Topic: Dirty, sloppy, unclean tenants- I need a letter!

I am looking for some help or insight here. I have a few VERY sloppy, unclean tenants and I need to write them notices to clean up or get out. I have started writing this notice several times now, but each time I get hung up on whether or not it sounds "professional" enough. I want to include that I will be coming in to conduct an inspection within "x" number of days. Has anyone else encountered this? Two of these people's places are so bad that their neighbors are complaining of roaches and we know they are originating from the "messy" resident. Thanks for any input. Lynne.

Hello Lynne, I hope you have something in your leasing contract that covers keeping and maintaining a healthy and clean unit or something to that affect which covers the area you want to write about. You want to ensure that whatever you are writing passes the legal test. The other thing to assist you is go to this link: www.lawdepot.com/contracts/noticelease/ques.php

Hello Lynne,

Ask youself this question..."would I live next door to these resident's?"

If not then how can I excpect anyone else to do so.

I have had this situation come up several times over the years. It is never easy to tell grown people "clean your room". However, it is absolutely necessary that you take action, otherwise you will end up losing your good residents.

First I would look at your lease. Our TAA lease states that it is a violation to interfere with the health and comfort of the neighbors. You may also get tips from your pest control provider and attach them or include them in your notice.

I currently inspect each condo every 6 months. I give resident's one week notice so that they are not surprised. I let them know it is a brief walk thru to check the smoke alarms, a/c filters, plumbing for leaks etc. Of course I look at the general condition as well.
I follow up with a letter of commendation for those that take care of their home. Occassionally I have to remind some to keep a fresh battery in the smoke alarm or replace a dirty a/c filter. If a home is dirty or has excessive clutter I remind them that this is a potential pest control problem and schedule another inspection within 1-2 weeks. This can be effective if you follow through. I did have one resident that had a very cluttered place with a dreaded roach infestation (it happens quickly).
Her first lease was about to end. I advised her that if she did not comply we could not renew her lease and she would be asked to move. Rather than clean her place she moved. If you ask someone to move in the middle of a lease documentation is even more vital. (Use your camera!)

Of course if maintenance or the pest control provider notice an issue they let me know so I can notify the resident immediately.

Take Care
Helene

I would have your attorney draft a letter that you can use as a violation of 'health and safety' responsibilities.

If your lease has a clause that requires residents to maintain a healthy, clean, and safe environment within their home; the letter should cite the specific clause that the resident is in violation of. You may want to see if you have any nonprofits in the area that you can put residents in touch with to help resolve the issue. If the resident has been with you a while; you may want to approach it with the mindset that you want to replace the carpet or repaint the unit; but cannot send anyone into the unit until the problem is resolved. If it is that bad, I am willing to bet that there are pest control and other maintenance issues to attend to as well. Set a date for a follow up inspection and then another date for an 'open ended work order' to resolve any and all maintenance issues.

I had to evict 2 households for hoarding and they left behind so much stuff; I had to hire a hauling company to remove. It took their crew of 4, 2 days and 6 trips to the dump to clear 4 units. 2 trips were for one unit alone and my units were all 1 bedrooms.

Lynne, I think most managers have encountered this issue one time or another! First, check your lease as others have stated; find out what your letter needs to state: Perhaps you can issue a 30-Day Notice to Quit or Cure? That way, the Residents know they have 30 days to clean up their act or you will start an eviction. I would definitely have the exterminator visit the units and treat as necessary. The exterminator will leave you a work order and on it, they will list the condition of the apartment treated and what needs to occur to prevent infestation. If their unit is already infested and this has spread to other units in the building, the exterminator will state this as well. At the end of the 30-day period, it is common for Residents to actually comply with your Notice and prevent eviction.

Thanks for the input! Helen and Nate, we do have in our lease that "Tenants shall be responsible for maintaining premises in a clean, healthy and attractive manner...", so I'm definitely covered on that point. And I definitely know that I want and need to address this situation.

I hadn't considered seeing if there are any non-profits in the area that may be willing to help provide some basic housekeeping "clinics", but that would definitely be appropriate with at least one of these residents! Thanks Johnny.

