Filthy Renters...

ok, this is the 'Off Topic' part of the Forum(s), so here's where THIS topic goes!

The GOOD NEWS!-

I FINALLY found a new place to live!

:: Does my 'Happieh-dance' (picture Snoopy dancing, you'll get it)...::

I'll leave-out the many long, frustrating, nerve-wracking months its taken me to find another place to live/rent. That's not what this post is about.

'Filth'.
I don't care how goddamn POOR you might be?...
If you're letting your house, or the place you RENT, go to stinkin' filth?
You should never have been let-OUT of your own parents' sight, much-less permitted to destroy/befoul another person's property (that you are RENTING from).
I've seen this most of my life. Hell, my own FAMILY qualifies as this type of renter, and I despise them more'n I have the room/patience for, here.

Met an elderly lady, quite nice, who has a son/grandson living as next door neighbors, on the very edge of town. I HATE the idea of moving back into town, but two stinkin' years of roughing it, with two pets, has finally broken my resistance.
She doesn't care about my two pets. MAJOR bonus, that! She doesn't care about my destroyed credit history (you suffer multiple physical injuries over the course of your working life, and go from a 'Pre-approved-loan' ($250k) to buy a new house, to *ZIP*, when you lose your job, then medical benefits, and see how well YOUR credit score manages? There, that's outta the way.

She was going to pay someone else to clean the place up. I could tell from the walk-through, it needed some serious TLC/Elbow-grease, before 'I' would move-in. So, we struck a simple deal: I would clean the place up, she would waive the security deposit (equal to one month's rent, not small change).

Loading my cleaning gear into my truck, and then visiting hardware stores for faucet knobs/locks/paint/smoke detectors/etc. (prior tenants actually stole the ones that she'd installed, AND took every g-damned light bulb from every fixture, to!), I began my quest...

Holy. Shit...

I bet I swept-out/wiped-up, 1 solid cup of mouse turds, JUST in the kitchen cabinets. I was scouring the stove back-splash/wall/sides/counter/stove-top to such a degree, I was removing PAINT and the porcelain covering from the stove top, in an effort to remove the caked-on crap that the previous tenants simply didn't give a damn about.
My feet are both *STICKING* to the g-damn floor, AND *SLIPPING*, as I traverse the mobile home (all linoleum/hardwood, 'cept for the den, and THAT carpeting is being torn-out due to their two dogs/kid's damage). Where bits of soap/degreaser have hit the floor, it turns into a gooey slurry, until I finally reach the actual FLOOR, and then things straighten-out as they should.

The walls? Unbelievable. They HAD to have been smokers. One 12 pack of extra-duty 'Brawney' paper towels, and I haven't even made it halfway through the trailer! This doesn't include the ten or so shop towels I'm also using/rinsing-clean at the sink.

I'm just astounded at how filthy people will live due to sheer laziness/unconcern.

And it pisses me off when renters do this, because it makes MY FINDING A RENTAL that much harder, esp. since I happen to have pets!

I've left every rental I've ever had, in FAR better shape, than it was when I walked into it. Over 30 years of outstanding rental history, and damned proud of that fact.

You don't have to be rich, to keep a clean home.

Why the fuck don't more people take care of their abode?

Rant over.

I now return y'all to yer regularly-scheduled stuff!



B.

You get the same this side of the pond as well , at least you didn't find any used drug stuff or did you ?

Yeah I don't get it either. My mom used to tell me she will not make the place look like a palace because my family would also leave messes. They were never that filthy, they did normal living. They just wouldn't wipe up their spills or wipe crumbs off the counter or keep things put away. My sister in law is very filthy and never cleans. I am always cleaning and I do it every day. It doesn't take long to clean the sink or toilet or sweeping the floors or even vacuuming whenever you see dirt.

She waived your security deposit? That means that when you move out, there will be no security deposit refund and you will have essentially cleaned the rental space for free. Good deal for her, for you, not so much.

It wouldn't surprise me to know they'd done drugs in the place, but no, I have yet to find any real evidence (or a stash). If I do, it'll be handed over to the local P.D.. I don't need that kind of karmic grief.

B.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm 100% in agreement with you about that 'Two sides of the coin' perspective and experiences. I've been there, done that, too.
This situation isn't about inability to keep-up their own place. Both 'Adults' worked full time jobs. They had a kid, two dogs, LOTS of 'Friends' visiting/staying-over. They were mobile and capable of functioning to the degree simple cleanliness and common sense would require.
This is simple laziness on the prior tenants part(s). Accumulated 'Filth'. I spent nearly 3 hours sterilizing the refrigerator/freezer. After nearly 4 hours of scrubbing crap off of the stovetop/oven, I discovered they'd somehow managed to fill the natural gas burners with crap to such a degree, they'd no longer work. At almost $80.00/burner, the landlady decided to just chuck the whole thing and bought a new one. yay for that silver lining.

It's the whole 'Bad Reputation' people like this give to others, like myself (and when me and my late wife rented), such a hard time finding a new place. Landlords/property owners have LONG memories about bad experiences, so if you have 1) Pets? 2) NOT sterling-silver credit history? 3) Kids? 4) Not a huge income? You're basically screwed, and that's the main reason it took me so g-damned long to FIND a place that I would consider living in. I vowed to never again move into a drug infested neighborhood/gang-land area. I've already spent too many years in those conditions.

People with severe handicaps/mental disabilities are an exception, but even with that, whoever is doing the renting to, and supervising the care of, should be taking a more direct care in said person(s) living/housing/care/maintenance. Leaving them to their own devices w/o such care is demanding trouble down the road.

Thanks for chiming-in however. It IS important that people with disabilities are recognized, and that proper help for them is realized and acted upon.

