Queensland · inspection & testing only
Mould testing that finds the cause, not just the spores
Independent mould and moisture inspections for Queensland homes, rentals and workplaces. Moisture mapping, thermal imaging, and air and surface samples analysed by a laboratory — reported in plain English for owners, tenants, buyers and insurers.
Quoted before booking · Independent of any works · Laboratory analysis
Example air sample
Spores per m³ · bedroom vs outdoor control
Question 1
Where is it?
Visible growth, hidden growth in cavities and subfloors, and how far it reaches.
Question 2
Why is it there?
The leak, condensation or ventilation failure feeding it — the part that decides whether it comes back.
Question 3
What’s in the air?
Indoor spore types and counts compared with outdoor air taken at the same time.
Inspections
Mould inspections for every situation
Mould Inspection & Moisture Mapping
Find where the mould is, how far it goes, and the moisture that is feeding it.
Air Sampling (Spore Trap)
Indoor air compared with outdoor air to show whether something inside is adding spores.
Surface Sampling
Confirms whether a mark is mould, and whether it is active growth or settled spores.
Pre-Purchase Inspection
Hidden damp and mould checked before settlement, while you still have options.
Rental & Tenancy Inspection
An independent account of cause under the damp and mould minimum housing standard.
After a Flood or Leak
What is still wet, what has started growing, and documented results for the claim.
Clearance Testing
Independent checks after works, before rooms are reoccupied or walls are closed up.
Not sure you need a test?
Start with the knowledge base — including when testing isn’t worth paying for.
Moisture first
Why every inspection starts with moisture
Mould needs water. The Queensland Government notes that mould which keeps coming back is often caused by leaks or building problems, and the Australian Centre for Disease Control’s prevention advice comes down to the same thing: fix leaks, ventilate, keep spaces dry. So the first job is mapping where the building is wet and working out why.
Leak or condensation?
A leak shows readings rising toward one point. Condensation shows cold surfaces spread across a room with dry material behind. The pattern decides the fix — and in a rental, who pays for it.
Telling condensation from a leakExample moisture map
Wall behind a shower, floor to 1.5 m · relative readings
The honest bit
Is there a safe level of mould?
No official one. Australia has no legislated limit for mould in indoor air, and the World Health Organization’s 2009 guidelines concluded that no health-based numeric threshold could be recommended. What the WHO does say is that persistent damp and mould growth indoors should be avoided or minimised.
So air results here are always read against outdoor air taken at the same time, spore type by spore type — and a report never dresses up a rule of thumb as a legal limit.
How to read an air test reportNo legislated limit
Not in Queensland, not nationally.
No WHO threshold
The 2009 guidelines found none could be set.
No industry standard
A 2018 federal inquiry recommended one for mould testers; none exists yet.
So: compare
Indoor vs outdoor, wet vs dry reference, before vs after.
Who it’s for
Who books a mould inspection?
The short answer
Anyone who needs an answer they can rely on: a buyer before settlement, a tenant and landlord who disagree about cause, an owner after a flood or leak, and anyone signing off works. The inspection is independent of whoever does any works, so the findings stand on their own.
Buyers
Hidden damp and mould checked inside the contract’s inspection window.
Tenants, landlords & agents
An independent account of cause under the damp and mould standard.
After a flood or leak
What is still wet before the walls go back up, with records for the insurer.
After works
Clearance checks by someone other than the contractor who did the job.
Regions
Mould testing across South East Queensland
A page for each South East Queensland council, built around what drives mould there — the housing mix, the terrain and the weather.
Regional Queensland
Enquiries from regional centres such as Toowoomba, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns are quoted individually.
Knowledge
Mould questions, answered
Do you need a mould test?
When a mould test is worth paying for in Queensland, when visible mould and damp already answer the question, and what testing can and can't tell you.
How do you read a mould air test report?
What spore counts per cubic metre mean, why the outdoor sample is the yardstick, which spore types matter, and the red flags in a mould air test report.
Who is responsible for mould in a Queensland rental?
Queensland's minimum housing standard on damp and mould, who fixes what when mould appears in a rental, and how an inspection helps settle the cause.
What should you check for mould after a flood?
How mould develops after a flood or major leak, Queensland Health's safety advice, what stays wet inside walls, and when to test before rebuilding.
Terms you’ll see in a report
- Spore trap
- A sealed cassette that air is drawn through at a set rate; spores stick to a slide inside and are counted by a laboratory.
- Outdoor control
- An air sample taken outside at the same time as indoor samples, so indoor results can be compared with the local background.
- Tape lift
- A strip of clear tape pressed onto a surface and examined under a microscope to see whether mould is growing there.
- Moisture mapping
- Moisture readings taken across walls, floors and ceilings and plotted on a plan to show the extent of damp materials.
- Dew point
- The surface temperature at which moisture in the air condenses. Surfaces at or below it get wet.
- Relative humidity
- How much water vapour the air holds compared with the most it could hold at that temperature, as a percentage.
Common questions
What does a mould test involve?
A walk-through with moisture meters, a thermal camera and a hygrometer to find damp and its cause, plus air or surface samples where they add something. Samples go to a laboratory; the report explains the results room by room.
Is there a safe level of mould in Queensland?
There is no legislated indoor mould limit in Queensland or Australia, and the WHO found no health-based numeric threshold could be recommended. Air results are judged against outdoor air taken at the same time, and visible growth plus damp is a finding in itself.
Do I need a mould test if I can see the mould?
Not always. If the growth is visible and the cause is obvious, an inspection that finds the moisture source may be all you need. Testing helps when mould is suspected but hidden, when a stain might not be mould, or when results are needed for a claim, dispute or sign-off.
Who pays for a mould inspection in a rental?
Whoever commissions it. The RTA’s minimum housing standards then decide who fixes the problem: the owner where it is structural or from reasonable use, the tenant where the tenant caused it.
Can mould make you sick?
The Australian Centre for Disease Control says most people do not have health problems from mould, but it can trigger allergies and asthma and irritate eyes, nose, throat and skin. People with weakened immunity, allergies, severe asthma or lung disease are more likely to be affected. Speak to your GP about symptoms.
Do you do the works if mould is found?
No. Mould Testing QLD only inspects and tests. Keeping testing separate from the works means the findings, and any clearance test afterwards, are independent of whoever does them.
References
- [1]WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: dampness and mould (2009) — World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
- [2]Preventing mould exposure — Australian Centre for Disease Control
- [3]Minimum housing standards — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland)
- [4]Mould and damp — Queensland Government
- [5]Australian Government response to the Inquiry into Biotoxin-related Illnesses in Australia — Australian Government Department of Health
Checked against these references on 2 November 2026.