A disappointment. No real help for tenants.
I am a tenant and I needed help with mold in the basement of the apartment I am currently renting. When I called, their secretary was very polite and listened while I explained my situation, she insisted they could help me with my specific issue so I scheduled an appointment. I was sure to mention that the results from the inspection were to be presented in court and I was assured I had called the right company. Their website had even mentioned helping with tenants and the LTA so I was confident.
They were late on the day of inspection (apparently because of traffic) and didn't call to let me know; the call ended in a cancellation for that day as they were still quite a distance away. I rescheduled for the next day as they were extremely apologetic. They arrived on time for the rescheduled appointment.
When Robert arrived he was polite and apologetic, he also was adamant to assure me he would be extra thorough as his reputation was already compromised since I didn't receive a call explaining he was running late. When I showed Robert the condition of the basement he insisted that I would only need an air quality test, though I questioned him due to needing to be thorough as this matter would be before the courts. I even mentioned that cost wasn't an object as I would be going to court to recoup my costs. He told me that by the looks of things I had a good case without doing an infrared scan or additional tests so I followed his recommendation as he seemed to be rather credible. Their website had gone into detail of how they are able to help tenants so I was confident he knew exactly what needed to be done.
I waited the usual time for the results, I didn't have to wait to receive them. When I opened the email containing the results I was shocked to see only an attachment containing the results. There was no description to what I was seeing. I actually had to research what all of it meant! When I contacted Maple Leaf Mold to attain a better understanding of what I was being shown I was told exactly what I could read on the results, "NOT ELEVATED". NO OTHER INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED! I emailed them again only to be told...
"The air quality test conducted in the home did not find elevated levels of mold in the home at the time of the test. This is a fairly good result considering the age and condition of the home.
The report issued by the lab was concise and detailed in its explanation of the results themselves. Further verbal discussions with the client were attempted however we were unable to connect.
The balanced nature of the report may not offer the client an instrument with which a successful challenge can be mounted against a Landlord however it is a true picture of the quality of the air within the home at that time."
...sent to me by his secretary via a forwarded email from Robert. I also had to state that phone calls were not a feasible form of communication on the matter because it will be before the courts and that I will need written correspondence to be able to present the findings. I had even brought concerns to how UVC lights and air purifiers were being run just prior to testing yet no mention was made in return to my concerns. Robert basically just read the results word for word and offered no interpretation outside of the written results. I could have done the air test myself, tested it through a 3rd party company, and gotten the SAME results for a fraction of the cost. A true waste of a family's hard earned money.
His lack of thoroughness has cost me $475 plus tax and has provided me with nothing other than a growing problem (literally) and a bunch of disappointment. The biggest problem is now I cannot afford to have a truly qualified person complete another inspection since the problem is now worse, all thanks to the lack of thoroughness by Maple Leaf Mold. If you are a tenant or someone who prefers a thorough approach I strongly suggest finding a different company to tend to your mold complications.
NOTE: They no longer have written claims to helping tenants with complications regarding mold and the Landlord Tenant Act displayed on their website so I am no longer confident in anything that they claim. The removal of this information from their website definitely raises some questions to the validity of their claims in helping tenants.
ONE STAR given ONLY because the phone conversations were polite, as was Robert.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $475.00
- Company Response
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. While factually incorrect in a number of areas, we strive to clearly understand any issues brought forward by our customers.
To provide context, our Contract was to complete an unbiased Air Quality test in your home as specifically discussed and agreed by you before we even arrived.
The test was described in further detail when the technician arrived. It was important to us to double check that you understood why this type of test would be the most appropriate, accurate and detailed, particularly since you needed a detailed written report. The test was completed and submitted to an unbiased third party lab whereupon the results were made available to you within one day of taking the sample. This five (5) page detailed report was provided to you via email and two (2) follow up calls where made to you to discuss the results in detail and what they meant to which you did not respond to. An email was sent to you as a last resort in order to provide you with some context as to the results of the test.The results of the test outlined each type of mold species that was detectable as well as the levels that were present. The report further detailed the impacts of these species have on human health among other things.
The resulting lab report was very clear and explained each item in detail, it's five pages long...it unequivocally provides context and information that can easily be understood. If clarification was needed a return phone call to our messages was all that was required.
Your review is not a factual account of the events...it is inaccurate in its approach and false in its nature.First of all, we cannot change the results of these tests to suit the wishes of Landlords or Tenants...they are what they are. Sometimes these results will not be what customers hope they will be or believe them to be.
The report provided you with written facts that countered your position, NOT ELEVATED does not support your claims of mold contamination in your home. If an explanation of this term needed further clarification, again, perhaps a return call was warranted. We were available to talk about this at any time.
Lastly, we have don't claim to represent the Landlord and Tenant Act and our web page hasn't been edited in over a year. We provide unbiased testing services to both tenants and landlords
We were just the messenger that provided you with data when you look at this in closing...and do not deserve this inaccurate review.