This is on the top of my list for tomorrow, although I'm always open to additional input on how anyone else may have addressed similar situations. ;)

You may also consider seeing if there are any young people that may be into scouting (boy/girl) and may be in need of a community service project to actually do the work; this may be appropriate if the resident is disabled in some way.

If you have a pest control issue that involves bedbugs and you do a treatment; the cleanliness of the unit(s) infested does affect the effectiveness of the treatment and can lead to failure. I speak from unfortunate experience on this. My last property had a bedbug infestation that affected the entire property and cost nearly 50k to resolve. All because a small infestation went unreported and there were residents that had these issues with housekeeping.

I cannot imagine someone asking a Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop to go into someone's filthy apartment and clean it and remove trash. This is not the same as raking some neighbor's yard full of leaves. That is inappropriate, in my opinion. What would you do to protect these children? What if they got hurt, even in a minor way, in the apartment on your property?

That was MY Eagle Scout project...... back in the day; with adult supervision, and a vehicle to take stuff to the dump.

Most states have have Health & Safety Hazard Notice that you can give to the resident. It usually gives them 7 days to 'fix' the issues or leave. Call your local Landlord/Tenant Court.

We all experience this at some point. Our company has an actual 21/30 housekeeping letter. Our philosophy is; we provide you with a beautiful clean apartment and we expect you to maintain it as such. I have had success in calling in non-profits as Johnny suggested for my senior or disabled residents; others I'm not so charitable with. If there is a housekeeping issue that leads to pest issues then I will charge the cost of pest control back to the resident, I make them aware of this on my first inspection. Maintenance is in each unit at least quarterly and I as the manager enter them twice a year. I rely heavily on my maintenance team to inform me of any issues that may be getting out of hand so we can catch it before the problem gets too bad.
If you are drafting your own letter I would suggest making it short and to the point. Quote the section of your lease that addresses the issue and give a definite follow-up date and clearly outline what will happen if they do not comply.
Good luck, I know this can be a touchy situation, but we have an obligation to the owners of the community as well as to the neighbors who may be inconvenienced by some else’s lack of housekeeping.

I have had this situation. Here is the wording of the letter I use.

Dear Resident:

This notice is to inform you that management has found the conditions of your apartment to be unacceptable. Per your Rental Agreement, we have the right to expect good housekeeping. In addition, we reserve the right to determine what kind of housekeeping we will permit on the premises.

Just as we have responsibility to provide you with clean common areas and decent housing, you have the responsibility to keep your home in a clean, orderly manner. An apartment in the condition of yours may cause unwanted sanitation and maintenance problems.

At this time, you are being given notice to clean your apartment and keep it clean and orderly.

Management will be in your suite July 17, 2006 to re-inspect. If your suite is not clean, we will be forced to act upon the violation of the terms and conditions of your rental agreement.

Please work with us regarding this issue. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Please understand that this is not YOUR responsiblity to contact anyone to have the apartment cleaned! In fact by doing so you can be breaking Fair Housing Laws. You need to treat everyone equally including those with a disability. Now once the letter goes out and they state it is because they cannot physically clean their unit than you may suggest agencies for THEM to contact.

Secondly, roaches usually LOVE clean apartments and normally don't come from messy apartments although messy apartments don't make them want to leave faster... The most common cause of roaches are from NEW residents bringing them from their old places. Roaches love boxes and usually hatch eggs there which is why those that shop at discount stores like Aldi's etc are at a higher risk of bringing back roaches because they use the store boxes to transport the food. Which an exterminator can give you information on roaches when they come out and spray. Heres's a great article to read about roaches home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/...roaches-in-house.htm

Before you write the letter you need to determine if the apartment is unclean or is it just cluttered. If it is unclean this can be a health issue and sanitary issue. If it is just cluttered this could be deamed a fire hazard and you should write your letter accordingly. Your first letter should be notification that you were recently in the apartment (state the dates) and you noted that their apartment was not kept in the standards your community requires per their lease. State specifically what was found IE: Open food containers in the kitchen, an accumilation of dirty dishes, etc. The next paragraph should consists of why this is against your lease (State the section of the lease and type it out) and again go through the bullets above as to how they can rememdy the situation. The final paragraph should state when you will be back in to reinvestigate and give them the option to come to the office to discuss any issues they may have.

