Mold Removal in Bonney Lake, WA

For renters: the order matters

Bonney Lake Code Enforcement, in the Public Services Department, handles non-criminal nuisances and permit violations, including structures that are unfit for occupancy or unsafe. Investigations start only with a Request for Action form; the city does not take complaints by phone or email. For rentals, the city will inspect a unit's interior for unfit-occupancy conditions only after the tenant has followed the landlord-notice process in RCW 59.18.115. Landlord-tenant disputes themselves are civil matters.

In practice, that means:

1. Send the landlord written notice describing the leak, moisture or mold and where it is.
2. Keep copies, dates and photos.
3. Follow the RCW 59.18.115 process before asking the city to inspect.
4. Submit a Request for Action form if conditions remain unfit.

Washington landlords must keep units reasonably weathertight and give tenants Department of Health information about mold. This is general information, not legal advice.

Bonney Lake's setting

Bonney Lake is a Pierce County city about 31 miles from Seattle, split by State Route 410, with a park-and-ride link to Sounder trains at Sumner station. Lake Tapps, a shoreline of statewide significance, and Fennel Creek below Victor Falls are its regulated shorelines. Homes close to the lake or the creek ravine can see higher ground moisture, while the rest of town deals with the usual Puget Sound pattern: months of rain, short gray days and houses closed up from fall to spring. Look for musty air over crawl spaces, dark staining on attic sheathing near bath fans, and mildew on window frames and outside-wall closets.

Permits and health resources

The Permit Center in the Public Services Department issues permits, and Development Services handles building code review and inspections. The city says all new construction, demolition and alteration needs a building permit unless specifically exempt, so ask before replacing framing or drywall after mold removal. Cleaning mold is not described as permitted work.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department publishes mold guidance for Pierce County residents. EPA notes mold can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs, and people with asthma or weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy areas.

Making the call

You are connected with an independent local company that can find the moisture source and quote removal. Washington has no state mold license or certification. Check the company's construction contractor registration on L&I's Verify a Contractor tool. For renters, a written report from the company describing the moisture source and the extent of growth can also be useful to share with the landlord.