SB 655
Civil Code § 1941.7 / Health and Safety Code §§ 17920 and 17920.3
Mold
Current law sets forth standards for buildings used for human habitation and establishes definitions for this purpose. The law provides that a building, or a portion of it, in which certain conditions are found to exist, such as a lack of sanitation, is substandard for human habitation. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor.
This bill specifies that visible mold growth, excepting mold that is minor and found on surfaces that can accumulate moisture as part of their proper and intended use, is a type of inadequate sanitation and therefore a substandard condition. It is unclear whether this law will be applied to homeowner associations, but Boards and Management companies are advised to treat water intrusion and mold issues as serious, and to take swift action to remedy such issues.