I hope this helps... but referring back to your lease keeps it professional and never leave anything up for interpretation be specific and this will help you get your point across... I would not mention anything about the roaches as you have no evidence that they are coming from their apartments.

LOVE IT! Thank you so much Mary. ;)

@Chrisy;

I agree with most of what you are saying, but take exception to a couple of issues:

1) I did not indicate that you should make contact with anyone in order to assist with housekeeping issues; simply maintain a few referrals to use when asked.

2) Housekeeping issues do lead to pest control problems (or at the very least exacerbate them). I had a unit that the residents were evicted and left a huge mess that included a clogged kitchen sink and the clog was a mix of mostly cockroach corpses; but some were living. I had another unit that was a hoarder and she left behind a huge bedbug issue (which was the cause of the action that she denied) that we could not treat until we had to hire a hauling company to remove the belongings she left behind. Incidentally; I lived on property (My housekeeping was immaculate) and I was there more than 1 year. In the time I lived there; I saw 3 cockroaches in my unit.

I had a property that had a few residents with this issue. It is certainly wise to quote the lease in your letter and then follow-up to see if the residents are doing their job. Some residents are willing and able and some are not.....you may find you have to evict to actually save the residents who abide by the lease. I have evicted residents who do not abide by the lease and present a health hazard to other residents because they cannot get rid of the bugs. I've also saved an immigrant resident who didn't understand that keeping lamb under the kitchen sink until it ripens is not a good idea. :-)......after I explained the German roach issue to him he caught on quick and never had a bug again. I've found this to be a "personal" issue with some folks....with the laws being what they are I have found most Judges will not abide someone who doesn't work hard enough to rid his apt of roaches in conjunction with the exterminator and will 100% of the time back your legal position. It costs money in the short term but makes you money in the long term.

Leases provide the best way to manage these situations. Having multiple written policies also helps. To ensure that the responsibility is upon the tenant, it needs to be in the Lease Contract, as well as the Community Rules and Policies/Regulations. Also, as a Health and Safety measure, review the Property code for your State. If you're still not sure what action you can legally take, contact your city's Health Inspector.
As for the letter, it needs to be clear, concise and point out each infraction/violation. I use a preset form for Lease Violations, provided by my State's Apartment Associaiton (Texas). Additional remedies which may be outlined in a general Lease cover cleaning and repair costs. If you are a member of a Local Apartment Association, use the network of industry professionals to submit your query and see what other responses you receive.
Lastly, remove emotion in anything you compose. Remember, "ALL CAPS" is the equilivant of Shouting or Yelling at a person. Other useful tools include Bold lettering to emphasize the seriousness, italics to emphasize urgency or an imperative matter, and underlining, to control or effect a lasting impression. Use simple, common language, and offer to help; yes, I know that will be difficult, but in some cases, it makes all the difference.

Hi Lynne,

I will upload my housekeeping letter to the file bank. But here is what it says:


Date


Resident Name
Address
Address


Dear __________,


Per the rental agreement at (fill in your community’s name), “all residents must keep their apartments in clean, sanitary, and free of any accumulations of debris, filth, rubbish, and garbage and to dispose of the same in a proper manner”.

During my annual inspection of your apartment on (fill in date), I found the following items to be in unsanitary condition:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please take any necessary measures to get your apartment home back in clean and sanitary condition. I will be back to re-inspect your apartment on (fill in date).


Thank you in advance for your cooperation.


Sincerely,


Your Name
Your Community’s Name
Your phone number
Your email address



I also have Housekeeping guidelines that I give out to residents who may just need some education on what to do.

Housekeeping Guidelines

Kitchen
-Clean inside, behind, under and around all appliances
-Clean oven inside and out, including knobs/buttons
-Clean range hood and filter, drips pans and coils
-Clean refrigerator, inside and out
-Clean cabinets, inside and out
-Clean breadboard, counters, and keep free of debri
-Clean dishwasher inside and out
-Clean sink, faucet, and under sink
-Clean floor and cove base, sweep and mop

Bathroom
-Clean toilet inside and out
-Clean shower and tub
-Clean medicine cabinet and mirror
-Clean sink and faucets
-Remove all mildew, wash walls
-Sweep and mop floors,
-Clean cabinets and cove base

General
-Clean entrance door and threshold
-Clean all windows, sills, and tracks
-Clean closets, shelves, and switch plates
-Sweep and mop floors, vacuum carpets
-Clean marks off walls, sweep patio
-Remove cobwebs & wash light fixtures.
-Remove unused tacks and nails from walls and fill holes


Good Luck!

