Today, people are more aware of the concerns associated with indoor air quality (IAQ) than ever before. This heightened awareness often causes employees to be more sensitive and sometimes emotional about their situation. Often, this causes employees to blame IAQ for their health-related symptoms. As a property manager, it is important to understand these concerns and address them as quickly and effectively as possible using sound scientific principles. The initial reaction to a tenant’s complaint often sets the tone for the future of the investigation and when handled appropriately, it can aid in a smoother resolution to the complaint. Addressing complaints in a proactive manner can develop a better relationship with you and your tenants.

One important way to avoid most IAQ complaints is to address all water and mold-related issues as soon as possible or to avoid mold issues altogether. Mold issues can be avoided by eliminating sources of water that may come in contact with building materials. Once a mold issue arises, it is important to quickly identify if there is an ongoing source of water to the affected area. If so, this should be addressed immediately, such as a water intrusion issue from the exterior of the building or from an interior plumbing source. Once the source has been identified and corrected, the impacted building materials should be dried within 24-48 hours. Most mold growth begins within 48 hours of a material becoming wet; hence rapid drying will help reduce the potential for mold growth. If mold is already visible, care should be taken when drying the area so mold spores are not distributed to areas that have not been impacted by the initial water loss. In fact, mold spores are more likely to become airborne after they are dry, thus it is important for contractors to understand how these issues should be addressed to prevent the issue from becoming any larger.

When a water loss is reported and visible mold is not present, the contractor called to the site should take care while investigating or exposing the source of the leak. The possibility of mold growth within a wall cavity always exists so it is important to minimize dust and debris generation during the work. If mold is encountered, the immediate work area should be contained and a mold remediation specialist should be contacted. This will ensure all proper precautions are taken to avoid the unintentional spreading of mold spores and minimize further tenant concerns.

When an IAQ complaint is made and there is not a known water related issue or sign of visible mold, investigation will be needed to find out more information regarding the specific complaint so potential issues related to the complaint can be determined. Ask specific questions about symptoms, the places and times they are experiencing the problem, patterns in when the complaints are made such as time of day, month or season, or any health conditions that may make them more susceptible to environmental conditions. Most IAQ investigations in commercial building environments from a tenant complaint are due to odors or allergy symptoms. The types of common problems that lead to the complaints are odors or dusts from construction activities, water leaks, inadequate ventilation, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, office equipment and salons.

Once the data is collected, the next step is to decide whether an outside professional is needed to further investigate the areas of concern and to conduct air sampling, if warranted. When meeting with an IAQ professional it is important to provide them with all the information you have available so they will not duplicate efforts. Sometimes it is beneficial to conduct a walk-through of the areas of concern in order to develop a precise investigation and sampling plan. Once the investigation and sampling plan has been developed and executed, the results can help identify the issue and help direct the actions needed to resolve the issue.

Whether the need for action is from a current water loss or from an occupant air quality concern, the way the issue is approached and handled by the property manager can dictate the outcome and minimize additional complaints related to the recent issue and future issues. All concerns should be taken seriously and all current water related issues should be addressed promptly to avoid a more extensive problem in the future.