Elena Sretenovic, better known as ‘Mold Girl’ or ‘@tallgurl,’ is a TikTok user whose mold infestation videos have received thousands of views. She is a biology student from Las Vegas who is now earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada. Elena and her roommates have been unwell on a regular basis since moving into their leased apartment. The doctor told them that the problem was caused by mold infection, which prompted them to notify their landlord, who dismissed the whole matter as “dust.”
This motivated Elena to ask for assistance on TikTok and videotape the whole scenario. She has released a series of videos on the case, the first of which has received over 9 million views.
She first posted TikTok as a ‘Mold Girl’ regarding the infestation
On December 3, 2021, Elena submitted the first TikTok about the mold predicament, with the description, ‘TIK TOK PLEASE HELP WE DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO we’re simply poor college students.’ The film includes a voice-over that describes how she and her flatmates began experiencing headaches at random. And, inspired by some mold TikToks, they decided to purchase a self-testing kit on the internet and test the brown-green substance that had accumulated in their vent.
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The students were astounded by the findings and called their landlord, who informed them that it was dirt. After that, the landlord fixed the vent and treated it with Lysol. This, however, did not resolve the matter, and the girls, on the recommendation of their doctor, ordered a mold examination. The landlord agreed, but only on the condition that Elena and the other tenants pay the inspection price if nothing is found in the findings.
According to the conversation snapshot she showed on her video,
“The fee is $249, and if mold is discovered, I will take care of everything. If they don’t discover anything, you’ll be on the hook for the expenses.”
Elena, who now goes by the moniker ‘Mold Girl,’ subsequently updated her post, saying that the mold inspector had cleared the home of the allegations and that the girls had opted to have independent testing done. Pithomyces, Penicillium, and Aspergillus molds were discovered in the sample by their test. Penicillium is a dangerous fungus, while Aspergillus is a common allergy.
Other renters have had a similar predicament.
The ‘Mold Girl’ has also had numerous ex-tenants from the same landlord DM her, claiming to have had the same problems during their lease. Many of her supporters have also requested that she pursue litigation against the landlord. Mold girl noted in her most recent TikTok that they don’t have the legal means, other than money, to file a case and that their lease expires in July, forcing them to live with the condition for another six months. After the mold scenario became viral, her TikTok account @tallgurl now has almost 46,000 followers.
