AC mold causing sickness: DIY removal or call management?« Back to Previous Page

Stop using the AC unit immediately and call building management to address the leak at its source. In Dubai, landlords and building management are typically responsible for fixing AC leaks and the resulting structural damage under common tenancy laws.

For the mold itself, DIY removal is not recommended in this case. The combination of visible spread, the presence of both black and green colonies (which often indicate multiple species), and your correlating respiratory symptoms means this is a health risk. The high humidity here allows mold to penetrate porous materials like drywall and plaster, meaning cleaning the surface is ineffective. Disturbing it without proper containment can aerosolize spores throughout your apartment.

You need a professional inspection to identify the moisture source and the mold species. Remediation involves isolating the area, removing contaminated porous materials like the affected wall section, and using HEPA filtration to clean the air. Simply painting over it or spraying bleach, as some DIY methods suggest, will fail and the mold will return.

Your sinus headaches and dry cough are common reactions to prolonged exposure to mold spores and mycotoxins in enclosed, AC-cooled spaces. Resolving the underlying moisture problem is the only way to stop it.