Renting an Apartment with Concerns of Toxic Mold and Insects
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
go to original →
Question
Question: An apartment for rent, on the ground floor, in a very old building, in the holy city of Jerusalem. With signs of moisture and mold on the walls, and therefore with two types of concerns: 1] The mold may be of a toxic type. Therefore, seemingly for safety reasons, a re-examination is required to determine the type of mold and how much it has grown. 2] A real concern that due to the moisture and mold, there may be insects of the "psocid" type in the apartment. And if indeed there are such, then seemingly it requires stopping the moisture and mold problem. There are two possible solutions: A] The more expensive solution: repairing the ceiling and demolishing the walls and rebuilding them. And since this is an apartment before demolition and reconstruction, such an expensive renovation is not relevant. B] The cheaper solution: monthly/weekly cleaning of the ceiling and walls with a mold repellent, and possibly an insect repellent. And/or operating a dehumidifier. The owner of the apartment does not want to commit to even this. Because he can rent the apartment to a non-Jew who does not care about non-toxic mold and does not care about psocids. And even if toxic mold is discovered, the non-Jew will rent knowing in advance that such a thing might occur, and it can be written in the rental contract that it is the tenant's responsibility to deal with it, including all payments. Of course, if, God forbid, a Jew is in the apartment with psocids, then it requires extra caution in three aspects: A] In keeping kosher food and drink. B] In protecting holy books, because psocids tend to enter them and eat the glue. C] In ensuring not to kill the psocids when stepping on the floor on Shabbat. Because psocids are tiny insects, probably less than 1 millimeter to 3 millimeters in size, in color between transparent and white-yellowish. So it might be a challenge to identify them. But it should be possible for someone with normal vision, with sufficient lighting, and when they are on a suitable background. Questions: 1] Is it permissible to rent this apartment to a tenant who claims to be an Orthodox Jewish Haredi woman, as long as she is informed before signing the rental contract about the moisture and mold issues on the walls, and the concern that currently and/or in the future the mold may be toxic, and also the concern that currently and/or in the future, there may be psocids? Or is it forbidden due to "before the blind do not place a stumbling block" and/or due to supporting/encouraging the violation of Torah and rabbinic prohibitions? If yes, it is permissible to rent to her. Because currently, these are only two concerns, and it is not necessarily that the mold is toxic, and it is not necessarily that there are psocids. If the owner rents her the apartment, and after some time it is discovered that indeed toxic mold has developed and/or there are indeed psocids, then two additional questions: 2] Is the owner of this apartment obligated to try to solve all these problems, even though he believes it is too expensive compared to the profitability of this apartment? 3] Is the tenant obligated to leave the apartment as soon as possible and be exempt from any financial compensation that is usually given when terminating the rental contract before the end date of the rental contract listed in the rental contract? Thank you.
Answer
Hello
I did not understand the question.
If the landlord is not willing to commit to addressing the problems that may arise, it is clear that there is no point in signing a contract with him.
Comments

- Top halachic Q&A
- Practical festival halachot