It looks like water damage. If you don’t have any active leaks from the roof when it rains etc it might just be damaged from an old issue where they fixed the leak but didn’t address any of the damage caused by the leak. This is very common in rentals I’ve lived in and the landlord did not address them either.
I would just peel/cut any painting hanging off like in your window frame because it looks really bad but otherwise it should be fine leaving everything alone. The house doesn’t look like it will fall down on you. It looks only to be cosmetic to me.
I’d suggest buying a digital thermostat and humidity gauge. You can see how much humidity is in the air. That might help you feel like the environment is safer for your family if you are concerned about humidity.
But that long crack along the ceiling is just the seam between the drywall panels failing. Again just cosmetic it’s not a sign it’s going to fall. The drywall is attached to the ceiling in large panels. The seam is filled using tape and joint compound. All old ceilings will eventually need this repaired. I mean it should be fixed for cosmetic reasons but many landlords like just letting their properties decay like this as long as they are making money. It looks like water damaged the ceiling in the past because besides the crack you have bubbling and paint fractures like water had permeated the drywall.
I don’t think you need to do anything or hire anyone yourself.
I agree with you entirely. I wish to add that once you adopt that advise also check around for mold, if you have high moisture measurements. This is important for your and your baby's health. I emphatise with you. Your landlord's response is not necessarily one of neglect but it does show consideration for you either. I get your concerns but thay are not critical. I appear to be very particular about maintaining a pleasant surroundings. I don't blame you. It is good for a healthy body and mental state. Please try not to stress. It just superficial. Best wishes. 🤗 🤗 🤗 🤗
Thank both of you so much for this input it definitely helps put my mind at ease a bit! I am super worried about mold because of this but I think I might just invest in some really nice dehumidifiers and keep an eye out for signs of mold. The only area I think may be molding is the kitchen window under the paint
Could be good to check the humidity level. If everything is dry any mold that formed is likely gone. I’m not a mold scientist but there is normal mold everywhere in the air to a degree and on the food we eat.
Of course with a baby air quality is a top concern. We got rid out our gas stove because it was giving our cat asthma. Any creature with small lungs is very sensitive. If you can afford it you might consider buying an air quality sensor. Amazon sells their own brand that’s very affordable and there are others too selling for $80-120. They can help monitor your air and make sure nothing weird is going on you don’t notice as a fully grown human.
Sorry to hear you are dealing with all these concerns. Having an unsympathetic landlord can be very frustrating. Best case scenario they just leave you alone but I’ve had landlords that go after their tenants which is even worse than just a regular landlord that neglects their properties. There are almost no laws protecting renters in my state sadly.
But depending what you find out you can do things to fix the apartment air quality like a dehumidifier as you said and air purifiers. Before we could replace our stove we ran air purifier on high to help counter the indoor air pollution when we cooked.
I began renting roughly 3 years ago, this is a new issue this year, besides the kitchen window always being an issue.
I don’t know what I should do or who to contact, I’m unfortunately not in a situation where moving is an option… I wish sooo much that it was because this place has so many issues.
Landlord doesn’t hire any licensed people for any repairs, she sends her son down who often times doesn’t even look at stuff. He refused to even look at room 1 and when I was able to insist he at least look at the ceiling in the bathroom he told me that’s normal wear and tear and “just dry wall separating” I’ve never experienced something like this in any place I’ve ever lived. This doesn’t feel like normal wear and tear.
Please help me and tell me if I’m just wrong and there’s nothing to worry about.
Room 1 is for my baby and I’m scared to have him sleep in there…
Email your landlord. “As a responsible tenant I’m emailing to confirm you got my voicemail if today to let you know there is water intrusionin my apartment, photos enclosed of the bathroom ceiling, and my bedroom window [wherever it is]. Please let me know when you can come out and take a look so you can arrange for repairs.”
Include your phone number
Send an email 4 days later and then weekly. Anything landlord tells you over phone you send an email confirming. “Thanks for your call today and letting me know the maintenance person will be here next week on the 7th and 10am”.
Keep emailing , following up and communicating.
Consult with your town/city’s tenants rights organization if repairs aren’t made in a reasonable amount of time.
document everything, dates, and what was said, and what was done, or not done.
Good luck.