Johnny... I am sorry but how I read it made it sounded like that it was her job to aid these slobs in cleaning their apartments and I was just expressing that if you are not going to help a college kid who hasn't lived away from mommy before do his laundry or his dishes then it's not right to help the disabled person.. it's fair housing... she isn't a social worker or a conceirge service and by crossing that line can cause her a fair housing suit. In response to cockroaches I am only advising from classes I have taken on pest control. Bed bugs unfortunately are in a class all their own and I was not referring to bed bugs... I was only clarifying that housekeeping alone does not constitute a roach infestation as roaches can enter the cleaniest of homes.

Pull the direct provision in your lease and/or rules and regs. Quote only that. If you have to go to court, that is what the judge will move forward on...what's in writing.

"Dear Resindent, as per section 2 rule 5 of your lease states "Tenenat shall blah blah blah be responsible to clean..." and so forth.

Do not give your opinion, only the facts.

Good luck. Oh, and don't be afraid to call the health dept on them once you have served them notice.

Michael

My last property was for those that were 55 and older and a number of them had some form of a disability; so I had a list of nonprofits and APS workers that were willing and able to assist; most were privately paid for services; some from In Home Supportive Services.

Here is an example of what I use... works well..


It has come to the attention of management that you are not living up to your obligation as it relates to paragraph #4 of the lease contract (Condition of Premises/Housekeeping). This correspondence shall serve as an official request to correct the aforementioned deficiency within 7 calendar days.
A management inspection of your apartment has been scheduled for _____________ . Failure to comply with this request could result in breach of lease proceedings.

Call me with any questions you may have.

I love this one Gary! It sounds firm and professional!

I have a couple that I used on site...please see below!

Letter #1:
Upon the unit inspection and furnace filter change that took place on Thursday April 23, 2009, our maintenance staff found the condition of your apartment to be of concern. Specifically a large amount of paper clutter was seen which poses a safety concern for you, the building and neighboring apartment homes.

Please make every attempt to remedy this situation in a timely manner.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Very Sincerely,

Letter #2:
Upon the unit inspection and furnace filter change that took place on Tuesday April 28, 2009, our maintenance staff found the condition of your apartment to be unacceptable. It is reported to be unsanitary and poses a health concern for the building and neighboring apartment homes. Specifically, bathroom, toilet, sink, showers, kitchen and throughout the apartment appear not to have been cleaned for some time. The apartment is extremely cluttered and smells unsanitary as well.

Effective immediately, your apartment must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Another inspection will take place on Tuesday May 5, 2009. In the event the condition of your apartment is not brought up to “normal” clean and sanitary standards, you will be in direct violation of your lease agreement and will be subject to immediate eviction.

Please contact to confirm receipt of this notice by Friday May 1, 2009. In the event I do not hear from you, I will assume you do not intend to comply with this request and will begin legal action for possession of the premises.

You may reach me at 314-xxx-xxxx Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.

Sincerely,


I have a few more if you need them...feel free to direct message me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Becky

Thanks for sharing! These are way better than my current letter.

Is there a reason why, in the letter that cites 'paper clutter' and a 'safety concern', the mention of 'fire risk' is not included? I would think the mention of the possibility of FIRE would be a bit more jolting to the consciousness (or subconscious) of the offending tenant than 'safety concern'.

In this letter, a base format was used and geared toward the specific resident and their issue...in this case, this was the first letter and the resident was somewhat sensitive, so being jolting right out of the gate was not the best approach to get the results we were looking for. Of course, there are certain residents who need a jolt to comply and in that case, we would have modified the letter accordingly. Thanks for your feedback, it will definitely help others in this post to see the possibilities.

Becky, thanks for your thoughts. I understand about using a velvet glove approach when something harsher would be counterproductive. Then again, that is what this board is about, assembling the ideas of professionals who have endured many different types of situations, so that those who need advice can benefit. Again, thanks for the opportunity to comment.

