Picture of interior exposed brick wall in my apartment. Can this be black mold? Air quality test came back negative for toxic mold, but what else can this nasty stuff be???

 

Welcome to the forums!

I'm not seeing the pic http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...-pictures.html

edit;
I can see the pic now
It looks like some type of mold to me. What have you done to try and remove it?

 

I need help! Does anyone know what this black stuff on my brick wall is? Landlord says its not mold, but what else can it be?

 

Just recently moved in to the apartment, so I haven't tried anything yet. Can this be mold, even if the "expert's" indoor air quality test apparently came back negative? I don't really have the money to get it tested again.

 

What did he say it is, if it's not mold? It looks like mold to me & the wall needs to be sealed from the outside.

 

I'd mix up a bleach/detergent solution, scrub it some and see how it responds. If you have any breathing issues or are otherwise concerned - wear a mask.

 

Bleach is only a temporary solution. The outside wall will tell the rest of the story.

 

Here's the pics of the wall again.

 

You should be able to clean it up but as Pulpo stated, if moisture is coming thru the wall from the exterior - the mold will come back..... but all of this is stuff that the landlord should take care of.

 

I guess a temporary solution would be fine (8 months left on lease, and NO WAY am I renewing)

 

Should you choose not to have it taken care of now, by the landlord, I'd suggest you at least go on record with the landlord, noting the presence of the stuff when you moved in, to differentiate from something you may have caused. Otherwise, the landlord could pay someone to professionally remove the nasty stuff after you leave, and take the cleaning cost out of your security/damage/cleaning deposit. In effect, saying you caused it, therefore you should pay for its removal.

Best solution, though, is to have the landlord take care of it now. It's his stuff in his property, and you shouldn't have to be exposed to it for 8 months. Just tell him/her you're running out of options, but a last hurrah might be to take some blown-up color pictures of the stuff, and post them around the neighborhood as a warning to future renters.

 

You also have the right to have it fixed & deduct the money off the rent. Many landlords like that idea because they don't have to do anything. You can notify him ahead of time.