Austin Ferrell said toxic dark fungus inside his Toledo rental house is forcing his family to move out. The father said he now has only two weeks to find shelter for his household.
Ferrell and his family lived in the home off Centennial Road for six months. He noticed mildew around the bathtub. The growth did not go away after cleaning and quickly spread through the residence.
Ferrell said he completed an at-home mold test on Oct. 1. Results appeared on the petri dishes 30 hours later.
“As a man with a family, I’m kinda hurt. It bothers me. I have a four-year-old daughter that ain’t been here in almost two weeks,” Ferrell said.
He and his fiancée sent their daughter to live with his parents. They wanted to protect her health.
“How do you explain this to your four-year-old daughter that’s begging and crying to come home, but for her safety, you don’t want her in these conditions?” Ferrell said.
Ferrell said he told landlord Jagdish Patel about the issue. He called the response very frustrating.
“He said, ‘Well, I’ve already spoke with my investors. We have no intentions on fixing it. We’re not interested in putting you up in a place for subsidiary housing until we get the problems fixed. I will just let you break your lease and you can have only your security deposit back,’” Ferrell said.
Ferrell said Patel told the family to leave the Toledo property by Oct. 31. That deadline leaves little time to relocate.
Ferrell spent over $1,000 on application fees, background checks and credit reports. Every single application brought a denial.
Ferrell said he put $20,000 into the residence for rent and repairs. He wants $6,000 back to secure another home. Patel refused the request.
Patel said he completely disagrees with the claims. He confirmed he agreed to end the 12-month lease early. Patel also reported that Ferrell threatened legal action.
“I said, this won’t be a landlord versus tenants, this will be a civil lawsuit for unsafe health conditions, unsafe environmental statuses, things of that nature,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell contacted the Lucas County Health Department, Engage Toledo, and Springfield Township. He stated that no agency took action. The health department has not confirmed whether any official report exists.
Local health departments often investigate environmental complaints inside residential buildings within Lucas County. Municipal agencies can review habitability concerns when tenants submit formal reports. These offices work to ensure properties meet basic sanitary rules.
Ferrell hopes to reach an agreement. He plans to inspect future properties thoroughly before signing any new contract.
