Hoarding is a disorder. More people have the disorder than the average person realizes. It may start out innocently by saving each day’s newspaper to be read at a later time. Soon there are 3 months of papers stacked up. It also occurs when a person buys things they like, or on sale when they really do not need them. Again, the items begin to fill the home.
Hoarders are also known to collect animals that are beyond their financial ability. They do not properly care or clean up after the dogs or cats. It can quickly become a real problem.
The Problems of a Hoarder
Remember a hoarder is not a collector. This is not a person who collects cups with names of places they have visited. Collectors take good care of their items, and they do not allow them to become a problem.
The problem is the inability to clean up the home. That would involve discarding items which a hoarder finds unacceptable. Pretty soon the home is filled with items of little of no value. It becomes difficult to walk through the house, use the kitchen, or the bathroom.
Many hoarders do not see the disorder as a problem. They are saving these items because they may be needed some day. The fact that their life is impaired does not seem to occur to them.
If the hoarder owns their own home, it becomes a problem when the overflow spreads to the outside. The neighbors then become concerned due to the unsightly mess, and the potential of lowering home values. The real problem is if the hoarder is a tenant.
The Landlord and the Hoarder
A landlord has a real problem with a renter who is a hoarder. The average owner of rental property may have never encountered a hoarder. Unless the landlord goes into the rental property, they will not realize there is a danger to the value of the home until the hoarder starts to store items on the deck, porch, front lawn, or backyard.
The landlord faces a real dilemma. Eviction may be the only answer. When the tenant leaves, the hoarder may likely leave behind a real mess. It is then the landlord’s problem to fix the problem before the property can be rented.
It is not a simple matter of taking out the trash. It is also beyond the profession of a regular cleaning company which a landlord typically hires. There is danger lurking in the piles of debris in the home.
Hazards of the Empty Dwelling of a Hoarder
Here is just a partial list of the unknown concerns to be found in the rubbish. Mold can quickly grow. It is a real health hazard to the lungs. Bugs of all types that appear when trash stays in the home. Many carry diseases, and their bites can put a person in the emergency room. It would not be a surprise to find small rodents in the home. Rats and mice are attracted to unsanitary conditions.
Another problem is urine and feces from unattended animals. This list does not begin to address the problem of walking through the home. A person can easily fall due to the lack of space to walk.
Hoarder Property Cleaning Company Advantages
There is an answer for the landlord. First, do not go into the home. Second, hire a company that specializes in cleaning homes of hoarders. This firm has the knowledge, experience, equipment, or ability to handle any problem. They have seen this situation many times in the past and know what to do.
If you are a landlord in the Norco, California, area, and you have a recently vacated property inhabited by a hoarder, you need to act quickly. Every day that passes the problem will get worse. The value of the property will fall. It will harder and more expensive to clean up. You do not want to have the reputation of renting substandard housing.
A landlord wants to minimize the loss of revenue. The solution is to clean as quickly as possible. It takes a professional company to accomplish that goal.
The professional will only send employees into the home who are equipped with personal protective equipment. That includes items like masks and gloves along with flashlights, a fire extinguisher, and a first aid kit. They will know to sort the rubble as some items require special disposition. They cannot be thrown into the regular trash.
The property will be emptied of all refuse. The waste will be carried off for proper disposal. Once the home or apartment is clean, then the condition of the walls, floors, appliances, plumbing, heating and air conditioner systems, and the structure integrity can be assessed. The landlord will then to decide about repairs and replacements.
It cannot be stressed enough that no one other than a professional hoarder property cleaning company in Norco, California, should enter the location after the hoarder leaves. This applies whether the person leaves voluntarily or pursuant to a court order after an eviction hearing. There is just too much danger to the health and safety of a person.
Remember that cleanup after a hoarder is not a do it yourself project. It is one time when a professional is needed. A hoarder property cleaning company will provide a fair estimate of the cost and time required to complete the job. The cleaning company shares the landlord’s goal of returning the premises to a clean state that will encourage a new tenant to take possession.