mold and moisture on the walls and a roach problem. Upon getting the city department involved, a code enforcer inspected her bathroom and noticed the soft spots on the drywall. The property manager hired a contractor to open up the bathroom wall and they discovered a leak from the bathroom of the upstairs tenant. The leaking plumbing was repaired and the wall patched. “It took three years for me to get them to open the wall,” she said. “I am getting tired of hearing it’s not an issue, I still have concerns that there’s mold in my utility closet and this is sucking the life out of me.”

Rutter said her woes aren’t over because the mildew smell still permeates her apartment. While sharing her story on the Next Door app, she had other renters reach out to her to share their problems with mold, rats, roaches and more. “I was putting the pieces together and realized that this is much bigger than just my apartment,” she said.

Brittany Bregman rented a three-bedroom unit in April. She had lived in the same complex years ago. “I got in there and they didn’t give us a walkthrough, it was vulgar, rat poison on the floor, a strong mold smell, it was absolutely deplorable,” she said. After living in the apartment complex two months, she moved out earlier this month. “It was two months of pure hell and we couldn’t take it anymore, we left our keys on the counter but there are people living there who have nowhere else to go,” said Bregman.

Attempts to contact the owner of the complex were unsuccessful.

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