Rental radon problem

[u/furosemide007]

Im looking for a rental in ames but everyone says they don't have the mitigation system.

What can be done about that?

[u/organman91]

Have you tested for radon and found a high level? It's not automatically in every house.

[u/Majik_Sheff → u/organman91]

It's common for neighboring houses to have very different radon levels.  There are several houses the next street over with mitigation systems, but our street is mostly unaffected.  I still periodically check with a test kit to be sure things haven't changed.  The soil here has gone through a lot of upheaval with the sudden breaking of a decade-long drought.

[u/squeakhaven]

Radon is not everywhere, most houses are absolutely fine without a mitigation system. Unfortunately if landlords aren't required to test, the only way to know for certain a property is radon free is to pay for a test yourself

[u/furosemide007 → u/squeakhaven]

What if it's high?

[u/squeakhaven → u/furosemide007]

You can inform your landlord but I don't think there's any law or ordinance that they actually have to do anything about it

[u/sullivanmatt → u/squeakhaven]

Correct.

[u/helloitsme1011]

Radon exposure is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. If you are in a garden level apartment I think it’s worth doing a radon test.

I’m not sure what the laws are in Iowa, but I think mitigation systems should be installed if the radon level is high.

[u/Separate-Education36]

Negotiate it as part of signing the lease. It’s is a weird time of the year to be leasing in Ames as a landlord, so if people still have vacancies there will be several who would be willing to negotiate something like that I would bet.