Late payments, excessive noise, risky behaviors… what other challenges do landlords face? Dirty, messy tenants. Yep! Once in a while, you’ll have these types of renters. They leave your property in an unsanitary condition by not taking out the trash regularly, forgetting to clean the appliances, and neglecting to clean up after their pets. The list goes on. 

The question is, how do you handle messy tenants? How would you treat the situation? This post will show you how. Keep reading.

Hire a handyman to do the job.

New landlords like doing everything on their own. While there’s nothing wrong about being a hands-on landlord, this can take a toll on your energy which is better spent on more important tasks. At the end of the day, you’ll realize that the need to repair and thoroughly clean the rental will always be there. These things are already part of your life as a landlord. Days become less stressful if you hire professionals to do the dirty work.

State it in the lease.

The truth is that not a lot of landlords specify cleaning in the lease. If you want your tenants to treat the rental in a particular way, better include a cleaning requirement before the lease is signed - not after. One of the lease clauses that you should include that pertains to cleaning (when the lease term ends) is “Surrender of Premises”. Here, you are to state that the tenant should leave your property in a good and clean condition.

Provide information and cleaning supplies.

Sometimes, tenants just don’t have experiences in cleaning. These tenants are usually college students or have recently graduated from college. Don’t assume that everybody knows how to clean. Show them how! Prepare essential cleaning tools like brooms, brushes, and cleaners. Let tenants know their purpose. Orienting tenants on cleaning reduces confusion.

Keep calm and don’t lose sleep.

At the end of the day, realize that stressing too much about messy tenants won’t do you any good. Landlords usually become emotional over a rental that used to be their home. Try not to recall the old days and how well you cared for that property. Now, you’re running a rental property business and therefore you should be prepared for cleanliness issues. Remind yourself that tenants pay your bills and make you rich. Look at the bigger picture.

Read More: Does Landlording Cause You Stress? 6 Ways to Handle It

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