How to Handle Dirty Tenants

 

Dirty tenants can be landlord’s problems. And due to unclean living conditions, it can cause growth of pest, like bugs and rodents and can cause health hazards and worst it can bring down the property value. Ultimately it make very difficult to re-rent.

 

If your property already smells like a trash, then as a landlord have to take action immediately. Mandate your tenant in a polite way to clean up.  But if not, kick them out at the end of their lease.  If you are keeping reminding them and still they fail at lease termination, now you can hire a cleaning company and deduct it from their deposit – IF your lease allows it.

 

Signs of “Dirty Tenants”

 

• Bad odor or potent smell coming from the property
• Molds growing up the bathroom wall, kitchen sink and kitchen counter
• Pet feces not clean up
• Garbage in the house
• Signs of rodents or
• Unsafe chemicals lying around the property
• Rotten food, dirty dishes or clothes that are lying around and never cleaned
• Dirty appliances
• Junk piled up everywhere
• Or tenants by themselves are dirty (bad odor, dirty clothes, etc.)

 

 

Otherwise, landlords cannot dictate tenant on their cleaning behavior unless if they are violating health or fire codes, or causing damage to themselves, the property, or other people.

 

In this case, it is important for you as a landlord to show them exactly what you want cleaned and to what extent.  Sometimes the issue is just that they don’t know how to keep a clean house. So, show them which cleaning materials and chemicals work best for the various parts of the house. When teaching them, try to have a heart of a teacher.  Don’t easily judge them, maybe they need time for some lesson.