Most any standardized Lease Contract has at least one clause regarding cleanliness inside the dwelling. However, when in doubt, fall back on the City's Health and Safety codes; Notify the Health Inspector if needs be. In Many situations, it can be easily solved by speaking with the resident(s) in their home, pointing out the problems. You may also have a case of Hoarding, which is an altogther different situation, and may require additional measures.

I am a Property Manager in South Florida managing 255 apartments. I have encounted the same thing as you. I have entered units, or my maintenance staff has entered for a work order or my exterminator has gone in to do a monthly spray. We hold our breath, the unit smells discusting, full of roaches, dishes piled up in the sink, filthy dirty kitchens, clothes everywhere, many more people than on the lease.......
My only solution is first to send them a 7 Day Notice To Cure and if they have not cured the problem after 7 days....issue a 7 Day Notice To Vacate. Of course during this time, you are not allowed to collect rent. Actually I am writting one right now.
You do not want to call the Board of Health, you do not want them on your property.

If you would like an unbiased opinion of what you have created; go ahead and send it along to me.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Every city, town, etc. has health ordinances which is sounds like one of your tenants is violating. Also, you can take pictures, issue a 24, 48, 72 hour notice asking them to clean up and if they don't then send a 30 day notice to terminate lease (most lease terms have something about housekeeping). You may want to check with your Justice of the Peace or City Clerk & see if they have any suggestions on how you can get rid of the tenant.

I think there are some sample housekeeping letters in the MFI file bank. :)

Thanks Becky
I love And will use this one!!

I'm happy you like it! It has been very effective and in every case, the resident has thanked me/us for motivating them to clean things up!

I have read many of the posts here and yours consistently make the most sense.
Thank you for posting.

Thanks Howie! Hopefully most won't ever need to use a letter like this, but over the years I've saved just about every crazy situation letter I never thought I'd need and it comes in handy indeed!

I'm actually a tenant with a house guest situation that has escalated into the Outer Limits. She claims people are trying to poison her with unknown chemicals, and to deal with them she sprinkles any of a various inventory of substances including rice, bread, flour, bleach, kitchen cleansers, talc, laundry soap, onions, or just about anything that can "draw out" the alleged substances from the premises. Any location is fair game for her "treatments", including carpets, flooring, tile, appliances, fixtures, cabinets, etc. Usually this is followed by liberal dousing with water, juice, or any other liquid she feels will help "neutralize" the alleged chemicals. What this does is compound the situation by creating a gluey, pasty unpredictable product that can be nearly impossible to clean up. when I've tried to have a rational conversation with her about this problem, said conversation rapidly degenerates into threats, babbling nonsense,and conspiracies galore. When I've tried locking her out, she just breaks in, much to the amusement of the police. She threatened me with a large kitchen knife and baseball bat; I called the police and they 5150'd her. Three hours later they brought her back, and she proceeded to break in through the kitchen windows. They informed me it was a civil matter, and that unfortunately it was out of their jurisdiction. What the hell do I need to do to end this nightmare situation? She isn't on the lease and has no keys to the front gate or the apartment. Please, I'm in need of some seriously good advice. PLEASE!

If she isn't on the lease you can goto the property manager and file a "tresspassing" complaint against her. Then I would goto the police and let them know you filed the tresspassing agreement with the office and the next time she tries to gain access to the apartment you call them and get her for tresspassing. The apartment complex is private property and if she is not listed on the lease then she has no legal right to the apartment.

If she has threatened you, file a restraining order immediately! That should ensure that she has no rights to come on the property or back into the unit.

@ Edward: If you are the tenant and have a houseguest that has overstayed their welcome for whatever reason (length of stay, housekeeping, mental/physical health issues, etc...) There are a couple of things you can do:

1) Like Rose suggested, file a restraining order.
2) Like Tonya suggested; get the PM involved and have them not only issue the guest a trespassing notice, but also have them serve YOU with a 3 day notice to perform or quit. Here is the logic: the houseguest is not on the lease, which YOU allowed to come in and overstay their welcome, likely in violation of your lease. The PM has every right and responsibility to serve this notice under the terms of your agreement. You show this to your houseguest and state that if you fail to remove this person, you will lose YOUR housing (which hopefully you enjoy without the houseguest). As a PM, I have faced a similar situation and was successful. This was my situation:

