Choosing a tenant can be fraught with uncertainties, because unsatisfactory lessees may conceal the truth. We hope they will pay regularly, care for the property, and return it in good condition when the lease ends. Clearing a tenant hoarder house can be a frustrating experience perhaps best left to experts.
Misconceptions About Tenant Hoarders
Hoarders may still occasionally slip through careful screening, because they consider their lifestyle normal in their minds. Recent research suggests certain areas of their brains may function differently when deciding whether to keep things.
This information may not be particularly helpful to landlords who find rooms in their properties stacked high with clutter. Especially when what they regard as rubbish may be an uninsurable safety risk. Clearing a tenant hoarder house may seem the only option, but where to start?
Clarifying What Tenant Hoarding Is
So much for the theory, and the social science. Medical professionals with their feet on the ground in National Health Service classify hoarders as people who acquire an excessive number of items, and often store large amounts in a chaotic manner.
However, this behaviour trait only becomes a medical problem if, and when:
- The cluttered home becomes so piled high with junk that it interferes with daily living, especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
- This situation causes significant distress to the hoarder and /or their family, including if the latter attempt to tidy the home.
Hoarded Clutter © Encountered by Avery Associates
The Duty of Landlords In This Situation
A landlord has a duty to allow a tenant to enjoy the use of the space they rent. However, at the same time lessors have an obligation to protect the interests of neighbours, or other tenants in the building. The UK legal system protects the rights of tenants. This makes eviction an expensive, last-resort option.
A landlord potentially facing clearing a tenant hoarder house, with all that goes with it, could therefore be wise to adopt a more conciliatory approach. CIA Insurance based in the Midlands suggests regular, scheduled inspections, with feedback on the state of the property.
However, if things do not improve satisfactorily, then the time comes when eviction appears the only option. CIA Insurance has these thoughts on a possible strategy in terms of the Housing Act of 1988.
- Giving notice of intention to terminate at the end of the current lease period, opens the door to using the no-fault Section 21 process.
- Whereas giving immediate notice for breach of conditions of contract under Section 8, allows the tenant to lodge a counter argument.
If and when either of these strategies is successful, then a landlord faces the unenviable task of clearing their property, and making good for the next tenant. We conclude this article with suggestions on how to go about this after obtaining legal advice.
Squalid Corner of a Garden (Stroz BY Public Domain)
How to Clear a Tenant Hoarder House
We assume for purposes of this article that you are a landlord facing the prospect of clearing a tenant hoarder house, after negotiating this with the occupant, or obtaining a successful eviction order. We recommend the following process to make this as simple and easy as possible:
Set A Plan Of Action For The Project
Establish clear goals for what you plan to achieve. Are you intending to clear the property completely after eviction, or just remove the current overlay of clutter. Determine by when this must happen and consider appointing an expert to help you achieve this.
Start Clearing The Tenant Hoarded House
Tackle the project room by room, gradually clearing spaces and accumulating unwanted items at a central point. These ‘assets’ all belong to the tenant. Therefore, you should list them, and secure any items of value including for example:
- Personal documents, including financial statements and anything else important.
- Collectible items with real value, such as artwork, jewellery, antiques, and so on.
- Family and personal memorabilia, which may be precious and irreplaceable.
Rationalise the Items Waiting for Disposal
Your next step in clearing a tenant hoarder house involves sorting all the other items to facilitate their disposal. There may be some you decide to sell for the tenant’s account. Others may go to charity shops, or to the local recycling depot. Do your level best to obtain the tenant’s consent before doing so.
A Home Cleared by the Avery Associates’ Team ©
Clean Up and Recover Your Property
Reinstate your rented property to an acceptable level in terms of hygiene and safety, if the tenant is staying on. However, if you have evicted the tenant you will have to do a complete clearance, after setting items of value aside.
Consider Asking Avery Associates For Help
Avery Associates delivers a house clearance service to clients in Greater London and Southeast England. This is an ancillary product to our main role as professional valuers for probate purposes. We may sound expensive until you receive our quote. Why not contact us now for expert advice.
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