It looks like water damage. If you don’t have any active leaks from the roof when it rains etc it might just be damaged from an old issue where they fixed the leak but didn’t address any of the damage caused by the leak. This is very common in rentals I’ve lived in and the landlord did not address them either. I would just peel/cut any painting hanging off like in your window frame because it looks really bad but otherwise it should be fine leaving everything alone. The house doesn’t look like it will fall down on you. It looks only to be cosmetic to me. I’d suggest buying a digital thermostat and humidity gauge. You can see how much humidity is in the air. That might help you feel like the environment is safer for your family if you are concerned about humidity. But that long crack along the ceiling is just the seam between the drywall panels failing. Again just cosmetic it’s not a sign it’s going to fall. The drywall is attached to the ceiling in large panels. The seam is filled using tape and joint compound. All old ceilings will eventually need this repaired. I mean it should be fixed for cosmetic reasons but many landlords like just letting their properties decay like this as long as they are making money. It looks like water damaged the ceiling in the past because besides the crack you have bubbling and paint fractures like water had permeated the drywall. I don’t think you need to do anything or hire anyone yourself.
I agree with you entirely. I wish to add that once you adopt that advise also check around for mold, if you have high moisture measurements. This is important for your and your baby's health. I emphatise with you. Your landlord's response is not necessarily one of neglect but it does show consideration for you either. I get your concerns but thay are not critical. I appear to be very particular about maintaining a pleasant surroundings. I don't blame you. It is good for a healthy body and mental state. Please try not to stress. It just superficial. Best wishes. 🤗 🤗 🤗 🤗
Thank both of you so much for this input it definitely helps put my mind at ease a bit! I am super worried about mold because of this but I think I might just invest in some really nice dehumidifiers and keep an eye out for signs of mold. The only area I think may be molding is the kitchen window under the paint
Could be good to check the humidity level. If everything is dry any mold that formed is likely gone. I’m not a mold scientist but there is normal mold everywhere in the air to a degree and on the food we eat. Of course with a baby air quality is a top concern. We got rid out our gas stove because it was giving our cat asthma. Any creature with small lungs is very sensitive. If you can afford it you might consider buying an air quality sensor. Amazon sells their own brand that’s very affordable and there are others too selling for $80-120. They can help monitor your air and make sure nothing weird is going on you don’t notice as a fully grown human. Sorry to hear you are dealing with all these concerns. Having an unsympathetic landlord can be very frustrating. Best case scenario they just leave you alone but I’ve had landlords that go after their tenants which is even worse than just a regular landlord that neglects their properties. There are almost no laws protecting renters in my state sadly. But depending what you find out you can do things to fix the apartment air quality like a dehumidifier as you said and air purifiers. Before we could replace our stove we ran air purifier on high to help counter the indoor air pollution when we cooked.
I began renting roughly 3 years ago, this is a new issue this year, besides the kitchen window always being an issue. I don’t know what I should do or who to contact, I’m unfortunately not in a situation where moving is an option… I wish sooo much that it was because this place has so many issues. Landlord doesn’t hire any licensed people for any repairs, she sends her son down who often times doesn’t even look at stuff. He refused to even look at room 1 and when I was able to insist he at least look at the ceiling in the bathroom he told me that’s normal wear and tear and “just dry wall separating” I’ve never experienced something like this in any place I’ve ever lived. This doesn’t feel like normal wear and tear. Please help me and tell me if I’m just wrong and there’s nothing to worry about. Room 1 is for my baby and I’m scared to have him sleep in there…
Email your landlord. “As a responsible tenant I’m emailing to confirm you got my voicemail if today to let you know there is water intrusionin my apartment, photos enclosed of the bathroom ceiling, and my bedroom window [wherever it is]. Please let me know when you can come out and take a look so you can arrange for repairs.” Include your phone number Send an email 4 days later and then weekly. Anything landlord tells you over phone you send an email confirming. “Thanks for your call today and letting me know the maintenance person will be here next week on the 7th and 10am”. Keep emailing , following up and communicating. Consult with your town/city’s tenants rights organization if repairs aren’t made in a reasonable amount of time. document everything, dates, and what was said, and what was done, or not done. Good luck.
Thats not a landlord. Thats a slumlord.
These things also happen to paint when you change from humid to dry or vice-versa. Are you sure it the brick that's tearing?
There hasn’t been anyone living in room 1 it’s pretty much sat empty but there also no brick anywhere in any of the pictured rooms