I had a resident, who was a single mom and allowed the father of at least one of the kids to come and stay with them. Problem is that this stay, while intended to be short term, ended up lasting months longer than anticipated or desired. I got my security officer to do some investigation (he was a retired police officer who maintained relationships with probation officers and CPS workers) and he found that he was not only a convicted felon on probation/parole (otherwise known as conditional release), but he was also listed as an exclusionary person for at least one of the kids. She confided in me that he has been abusive to her, and stolen from her as well. With her consent, I wrote up the 3 day notice to cure or quit covenant; which made the breach curable by removing him permanently from the property, fortunately for all concerned, he understood that the mom could lose her housing if he didn't leave, which would have been catastrophic. He was there when I arrived and the advice I got from those above me was to let it be; once things started rolling, the situation improved for that household. From what she told me, she filed a restraining order against him after he left and is in the process of seeking full custody of his child on the basis of the prior domestic violence.


Edward, your situation is nowhere near as dire as mine was, but any competent PM would want to back the play of a good resident.

@ Edward; did you resolve your issue?

Tenant has piled up trash outside house ,using house for storage of insulation and items that should be stored in garage, and piled dirty clothes in utility room that cover floor and touching furnace and water heater causing fire hazard. Kitchen stove needs cleaning as does kitchen, extra room , and bathroom floors. The bathroom floor has what looks like mold growing in corner with lower wall peeling from dampness. Throw rugs, water soaked , laying in floor of bathroom , door closed , no air circulating. Hardwood floors need good cleaning, windows dirty, ( new replacement windows that open from inside) , back porch has wet towels from hot tub piled up in heap , leaves from last year,in pile, garbage stacked in corner of house in back, garage door damaged from being backed into by boat on trailer, screen torn out from air conditioner being pushed through . Cause for rodent infestation and roaches. The lawn is strewn with trash.

Chrissy,

In this case this is equal treatment as long as she sends this note to everyone that comes to her with a problem or that has the same house keeping problem. I do not understand how this is a breach in our fair housing law?

Can you please explain.

Thank,
Michele

I admit I have a dirty apartment. I have been warned to clean it up especially for the roach infestation. However there are 11 other units in my building and it seems every time some one new moves in the roaches that I thought were rid of come back. On further inspection I saw gaping holes in the ceiling of the upper apartment plus evidence of prior water damage. THIS IS A MAJOR HIGHWAY FOR ROACHES TO ENCROACH ON ME!! I am going to point that out to the management when they come over this Jan 25,16 after a letter threatening me with eviction in 30 days if they see I did not clean up. So now I have been given a 3 day notice, last Thursday, and this short notice has been said to be too short for what I had to do. I have cleaned a lot and made significant headway but I don't know if they have any leeway where if they see the effort on my part in cleaning up a lot, plus the evidence that I have taken strides to rid myself of the critters with boric acid, raid, diatamaecous earth. I got a lot of kill from that. The manager rode hard on me anyways over the dead ones and many of them, but did mention the report of live one(s)? I always kill any live ones I see. The management knows that. Plus I am on oxygen and quite short of breath. I have to stop every so often to catch my breath. They did also mention on housekeeping about items that do not have anything to do with infestation like mini blinds, painting or cleaning one bedroom door, when the door was the utility room door. Also mentioned that the exterminators have already been here! They were actually no help. I even had to tell some of them after putting gel in kitchen cabinets, the bathroom! They did not treat the utility room and on two occasions didn't do the bathroom. The refrigerator was bypassed every time! That refrigerator I discovered had 6 dead ones too. The ones I KILLED! So right now I am considering just let them try to evict me since I have already shown good faith, they also know about the exterminators NOT DOING THEIR JOB! I have long since had it with the exterminators since they DON"T do a good job and that complaint this time is going in writing to the management as well as a written repair notice for the holes in the utility room, holes around water pipes there, and in the kitchen, and the bathroom!!
Signed:
Had it in Columbus, Ohio, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. I also have been paying my rent a week or two early as well. Plus I have testimonial from the two maintenance guys that on a bedbug treatment the guy didn't find a single bedbug after two thorough inspections. He first had said there was a "little one on the ceiling" in one bedroom. For that bug, which I am convinced was NOT a bed buy but a roach nymph like the first guy said. I killed it, took it to the office to convince them it was not a bedbug (after taking it to another exterminator who confirmed it was NOT a bedbug) and averted an $800 charge for treatment of the entire apartment by Abell Pest Control! I had to pay $200 on the second time in a few months when they came back, but I was in the hospital that day and wasn't there to defend myself! The landlord is despised by me and everyone I speak to in the complex! Hope I think I have a good chance of getting out of this one since it's about all the visible effort I put in and still willing to "work with them" for resolution. What I was thinking was ^&t67t78t78___+++u90y8^! Ok :( :P :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :woohoo: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Hi James, it sounds like you might be trying to reach a renters advice website. This website is for landlord advice. You might want to check out cohhio.org/programs/tenants_outreach

