FACT SHEET

Mold Assessment and Remediation

in New York State
What is Mold? Note: Rental property owners must still provide
Mold is a multi-cellular fungus, similar to clean and sanitary living conditions to their tenants.
mushrooms and yeast. Mold can be different
colors, and look fuzzy, slimy, or powdery. It often How does the Department of Labor help with
has a musty odor when present in large amounts. mold issues?
The Department of Labor makes sure that
Mold requires three things to grow: professionals who do mold assessments and
• water/moisture, remediation work have proper training, licenses
• organic food source (paper, fabric, and minimum work standards.
sheetrock, etc.), and
• proper temperature. Every mold cleanup project performed
by professionals must follow these steps:
The presence of mold means there is too much assessment, remediation (clean up),
moisture. Moisture problems can be caused by: clearance. The law protects consumers by
• plumbing leaks barring licensed mold companies and their
• leaking roofs or windows employees from doing both the assessment
• high humidity and remediation on the same property. One
• flooding mold company and their employees may do the
• condensation due to poor ventilation or initial and post-cleanup clearance assessments,
insulation but a different company and their employees
must do the actual cleanup work.
It is impossible to ‘mold proof’ your house.
However, you can manage mold growth by Assessments
controlling indoor humidity levels and fixing What is an assessment?
water leakage problems. To prevent mold from An assessment, or a mold remediation plan, is
coming back in the future, you must fix the a document prepared by a mold professional.
underlying source of moisture. It identifies mold and serves as a guide for the
cleanup project. It says what must be done, how
If I want to clean up mold, do I need to hire a it is to be done, and how you will be able to tell
mold professional? if all the mold has been removed. The specific
No. Mold issues can often be fixed by the requirements are listed in Section 945 of the
property owner. However, if you are sensitive to Labor Law.
mold, not interested in cleaning up the mold or
are not capable of cleaning the mold, you can Am I entitled to a copy of the assessment?
hire mold professionals. Yes. If you hire a mold professional to do an
assessment, you must be given a copy. The
Does New York require a property owner to professional you hire to do the remediation work
clean up mold when it is found? must also get a copy.
No, there is no cleanup requirement for property
owners. However, if a property owner chooses
to hire a mold professional, those professionals
must follow the requirements of the law.
 Does a mold assessor need to perform sampling acceptable work scope and job clearance.
as part of an assessment? This may include sampling, recommended
No. In most cases, air sampling and mold testing use of biocides or other chemicals,
are not necessary. There are no national or state replacement of materials, and criteria to
standards for “safe” levels of mold. Mold spores demonstrate clearance after the cleanup.
are a natural part of the environment and are • For Mold Remediation: The work plan
always in the air and on surfaces. A thorough must fulfill all the requirements of the
visual inspection is the most important step to mold remediation plan developed
identify mold problems and determine cleanup through the assessment. The work plan
strategies. Before contractors perform any should also have specific instructions
sampling or testing, ask what type of sampling or and/or standard operating procedures
testing they wish to perform, why it is necessary, for how the contractor will perform the
and what it will show that is not already known. cleanup work.

How much should an assessment cost? Ask about the contractor’s experience and
The law does not say how much an assessment references from previous clients. If you are not
should cost. We recommend that you get sure that the proposed work complies with local
estimates from different companies. If a building code rules, contact the local building code
contractor recommends testing as part of office before allowing the contractor to start work.
an assessment, you should have a clear
understanding of the costs for that testing and How can I verify that a Mold Assessor or Mold
exactly what the testing will show. Remediation Contractor is licensed by NYSDOL?
Visit the Department of Labor’ s website and use
Remediation the “Licensed Mold Contractors Search Tool” at:
What does the Mold Remediation Contractor do? https://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/
The remediation contractor does the actual safetyhealth/mold/licensing.shtm
cleanup work. They must give you a mold
remediation work plan. The work plan must fulfill How can I file a complaint if I do not believe the
all the requirements of the mold remediation plan mold professionals followed this guidance?
developed through the assessment. Submit the “Mold Contractor Complaint Form”
at: https://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/
Hiring a Mold Professional safetyhealth/mold/compliance.shtm
What should I know before hiring a mold
professional? Where do I go for more information?
As is true with all construction projects, the New York State Department of Labor:
most important step is choosing your contractor. http://labor.ny.gov/mold
Contact more than one contractor for all work to New York City Department of Health and Mental
be performed. Hygiene: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/
health-topics/mold.page
• For Mold Assessment: Make sure each U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
contractor comes to the job site and https://www.epa.gov/mold
bids on the same work. Before any
work starts, you should have a clear
understanding of the scope of work and
the services the contractor will provide.
You should understand and agree with
the mold assessor’s remediation plan for
P227 (11/17) The New York State Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.