How to Handle Hoarding Tenants
TEMECULA, CA. – Do you have one or more hoarding tenants? If so, most rental finding and Property Management companies will agree that dealing with hoarders can be one of the most complicated problems an owner can deal with but the good news is that there is a way to do it correctly if you follow these tips.
How to Deal with Hoarders
Step 1 – Move forward with caution – One important thing to remember about most hoarders is that hoarding can be classified as an obsessive-compulsive disorder and people who have this disability should be handled with caution because they are also protected under the Fair Housing Act.
Step 2 – Determine if the hoarding violates the Warranty of Habitability – As a landlord, your primary responsibility is to make sure that you provide your tenants with a property that’s in habitable condition.
This means that it has working plumbing, electrical, heating, is pest free and move in ready for your tenants.
Your tenants must also do their part to keep the property in habitable condition and if they’ve violated their lease responsibilities or made it difficult for other tenants in your building to enjoy their rentals then you should take action.
Step 3 – Offer to help your tenant – Last of all, but most important, you should offer to help your tenant clean up their rental by bringing in a dumpster and offering to hire someone to help them clean.
If the tenant refuses to take action and clean up their rental property then the next step that you should take after consulting with an attorney is to begin eviction proceedings.
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I rented to a couple through a Christian Homeless Veterian’s Group. He was a year in a men’s shelter, after loss of his job and house and she was camped at her mother’s with 7 others and her 4 year old son. The Group paid his $1000 deposit and the first three month’s rent. They have been good tenants. Then he emptied his storage units and filled the house with the contents. The stacks of boxes brought roaches, not two weeks after we paid $1200 to tent the house because his bipolar wife was scared of “spiders” in the 70 year old farm house on a horse pasture. I told them things like this were to be expected. They did NOT tell me she was bipolar. Anyway, he purchased electronic roach “removers” and refused to “allow” be to “bug bomb” the place. On top of this, while inspecting the smoke detectors, I noticed an area of rug in the bedroom was “soft”. I peeled back the wall to wall carpet and discovered a moist, soggy unstable area of the floor that seemed to have termites in it. To replace the entire floor of the master bedroom would mean much more than the “three day patch” he claims would be necessary to fix the issue. I want to know what the problem is and FIX the entire floor. This will take removing all their furniture, a contractor and his crew, another trip from Terminix (who does not cover underground termites with a tenting). In other words. They would have to vacate the house. Having no credit, he would not be able to rent anything in So. CA. In other words, he’d be homeless again. I don’t want that. In the 2 years they have been there, he fell in the bathroom and smashed the toilet. I had to buy new and pay to have it replaced. This a week after he “being “large” in stature, asked for a larger toilet. Also, there was some damage beyond normal wear and tear to a cabinet and now, the roach infestation. My question is, upon leaving, the deposit will obviously be forfeit. Is this between me and the tenant or me and the Church group who paid the deposit? Also, if anyone is injured by the “dip” in the bedroom floor walkway after I give them 60 days’ notice, an I responsible?
Sorry for your experience in leasing of your home. The party responsible is the one listed on the lease. I would almost assume that would be the tenants and not the Church. Very important to remember to document the damages in detail/ cost/ estimates and take pictures for proof. A letter with those details will need to be given to the tenant of why they are not getting the full deposit back. It would be then up to the that past tenant to explain to the Church. You are 100% responsible for the structure of your home (landlord insurance) whether occupied or vacant. The only thing the tenant is liable for is their personal (renters insurance) belongings.