Horrible Home Karma

Well, whatever I have done to deserve the past year of struggles around finding home...

I'm sure awful sorry about it. Can we change the story now??? I'd like a new one.

So I moved into this apartment, which I mentioned yesterday. I was utterly delighted have found a one-bedroom apartment for far less than such a thing generally costs in Vancouver. And while the building is a little rough around the edges (a new carpet in the halls and a fresh coat of paint would do wonders), the suite itself is spacious and entirely functional. Big windows, big closets, etc.

The only thing that needed addressing was the bathroom. I figured that with a little scraping, a coat of paint, and *possibly* new grout and caulk, it would be fine. Last night, I went to Home Depot, and when I got home, I started scraping. It took about five minutes to realize that underneath all that flaking paint... is a whole lot of mold.

So I stopped scraping and did a quick internet search. It didn't take long to fully freak myself out about what I was dealing with. Today, I went out and added a particulate mask and some toxic bleach cleaner to the arsenal. I came home, put on gloves and mask, and began anew. It got worse.

Basically, as I attempted to scrape away the paint that was covering the mold, large chunks of the wall basically crumbled and came off in my hands, exposing a thick dark layer of black mold. It was far more than I had bargained for, and I quickly realized that I was over my head. It was obvious that if I continued, I wouldn't even *have* a wall to paint. There are big gaping mold-filled holes in the drywall at the moment (where the wall and the ceiling meet).

So... shit. Now what? I am not going to shower in there, obviously, as there is a ton of exposed mold and I'm told that exposing it to steam, and then breathing in said steam, is a dangerous thing. I am not overly confident about the management company and the likelihood that they will deal with it properly, and promptly. But I'm not willing to keep trying myself. Cheap rent or no, I didn't sign up for that.

I guess I will call the buildling manager in the morning. Lucky for them, I am taking off to California for two weeks, so I'm going to ask that it be fixed before I return. If they won't... well, I might just find myself looking for a home AGAIN. And honestly, I can't describe to you how UN-stoked that makes me feel. Sigh.

It's interesting (and upsetting) to consider how many people live in similar situations, without the options that I have. I have the luxury of a computer to quickly do research, a network of friends with better homes where I can go and crash if need be, and a trip to California on my horizon to remove me from the situation. Many of the other residents of this building are immigrant families and I'm sure their bathrooms are in similar condition. I doubt that many of them have stood up for themselves with the management company.

It's a shame that rent in this city (and so many others) is so high. I'm not sure what the solutions are, but affordable rent should not have to equal toxic conditions. Sigh again.

Wish me luck.