The list of environmental hazards is growing. Now you have to think about mold, in addition to asbestos, lead, radon gas, and carbon monoxide. Your house may be risk free, but you should still find out if your policy protects you if a tenant gets ill. You need to know what is excluded and assess whether protecting yourself is worth what it will cost to get coverage.

Asbestos

Asbestos, once commonly used as a fire-retarding insulation, can cause cancer. It is presumed to be present in any home built before 1981. It was used for floor tiles and wrapped around heat ducts and pipes to limit heat loss. Your house may have brittle asbestos shingles for siding.

Asbestos is not a health threat until it's disturbed and minute asbestos particles become airborne. Nevertheless, you can be held liable for a breach of habitability if your tenant becomes ill and it's determined that asbestos caused it.

If you suspect your home contains asbestos, tell your tenant or prospective tenants that it's present, but that it's not likely to cause danger. If you later have to disturb the asbestos for maintenance or repairs, warn your tenant well before you start working. And if you hire someone to do the job, be sure to notify the worker as well.

You can hire removal specialists to eliminate the asbestos hazard, but it's not cheap. Many property owners prefer to paint or encapsulate (wrap) the asbestos on pipes and ducts. If you paint, periodically inspect the paint to see that it's not chipping or peeling; if it is, touch up the area with more paint. You can get a copy of regulations for handling asbestos from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Lead

When a child ingests lead by chewing on lead-based paint or eating soil contaminated with lead, it can cause serious health problems and even brain damage. Courts have awarded families huge amounts of money to take care of the child's lifetime treatment, education, and loss of earnings.

Any building constructed before 1978 is presumed to contain lead either in lead-based paint or in the solder used to seal joints on copper pipes. Forty-two states and the federal government have residential lead-based paint hazard reduction legislation. The federal government and many states also require landlords to disclose lead-based paint hazards to new tenants before the lease takes effect. The landlord is required to give tenants information and booklets describing lead paint hazards. (See Chapter 5.) Be sure you comply with the requirements.

Insurance companies, now footing the bill for damages awarded in liability lawsuits, may soon make testing for lead mandatory before they issue a policy. If testing does become mandatory or if you want to know for certain that your building is lead free, have an inspection made by a state-certified tester.

To protect yourself from lawsuits, routinely inspect your property for deteriorated paint and vacuum up dust and small chips that might contain lead. Then repaint the area. Also show tenants how to identify potential risks and monitor the unit for trouble spots.

Radon

Radon, a radioactive gas that occurs when houses are built on rock or soil containing uranium deposits, can cause lung cancer. Radon also occurs in water from private wells. The gas gets trapped in well-insulated, unventilated houses, particularly those in colder climates.

The Environmental Protection Agency says about six million homes have high levels of radon gas. The gas can be dispersed simply by opening windows for ventilation.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide can be an insidious threat in a home because you can't smell it or see it. It's caused by blocked chimneys and pilot lights on gas stoves, clothes dryers, and water heaters. Oil furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves, and gas and charcoal grills can also cause carbon monoxide to form.

When you do routine maintenance, remove the dust that builds up on common household appliances and the dust and lint from dryer flues. Make sure gas pilot lights burn with a clear blue flame. Don't allow gas or charcoal grills to be used indoors. Specify that you only permit the use of electric space heaters and tell tenants never to turn on the oven to heat the apartment.

Keep rooms well ventilated if you can. Look into getting a monitor that gives out an audible warning signal if carbon monoxide is detected. Decide whether you want to buy one. You might be able to get one from your utility company. Check their website.

Built-up carbon monoxide causes dizziness, nausea, confusion, tiredness, unconsciousness, brain damage, and death. You don't want to risk it.

Mold

More than thirty-five states now let insurance companies exclude mold from liability policies. You should find out whether that includes your state, particularly if you live in a humid climate where many types of mold grow. Not all are toxic, yet people are sometimes getting sick because of the mold that is present.

Mold occurs when floods soak drywall and house framing and when pipes leak or water enters a house through a window or roof. Insurance companies may pay for mold cleanup and repairs if it occurred accidentally.

Mold grows most readily in tight, well-insulated buildings. It can also occur if a house is not thoroughly cleaned or a bathroom isn't vented, or even if plants are overwatered.

Landlords are not held liable for mold caused by a careless tenant. But you want to tell tenants how to prevent mold by keeping kitchens and bathrooms clean and well ventilated and not overwatering plants. Also ask your tenant to report the first signs of mold so you can get rid of it. Your best line of defense is to treat mold as soon as it appears. Install storm or double-pane windows and an exhaust fan in the bathroom. Dehumidify areas where mold forms.