The team at Radon Crew has published many articles about the urgency of testing for radon levels in your home, office, or school. However, more than one third of American households are occupied by renters. If you are a tenant, knowing the safety of your radon situation can be a bit more complicated.
Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take. If you have children, this matter is even more important. Here are some tips for determining radon levels in your home when dealing with a third-party landlord.
Start the Conversation About Your Radon Levels
First, look over your lease agreement that governs your current living space. If there are no clauses that mention radon specifically, look for sections that mention basic upkeep to ensure tenant safety. In all likelihood, making sure your building is safe from radon contamination will fall to the landlord as a general building responsibility.
Approach your landlord politely and inquire about the latest radon testing results. If it is clear that they have not tested anytime in the recent past, or if they are confused about radon altogether, you know you have some more work to do. It is possible that your landlord may even know about radon contamination, but chooses to downplay the risk to your health. Now is the time to steer them in the right direction.
Provide Resources and Information
The next step is to carefully and humbly educate your landlord on the dangers of radon, as well as the difficulty associated with detecting it. Refer to the education materials from Radon Crew as a great starting point. As a colorless, odorless gas, radon is impossible to detect without the right resources. Leaving no obvious trace, radon can linger in a building for long periods of time without ever being noticed until it begins to cause harm. This could mean that radon is already present in the building, and you would never know.
Inform your landlord that radon testing is vital because of the potential harm it can inflict on you and your family or co-workers. Radon has been shown to cause lung cancer, and is actually the leading cause of the disease in non-smokers, according to the EPA. With this potential risk at hand, skipping a radon test could have dire consequences.
Even if your building is relatively new, your risk of radon contamination is not necessarily lower. Construction can actually create more harmful radon conditions due to the fact that some building materials naturally release radon.
As you begin to illustrate these key points, your landlord will likely understand that they have a major liability on their hands if they refuse to test.
Schedule a Radon Test
The final and most important step is to consult a radon professional and perform a test of your building. The only way to be absolutely sure about the level of radon in your home or building is to schedule an appointment with a radon professional who can utilize the proper testing equipment. There are not any reliable at-home tests you can conduct due to the illusive nature of radon gas, so consulting a professional is paramount.
You can even offer to schedule this if you like – Radon Crew makes consultations and obtaining quotes seamless and easy. In a few days, your space will be tested and a treatment plan will be put in place to make sure you and your family are safe.
Get Your Radon Levels Checked with Radon Crew
The professionals at Radon Crew not only test for radon, but are also able to install the right system to remove it from your home. Radon Crew offers a host of testing processes differing in duration, budget, and depth of analysis, depending on your particular needs.
We will help you find the best solution for your unique situation. Radon Crew is dedicated to keeping you and those you care about safe from radon contamination, regardless of the age of the building in question. Contact us today to get started and know for sure that you’re safe from radon.