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Having filthy renters on your property is nothing new, especially if you rent to various tenants every year.
However, although the scenario may be challenging for the landlord and other building inhabitants, what does it entail for the tenant? Can your landlord evict you for being disorganized? Are there any tenant rights that prevent you from being evicted illegally because you are untidy?
Clean and Tidy Tenants
True, having unclean neighbors may be extremely detrimental and expose you to various health and safety risks. As a result, most rental contracts require you to maintain your rental property and its surroundings clean and neat.
We will go over the legal grounds that may allow your landlord to evict you for being dirty, as well as how we may assist you with the process.
Can You Evict a Tenant for Being Disorganized?
The simple answer is yes. If you have a dirty renter who refuses to clean up their mess, you can win an eviction lawsuit. However, you must demonstrate that the tenant’s lack of cleanliness directly jeopardizes the health and safety of the other renters.
But it’s not as black and white as tossing someone out just because their living room looks like a tornado hit it. Most residential leases include a clause stating that the tenant must keep the property clean and sanitary, but “unclean” can be subjective. Letting the vacuuming slide for a few weeks, or living with a bit of clutter, isn’t usually enough for a landlord to start packing your boxes for you. Courts are often particular about what counts as “not reasonably clean” and they generally look for situations where the mess creates a genuine health or safety risk, not just an eyesore.
If you’re a landlord and the situation is borderline, you might want to have an attorney send your tenant a “notice to cure” before you take drastic measures. This gives the tenant an opportunity to bring the property back up to a sanitary standard, and may avoid a costly legal battle.
It’s also important to note that if a tenant’s lack of cleaning is causing actual damage to the unit say, wood floors ruined by ignored spills or a pest infestation that spreads to other units that could be valid grounds for eviction based on property damage.
Keep in mind that it is the landlord’s job to ensure that all renters are happy, healthy, and safe on their property. As a result, if a strong odor is flowing from a tenant’s room onto neighboring housing units, you have a legal right to complain to your landlord in order for the problem to be resolved.
Eviction Notice
It is also worth noting that a landlord cannot simply remove a renter for failing to maintain his or her home tidy. The landlord can only remove you if your filthy flat creates an unsafe atmosphere for the other residents.
If your rental agreement with the landlord includes explicit stipulations regarding cleaning requirements, the landlord may also evict you for being dirty. Due to the tenant’s carelessness and refusal to follow the agreement provisions, the landlord may have the legal right to evict you from the premises without notice.
How Do Courts Decide If a Rental Isn’t “Reasonably Clean”?
When it comes to cleanliness, not all messes lead straight to an eviction. Rental agreements generally have a clause requiring tenants to keep the premises “clean and sanitary,” but the law isn’t aimed at catching someone who’s skipped a week of vacuuming or left a few dishes in the sink.
Courts look at the severity and impact of the untidiness on health and safety. For instance, a unit cluttered with everyday household items is not usually enough to warrant eviction. However, if the mess results in issues like unhygienic conditions that attract pests, mold growth, or persistent foul odors affecting other residents or the building itself, the situation may cross the line.
If the matter is questionable, landlords are encouraged to issue a formal notice requesting the tenant address the cleanliness problem. This gives the renter the chance to fix things before any drastic steps such as legal action are taken. The property is often re-inspected after this notice, and only if the unsanitary conditions continue might a court consider eviction justified.
What Are the Reasons for Evicting a Tenant Who Is Messy in the?
In a certain cases, the landlord may be able to give a tenant notice to discontinue a rental if the client fails to follow particular cleaning terms in the leasing agreement. This section discusses certain instances in which your landlord may evict you for being unruly:
- There are bugs in the flat.
- Dishes that are filthy and attract rats and bugs
- Pet pee or feces odor in the residence
- There is evidence of pests in the unit.
- Mildew or mould on the walls, sinks, or showers
- The home is emitting an unpleasant odor.
- Aside from the reasons indicated above, here are some others that may constitute legal grounds for your landlord to evict you but have nothing to do with having a dirty or untidy apartment:
- You are overdue on your rent.
- Other neighbors have complained about your antisocial behavior. You often pay your rent late.
- On your tenancy agreement, you provided false information.
- Tenancy agreement violation
- These few frequent faults may be grounds for your landlord to remove you from his property. Sometimes the causes are beyond the tenant’s control, such as financial restraints, in which case you should try to negotiate payment arrangements with your landlord.
What Can a Landlord Do If the Property Is Unsanitary?
A landlord has the authority to inspect the property. However, state regulations demand that written notice be provided 24 to 48 hours in advance.
If a landlord arrives and finds the apartment unclean and uninhabitable, you may be asked to clean it up right away by hiring a professional cleaning service or a maid service.
The landlord may offer you a list of items that must be changed within a certain amount of time. To prevent being evicted, you should accomplish everything on the list. The landlord may force you to clean pet urine or excrement, clean unclean dishes or store dirty dishes in a confined space, or fumigate the premises.
The list may include any object that poses a health risk to the residents. The expense of fumigation might be added to the monthly payments.
Avoid Eviction Due to a Messy and Dirty Environment
Keeping the house clean and neat is crucial not only for making it a more pleasant place to live, but also for lowering the risk of eviction.
Understand the causes
You should concentrate on the reasons why you are unable to keep the place clean. There might be a variety of reasons why you are unable to keep things neat and tidy.
Understanding why things are the way they are is the first step toward change. It will help you concentrate on improving your attitude and habits in order to prevent being evicted due to a filthy environment.
Nobody’s business but mine is keeping the area disorderly and unclean. If you own a home, you can do whatever you want. However, if the property is not yours or you reside in an apartment, keeping the location clean will have an impact on others as well.
Bugs and pets may pass via the vents and corridors. It will also endanger the health of others. Keeping the location clean is therefore not only your concern, but it also impacts others.
Bring back the sparkle in every room! Book your professional clean today and enjoy a home that feels brand new.
