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Tenant Irene Chen tells Arlington commission that mushrooms, mold grew inside Park Georgetown unit; staff to follow up
Summary
At a July 8 Tenant-Landlord Commission meeting, tenant Irene Chen described months of leaks, visible mold and mushrooms at Park Georgetown Apartments, alleged management offered a settlement that would silence her, and said the condition harmed her health; commissioners urged documentation, insurance claims and staff follow-up with code enforcement and management.
Irene Chen told the Arlington Tenant-Landlord Commission on July 8 that repeated water leaks at her Park Georgetown Apartments unit led to visible mold and ‘‘full grown mushrooms sprouting out of the floor’’ and to health problems that prompted medical treatment.
Chen said the building’s management declined to provide a hotel while they repaired floors, offered a settlement that would let her break the lease early in exchange for not ‘‘saying anything negative about the company,’’ and refused to return her security deposit. Chen said she and a roommate documented six leaks beginning in April, moved out in late June and used a commercial test kit that detected mold spores; her clinicians told her to notify public health officials.
The account drew questions from commissioners and other landlords on the call. Commissioner Kristen warned that consumer test kits can detect commonplace mold and recommended professional sampling before legal steps; she said a credible remediation assessment requires a certified inspector. Chen said she could not afford professional testing and that her eye doctor prescribed intensive treatment: ‘‘My eyes have improved a lot since just living, like, moving out of the apartment,’’ she said.
Chair Andrew Ferreira thanked Chen for coming forward and urged her to file any pending documentation with the county; he said staff would try to reach the property’s regional manager and ‘‘use whatever county resources that are available to us to look into the matter further.’’ The commission directed staff to follow up with code enforcement and the Department of Environmental Services to determine what options exist, and suggested Chen explore renter’s insurance or legal services for possible claims about withheld deposits and damages.
Chen said she filed complaints with both DES and code enforcement and that staff in those offices told her there is no county mold‑remediation program. Commissioners advised collecting photos, correspondence and receipts; one landlord on the call recommended submitting claims through renter’s insurance for lost property.
The commission did not take formal action at the meeting. Chair Ferreira said staff would contact the regional manager and monitor next steps, and encouraged Chen to connect with neighbors who may be affected.
