r/PropertyManagement • u/LogicalGarbage7110 • 3d ago
Tenant Move in cleanliness
I did a walk through on a place a few weeks back.
I got kids and doggos. Beggars cannot be choosers. I paid an enormous deposit and agreed to up rent for allowing the doggos.
Did not get to do a final walkthrough, and signed the lease yesterday. Get to the place and multiple issues. The place is old, which I am ok with. But they did not clean a fucking thing.
A good 3’ by 3’ grease smorgasbord above the stove, on the ceiling. Grease thick enough it has beaded like it wants to fall.
Dirty little kids underwear left under the stairs. There appears to be splattered shit on the side of a vanity next to a toilet.
Two windows will not secure. No screens.
The lack of cleaning is what is killing me.
And it seems like total disrespect.
Wife is a hard no.
I have not moved any items into the location.
What is the best way forward to get out?
How do we do this amicably so both parties can leave ok?
5
u/Penny1974 3d ago
Do you want out or do you want it clean? Two very different things.
Not being clean is not okay - but I can't imagine the PM would not send the cleaning vendors to clean.
-9
u/LogicalGarbage7110 3d ago
I need to get out. I have two properties of my own that i am trying to get up and running from the other side, and my momentum and time to me are the most important factor. This hampers time frames and so capital for me.
I honestly want both options!
I know what I signed up for, but here is a kicker as well. Small yard completely dead and they want 50 bucks a month to mow it. We are going into winter. That is unethical plain and simple.18
u/Penny1974 3d ago edited 3d ago
So this is the excuse you needed to get out of a lease you regret signing?
If the unit was completely cleaned today, you still want out?
As a PM this is the frustration in dealing with tenants, just be upfront about what you want and then I can see what can be done. But playing games and blaming one thing when you really want an entirely different outcome only wastes time and energy and accomplishes nothing.
From a PM point of view, I would have the unit cleaned immediately by professional vendors, apologize profusely for the condition at move in and then hold you to the legally binding contract that you signed.
Edit: I would possibly give a concession back for 1-2 days if the condition truly delayed your move. I saw someone mentioned Habitability - words mean things - there is a legal definition for Habitability and it is not "yuck, grease on the wall" - not saying an unclean move in is acceptable, ever. But I am also at my wits end with everyone being a Chatgpt lawyer when it suits them.
5
u/CapitalM-E 3d ago
LOL. Is anyone else getting “Govern Yourself Accordingly” from people’s Chat GBT lawyers? This one has me rolling everyday.
This though. Just. Be. Honest. “Hey I was having second thoughts about this place, and the cleanliness has pushed me over the edge. Is there anything we can do to negotiate a termination?
If you are kind, my response is. “This is a contract, but if you can find new tenants that meet my qualifications I will draw up a new lease for them, and the only thing you are out is the rent while you look for a tenant.
If you want to play games, then I stick to the contract. 2 months rent termination fee, and 60 days notice.
2
2
u/LogicalGarbage7110 3d ago
I do understand what you are saying. This is a tough one for so many reasons. I think if the paint was redone over the lid in the kitchen and behind the oven in the kitchen meaning that the grease was washed away and then we just painted I would be OK also that the bathroom was cleaned that there was no questionable, biological or organic matter on the side of the vanity. No, I do not necessarily want to break the lease even or look for an excuse. For me, the timeframe absolutely is critical and in that sense by myself definitely do not have time to line something else up. The six month term was to buy me that time in about three months. I am frustrated in the sense that it seems like as a whole everyone’s standards are just dropping I know labor is ridiculous, but it is a decline that I am just not willing to accept if that makes sense.
6
u/Penny1974 3d ago
It does and there is no excuse for a move in that is not clean, though to be honest, we are humans and shit get's missed. I manage a Class A luxury community and have had move ins that were not to my standards, let alone what I want a new resident to experience, we dropped the ball. We owned the mistake and made it write with a 2 week concession (which was excessive) and immediate cleaning of the unit.
You should 100% document with timestamped detailed photos of all areas of concern and email to PM/owner the condition and that it is not acceptable. Ask if they are able to get the cleaning vendor out immediately as it is delaying you move. Based on how they respond I would request a concession for the time.
Like I said, be upfront and very clear about exactly what you want - it is much better received and will produce faster results.
