Mold Remediation in Scottdale, GA

The mill village

Scottdale grew up around the Scottdale Cotton Mill, which included housing for its workers, and the community still carries the mill's name. It is a census-designated place, not a city, with about 10,700 residents at the 2020 Census, roughly 8 miles from downtown Atlanta. East Ponce de Leon Avenue, North Clarendon Avenue, DeKalb Industrial Way and Glendale Road run through it, and the Tobie Grant neighborhood and park and the DeKalb Farmers Market are nearby.

County offices for Scottdale

With no city government, these are the offices to know:

• Building permits: DeKalb County Planning and Sustainability, Permits, Plan Review and Inspections Division, 178 Sams Street, Decatur; 404-371-2155, option 3; permitinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov. It handles residential renovations in unincorporated DeKalb, which can include rebuilding after mold removal.
• Code complaints: DeKalb County Code Compliance Administration, 180 Sams Street, Suite B0100, Decatur; 404-687-3700; codeenforce@dekalbcountyga.gov; online Submit a Code Violation portal.
• Apartments: Multifamily rental owners in unincorporated DeKalb must submit an apartment complex registration certificate based on a county-authorized third-party inspection of interior code compliance.

DeKalb Public Health says it can address mold only in permitted facilities such as restaurants and hotels. For houses and apartments, it provides information.

Renter checklist

Write to your landlord about the leak or mold, date the letter and keep a copy; Georgia Legal Aid says notice must come first. Under O.C.G.A. 44-7-13, the landlord must keep the premises in repair, and a landlord generally can't make a tenant pay for repairs the tenant didn't cause. Don't withhold rent; Georgia law doesn't allow it. If repairs stall, contact county code compliance. This is general information, not legal advice.

Typical causes and fixes

Older homes over vented crawl spaces collect summer humidity on cool ducts and framing. Slab homes and apartments see mold more often from plumbing leaks, overflowing AC pans and bathrooms without exhaust. EPA says to dry anything wet within 24 to 48 hours, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, and not paint or caulk over mold. Patches under about 10 square feet can usually be cleaned by the occupant once the water is stopped.

Before you hire

Georgia has no state mold license or certification. For jobs that include rebuild work, ask whether the company holds a Georgia residential or general contractor license and check it on GOALS Verify Now. Angi's Atlanta cost guide reports crawl space remediation at $587 to $2,348 and bathroom work at $587 to $1,174.