Tenant with Latex Allergies - Who Repaints?
Folks, question: my tenant just found out that her daughter has latex allergies. Her doctor advised her to repaint her apartment. She mentioned this to me twice and I have a hunch she’s angling to have me repaint the apartment for her (she’s on a limited income). Technically, who is responsible for this cost -…
Folks, question: my tenant just found out that her daughter has latex allergies. Her doctor advised her to repaint her apartment. She mentioned this to me twice and I have a hunch she’s angling to have me repaint the apartment for her (she’s on a limited income). Technically, who is responsible for this cost – the landlord or tenant? (The apartment was newly painted about a year and a half ago.)
Thanks
Compare the price of paint with no latex. Under the American Disability Act you might have to accommadate the tenant anyway.
Try to find a way that is agrreeable to landlord and tenant.
You have a headache on your hands. You have my empathy on this one. good luck.
I would ask her if her child has any other allergies.
It could be that the kid is allergic to house dust and she needs a hepa filter vacuum for example.
This allergy season has been really bad and so the diagnosis of latex allergy might be coincidental.
Latex is a contact allergy no? How old is the kid? If they are in diapers, they can contain latex. As do balloons and rubber boots and raincoats, rubber balls, beach toys… and on and on.
Not to sound unsympathetic and the parent is clearly worried, but it sounds like painting is a last resort rather than a first.
(I am mildly allergic to latex for what it’s worth and get a rash if I wear latex gloves for an hour or more. My entire house is painted with latex based paint, but I resist the urge to rub my body against the wall! No problems under those circumstances)
I have a family member alergic to latex. Latex gloves are a problem but dry paint has not been in issue. I have avoided painting while he’s in the house, though. Anyway I don’t see how it’s the landlord’s responsibility.
She’s gotta go.
@Petebklyn, there are several primers that will let you paint oil over latex.
@OP, legally she’d be responsible for it. But I don’t think you need to go there at all. I’d start with the assumption that this is a worried, cash-strapped mom and not a swindler. If this is the case, you don’t need to get into rights and responsibilities. Express you sincere concern for her kid’s health, and tactfully question the legitimacy of her doctor’s advice. I’m guessing she’d much rather know she has nothing to worry about than be disrupted by a latex-to-oil repaint job.
the psychic part of my brain is telling me that she is angling for a future lawsuit, and or shafting you out of many months of rent… trust me, she can definitely get a shady doctor to document this most likely faux allergy.
*rob*
I see a future problem here already….of course she is on a limited income……
If it was my child that was allergic to the paint I would not ask the LL to buy new paint, i would just buy it myself and do it. certainly a child’s health is more important than a few bucks on paint.
But I know the tenants of today will not spend a dime on their apartments, let alone paint??????
As a landlord myself, I’d offer to let her break her lease. What next? Wood fibre aversion? Emf fears? You can’t cater to the outliers.
I’m allergic to whatever chemicals are in wet paint but never heard of a reaction to dry paint that’s over a year old. I can smell paint that’s several weeks old, but not more than that.
I would agree the diagnosis sounds fishy.