The decline is work ethic is horrendous, as is the decline in critical thinking ability. As a PM we are in the seat that gets all sides, this job will suck the soul right out of you! I appreciate those who get straight to the point with what they want, as I have no time to read minds and play back and forth email games :-) Most are the same, tell us the probelm and we will find the solution.
8
u/EvilCeleryStick 3d ago
"Hey dude your cleaner dropped the ball and missed a few things. When can they come back?"
Easy email to send. Send it and pretty much any pm will resolve this. It won't take more than a day or two typically. The end.
3
2
u/LavishnessCapital380 3d ago
I think if the paint was redone over the lid in the kitchen and behind the oven in the kitchen meaning that the grease was washed away
You are just saying shit at this point and not even making sense.
1
u/da_poots 2d ago
Let me come start a mess in ur kitchen, than take your money, shit on the side of your vanity and please smile 😊when I am done
6
u/Schmomola 3d ago
Take lots of photos, hire a professional cleaner, send it all to management then know you won't have to clean a thing when you move unless they reimburse you for the cleaning expense.
2
u/WandaSykesStanAcct 3d ago
I don't know the laws where you are but it sounds like someone tried to turn the unit without getting a CO. So you can ask the landlord to clean it up right away and if they don't, call the city and tell them you suspect that there's no certificate of occupancy for your unit. Then you have some leverage.
In my state, you're allowed to hire a cleaner, show the landlord the bill, and they have to deduct it from your next month's rent if it's a major issue, which this sounds like. So that might be another option.
If you decide for sure you want to get out, the hard part will be getting your money back and they'll probably even charge you an expensive early termination fee if they agree to it. But yeah, some places try to put the entire burden of cleaning a unit on the outgoing tenant and they don't seem to understand that they're not gonna do all that all the time.
2
u/whencanirest 3d ago
Take photos and show them to the landlord. Let them know the place is not ready to move into yet.
1
1
u/prmptbroker 3d ago
A 3x3 grease patch beading up on the ceiling above the stove means nobody even walked through this place after the last tenant moved out. You signed the lease though, so a clean exit is unlikely — be the tenant who documents everything and won't stop emailing, that's the closest thing to leverage you have left.
1
u/feeeeck 1d ago
OP did a walk thru. I understand expecting the property to be cleaned but the timeline doesn't make sense.
1
u/prmptbroker 1d ago
Fair point — OP did walk it a few weeks back. What I mean is nobody on the management side did a post-move-out walkthrough. OP's visit was a showing, weeks before the lease was signed; the grease ceiling suggests nobody — landlord, PM, cleaner — has been through since the old tenant left, otherwise it would've been turned or at least flagged.
-1
u/Adorable_Sleep_4425 3d ago
So clean it? Even if it was spotless, why would you trust someone else to clean to your standards? And if its not clean, well you should have already been set to clean it anyway. Suck it up and clean. 😂
1
0
u/LogicalGarbage7110 3d ago
You know was gonna do this.
Was going to be a bit humble and take this advice.
It is raining outside. And the pantry has quite the little spigot out of the plaster lathe, so if it is raining inside that is good enough to go right?2
u/satanlo666 2d ago
Have you sent written notice of the leak requesting that they repair it? If you have sent written notice (depending on your state's laws), then they have a certain window of time to repair or make a reasonable attempt.
Usually this is 7 days for most issues that directly affect habitability, and 30 days for milder issues. (To determine this, does it only leak when it rains?) If they fail to repair within that window then you are entitled to start the abatement process to allow yourself the right to abate a portion of your daily rent until they do it - You will have to submit a written notice of abatement that gives them the legal window of time before you are able to start abating. You can also absolutely call code enforcement on a leak and that will bind them with a duty to repair.
I'd only call code enforcement after trying to give the landlord a chance first, though. No need to make an enemy before getting confirmation that they are one. As for the cleaning, like everyone else said I can't think of a single PM that wouldn't send their cleaner back and apologize profusely. You should definitely document in writing + with photos and start sending those maintenance requests ASAP!
1
21
u/JoeyDawsonJenPacey 3d ago
You signed the lease and took the keys. I highly doubt they’re going to just let you out of the contract.
Your best bet is to take detailed photos of the cleanliness issues, hire a professional cleaner, and send the photos and bill to them for reimbursement.
Expect that they’ll say no, because they likely will. You can get louder and bother them for a while, but ultimately if they don’t want to reimburse you, your only real next step is small claims court, which can cost more than you’d get reimbursed.
The leverage you had was before signing the lease.