Mold behind toilet causing coughs: landlord or cleaner first?« Back to Previous Page

Contact your landlord immediately and do not attempt to clean it yourself. This is a significant moisture issue, not just surface mold, and is unequivocally the landlord's responsibility to remediate under typical Dubai tenancy contracts.

The black fuzzy growth on the concrete indicates the vinyl flooring and likely the subfloor are compromised from long-term moisture, which is common in bathrooms here due to high humidity and condensation. Disturbing it without proper containment will release a large amount of spores, potentially worsening your children's respiratory symptoms. Your landlord should arrange for a professional inspection to assess the full extent of the water damage and mold growth behind and under the flooring.

A reputable remediation company, not a standard cleaner, should handle this. They will use containment barriers and HEPA filtration to prevent cross-contamination while removing the affected materials. Merely spraying bleach will not address the root moisture problem. After remediation, insist on a post-testing verification, like an air quality test, to confirm spore levels have returned to a normal baseline before any repairs are made.