I have a question. What should tenants do if the people hired to work on the property who leave behind their mess. They drilled a hole and left the wood shavings right outside my front door. Also left behind iwas electrical tape, paint drippings, etc.

My boss would never allow that. I don't mind cleaning it up, however, I don't get paid to do that either. It's the principle of the matter. We've been told to tell them. I don't believe I should have to teach their workers how to pick up their mess.

What should I do?

James, good luck in your situation. It should be noted that while your self-help tactics are well intended, they will nullify any product(s) used by professional exterminators. Basically, it's as if no treatments are being done at all. The next time your exterminator comes around discuss this with him/her. You should also request a "prep" sheet for how your apartment should be prepared for the exterminator visits in order to make the most of the service.

a friend owns a apartment complex she has this couple she has had several issues with she has given many chances to.. they won't clean up the apartment from trash etc has people coming and going all hours of the day and night , now she asked them once again to clean up all the garbage and the man nichlas called her a bitch and said fuck off ,, etc and shows disrespect like this every day she owns the property and manages it so what eviction notice or proceedings would she file in utah

Hi

I currently have family living in our basement. I have a problem with the smell of body Oder radiating through the vents of our home. It is no question that its coming from the apartment.

I have cleaned the apartment a few times in the pass 4 years when it gets overwhelming but know that this is not the correct solution. I discovered burnt tissue paper in the electric heater of the bathroom and melted laundry baskets. They seemed upset by it when I showed them what I found. When I clean I use rubber gloves and most touch surfaces are sticky from food residue.

The apartment is disorganized and chaotic. I want to offer my advice about the most efficient way to clean the apartment. Keep on top of things so it doesn't get out of hand.

Other solution is to ask them to leave but I'm unable to give a good reference with regard to cleanliness. I care for them very deeply and want to deal with this issue in a delicate manor.

:( D

Hello,
I'm learning a lot on this forum about this topic as I have a tenant that is unclean and want to give them notice. However my tenancy is a month to month rental and I don't have a lease to refer to in the letter. Does anyone have any suggestions for my situation other then in the future provide a lease?
Thanks

Hello,
I'm learning a lot on this forum about this topic as I have a tenant that is unclean and want to give them notice. However my tenancy is a month to month rental and I don't have a lease to refer to in the letter. Does anyone have any suggestions for my situation other then in the future provide a lease?
Thanks

I have dealt with this over the years and one thing that helped was getting in touch with the Health and Hospital organization in your state and see if they have people trained to come out and give a class on cleaning and health issues. We have picnics under the Oaks and provide hotdogs and sodas and have speakers come talk to the residents about various issues. Our complex is elderly section 8 so we have different problems than multi family properties but we have younger, disabled residents and grandchildren or other relatives living with them so it is like a multi family community...just heavy on the over 62 folks.

As far as letters go, I just make it simple. I send a copy of the signed lease with the cleanliness clause circled and tell them they are not fulfilling their lease obligations. I give them a number of days to remedy the issue and then a date I will re-inspect them. After three warnings, I send them an eviction notice and if the don't get with the program, they are evicted. I have actually only had to evict one tenant for this issue alone as the letters do their job. Hope that helps if you haven't already gotten your answers.

Mary wrote:

I have had this situation. Here is the wording of the letter I use.

Dear Resident:

This notice is to inform you that management has found the conditions of your apartment to be unacceptable. Per your Rental Agreement, we have the right to expect good housekeeping. In addition, we reserve the right to determine what kind of housekeeping we will permit on the premises.

