In a meeting I was in today, at SKCAR, a member of the Government and Public Affairs Committee brought forward the news that the State of Washington is going to require home inspectors to address mold in their inspection reports. This person, an inspector himself, is very concerned about what this will mean in terms of implementation. Most inspectors are not equipped to handle mold issues nor will there be an equitable level of reporting, tools, experience, and so on for there to be a reasonable level of confidence for any home buyer to know if the report they receive indeed is adequate on this topic.
I can understand if the legislature wants to put in place a requirement for mold testing, but why not leave it up to companies that already have expertise in this area? Right now, if a buyer wants to check for these kinds of problems, the option is open and available to them, as an individual choice. The right to do this is by virtue of inspection contingencies that allow for whatever kind of inspection a buyer wants to do as long as they pay for the service and it doesn’t cause any material damage to a property (in MLS contracts with inspection contingencies). Why not just have the forms amended to state that a mold test is one of the options? It’s like sewer line checks. Some people have it done and others don’t. Or lead based paint testing which has the same option of waiving a test, or opting for one.
What are your thoughts on the topic?
I know I’m not thrilled about it especially since not all inspectors are the same. Each person’s skill level is widely ranging in the field and there is not a single organization that governs ethical standards for the industry, although I am a big fan of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) which is similar to the REALTOR organization in requiring a code of ethics and supporting continuing education in the field.
