I have an apartment building that has mold in it. I'm trying to do everything I can to increase the airflow. Sure, the tenants might have to spend a mint on heat, but if it improved the air quality, maybe it would be a good idea.
Don't remove the insulation, unless it has mold in it too. Locate the source(s) of your mold problem inside your building... a high rate of interior bulk moisture, and eliminate that. Then make sure the bathrooms have exhaust fans that are wired-in with the light switch (so whenever someone turns the light on, the fan comes on too), and that the fans are vented out of your attic (otherwise you'll have mold inside your attic). Also, make sure the kitchen exhaust fans vent outside (and the clothes dryers too).
The mold problem probably has nothing to do with the insulation. Main causes would be bathrooms with no exhaust fans or windows that open. Others could be leaks around windows that allow water to enter into the walls. Bad plumbing is also a possibility. Check for leaks. If there are dryers (clothes type), are the vents discharged to the outside? All these could contribute to the problem.
I doubt that is your best option. Check the roof for other venting souce like soffit vents, etc or even install an exhaust fan. Also, if this is a multistory building especially, look for other sources of mold nearer the affected areas. There are all kinds of ways mold can flourish - all have to do with moisture, but many if not most have nothing to do with airflow in the roof.
You can remove it, but why not replace it with rolled insulation? I'm sure you're local State Board of Health would disaprove of not having your tenant's homes properly insulated. You could get into a lot of legal trouble if you do not keep you apartment building properly maintained.
mold needs moisture to start/grow. find out why there's moisture and fix that first. Just creating more air flow won't stop the mold from growing and it won't necessarily make the air quality better if mold is growing in the walls. since you said it was roof insulation, (I'm gonna assume you meant attic) check the roof for leaks. I wouldn't think you'd have to get rid of all the insulation but I'd definately get rid of anything moldy. Blown in isulation is fairly cheap to replace. Lowe's sells a mold test kit, not sure how it works but I saw them yesterday when I was in there. Might be worth looking into getting one.