Just as we have responsibility to provide you with clean common areas and decent housing, you have the responsibility to keep your home in a clean, orderly manner. An apartment in the condition of yours may cause unwanted sanitation and maintenance problems.

At this time, you are being given notice to clean your apartment and keep it clean and orderly.

Management will be in your suite July 17, 2006 to re-inspect. If your suite is not clean, we will be forced to act upon the violation of the terms and conditions of your rental agreement.

Please work with us regarding this issue. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

I too have the same problem my tenants lease was never renew because it was late into fall, so we let them stay until the late spring however i they now stated that they have bed bugs in their unit, i rented a clean and bug rat free place including appliances and newly remolded unit, now the appliance a filthy baked on and on grease,there is dog hair everywhere, even in the foyer that we share the entrance i have to constantly clean to maintained it from coming into our apartment not to mention the bathroom the new sink has clogged several of times from shaving or facial hair and grease deposit causing us to bring in a service person, i have emphasized this enough on numerous occasion my husband had ask them to clean please the toilet & tub in their unit, is yellow, instead of pearly white when i rented it. the fridge has not been cleaned in over a year. i never renew their lease but i want them out at what ever it takes i not the most clean person but, i leave my kitchen clean every night i know there is date on the weekend that i must clean thoroughly in and out of the house, waht can id do help please

desperate in Chicago

This is a little simpler then trying to draft a professional letter.

Im not sure what state you're in, but due to the extent of the issue, they may be a protected class, gor example hoarders are considered ill and can be a liability issue.

The best thing is to avoid any verbiage.

Just serve a 3 day curable notice, outlining the issue, simply, you can state current housekeeping not kept or abided per your lease agreement. Most lease agreements have a housekeeping clause.
To protect the asset.
In the notice there is a section to reference where it is noted in the lease.

Example;
Per lease agreement
Community Guidelines Addendum
Page 1, Bullet 7 and 9,
"Resident shall keep unit clean, sanitary and free of objectionable odors at all times"
"Resident shall ensure that trash other material can not accumulate to cause hazard or violation of health, fire and safety ordinances"

Sign and serve.

This way there is no liability on you due yo incorrect verbiage or letter etc.

Also, plan notices with no emotion shows severity of issue, Professional sounding letter leaves room for misinterpretation of the severity or timeliness the issue has to be rectified by.

Once the notice is served, more then likely resident will reach out. When this happens, simply state" I will be happy to discuss this further in detail in person, would you like to make an appointment to come in? Soonest appointment is last appointment of the day.. no sooner and not right there and then if resident walks in or approaches you in passing. Next day is always better

Do not discuss over the phone, in passing, or on property.

Having a sit down and require resident to come in, displays the severity of the issue and they will be more enticed to rectify sooner.

This will allow you time to gather your thoughts playout conversation in your head, especially if you know the resident, you should be able to predict their responses and steer the conversation where you want it to go.

Don't show ANY emotion, stick to lease agreement and what expectation is.. dont let them get you riled up. Let them know issue can be rectified and revisit issues with a 24 hour notice to enter to inspect housekeeping at least 2 days after 3 day notice expires.

And if the issue is not rectified.. serve "FINAL 3 day curable.. then continue with evict process if not rectified..after Final 3 Day Curable Notice.

With curable notices I always give two, first and final, this way when attending court, if they say "I never got notice" or " I didn't have sufficient time" goes out the window.

Hope this helps

Also, if they are on a month to month you can serve 30 day to vacate if occupied less then 12 months, 60 day if resident of longer thrn 12 months to vacate. You are not required to give reason of 60 day either.

At least in California youre not.

I VISITED THE
BOTTLES THROWN ON THE GROUNDS . RESIDENCE SEVERAL TIMES BUT ONLY TO FIND THAT IS A MESS ALL OVER THE PLACE,
PLEASE BE NOTIFIED THAT I WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO COLLECT RUBISSH ,BUT EVERRYONE OF U MUST CLEAN HIS OR HER OWN TRASH

thank you!

Me too . I have a photo from a landlord I want to get comment on how good it looks. This is a problem because it looks bad. I need a consultant comment to tell him off. I do not want to rent it. I am nervous about telling him particularly. I am not a Real estate agent