B.

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*Nod, nods*

My first jobs were as dishwasher/busboy for my uncle's restaurant. Cleaning-up after lazy people was burned into my consciousness at an early age. I despise it, now that I've lived many decades, and refuse to enable such behavior in other people, now. I've literally picked-up a tossed cigarette some asshole threw out of their vehicle (while waiting to cross a street corner), and tossed it right back *IN* to their car, bidding them a good day, and to use their fucking ashtray next time. Same with tossed rubbish.

Having served in the Marines, of course we were made to 'Field Day' our own barracks/living quarters. It was a daily/weekly affair, and NO ONE who lived on base, put-up with lazy pricks who made messes and tried to ignore them. We had ways of getting them to rethink their childish behavior, and they rarely repeated their mistake(s)!

Now, I'm not a 'Neat freak', by ANY means! I used to be very orderly in how I stored things, managed/kept up dusting and all. I'm now very much a 'Clutter Bug'.

But I'm not filthy, and wage war on grime/filth like someone who's possessed. There's no reason One's residence should be allowed to grow cultures of mold/mildew/rodents/insects/etc..
If you're living with people on the other side of your walls (like in duplex's/apartments?). That war on insects/rodents can be a 'No Win!' situation. That happens, I move-out, fast.

I have no trouble getting dirty, when the situation warrants it. Camping, hunting, practicing said skills an' all. Hell, I've come home from the field looking like the 'Swamp Thing'! But its nothing a good hosing-off outside, and THEN thorough bathing/laundering won't easily fix!

As a solitary person now, I make it a point to clean at least one room of my home a day. That way, no 'filth/grime' has a chance to build-up. Spills of course are dealt with then and there. I may let the dishes pile-up a couple of days, but hell, with just me, it's a real waste of hot water/dish soap doing a sink full per day (unless I know I'm having visitors over, THEN I'll tidy-up!) ;-)

Even my pets. I won't allow them to mess-up our 'Home'. Cats use their litter box(es), or they're chucked outside (I'll still feed/Vet 'em!). My aquatics of course, have no choice! I keep-up their tanks/aquariums whether they like it or not! lol (Yes, angry turtles when you move their adornments around!)

It just frustrates the hell outta me, that 'I/Other Renters who DON'T wreck their places', suffer from the BS of bad renters who tear up their place(s).

B.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm living there.
Cleaning/keeping the place clean, is my choice, and I stand by it.
Keeping a good 'Reference' in case I have to move again, is worth MORE than its weight in gold. I have an outstanding rental history/reference that now spans nearly 30 years. I intend on keeping it that way.
Having pets, and a negative credit history are other issues that I cannot ignore or 'Fix', now that I'm disabled and living on a very fixed/limited income. It's merely something I have to work with/around. But I've never been late on a rent payment, nor have I ever bounced a rental check. I've gone hungry at times, managing that, but so be it.
I'm quite happy to fix minor things as they spring-up. Leaking faucets that need a new washer? Broken light switch? Minor blemish on a section of wall needs patched/painted? I enjoy working with my hands and such. If its something major? One of the best advantages of being a renter: the OWNER pays for that kind of thing!

B.

Very good advice and points made (to any renter)!
Thank You for offering this.

As-for her putting it on the market? She really didn't. I had been running ads in a local paper, asking for a rental to a disabled Veteran with outstanding references, geared/worded towards property owners/landlords, who had a place they'd like some eyes-and-ears on. Was quite a long ad, actually, but I wanted whoever contacted me to have as honest a picture of who I was/was not, and what I wanted: a place that would be watched/taken care of, and also a place where having pets wasn't an automatic 'No!'.
My results from the 2 ads I'd already run were mixed, and I never really found something I could put up with (LOTS of places in bad neighborhoods, and I ain't moving back into that miasma).
Out of the blue, my new landlady called me, and we met. Now, she's a wry old bird, and she reminds me so much of my late wife, I was chuckling. Think 'Granny', from 'The Beverly Hillbillies', and you've got a perfect image of her sassy attitude! :-D
But, she is aged, infirm, mostly blind, and sick of putting-up with renters that only cause her trouble. I can relate to that. We walked through the trailer, I like the area (though 'In town', is on the outskirts, and on a dead-end gravel road that doesn't see cross-traffic from public/strangers). Now, I'm not a perfect 'Renter', at least on paper. Pets, bad credit history, low income. It's very hard to find a good place with those things. I wasn't expecting to find 'Perfect'. I WAS hoping to find a place that was still out in the woods/country, where I could still enjoy some semblance of solitude/private living. Oh well. Gotta play with the cards dealt!

I made sure she'd put on the lease 'No Security Deposit Made: New tenant will be responsible for cleaning the home in lieu of', on the Lease. Ain't my first time 'round THIS track!

Taking pictures. oh boy... That. I WISH I had a digital camera! (my two old Canons are 35mm, and buried in my storage unit)! I'm sure most of her attitude about how bad the place really is, is due to her literally being mostly blind. Moldy caulking around the sinks/tub/shower, dirt/filth already indicated in my OP, lots of mechanical issues (leaking faucets, bad electrical switches/outlets, etc..) She really doesn't 'Know' how bad it had gotten. I don't blame her, precisely. She's an Elder, and she shouldn't have to do a personal inspection like that. (she has a Son that lives across the drive, and HIS son lives right next to my trailer. Either one should/could've done the job of watching the place better than she could. Different topic, not sure how this' gonna work-out in the long run with me being the new tenant?).

I will be keeping every receipt for every item I'm buying. I am also taking more detailed notes of all the things I'm finding, and documenting the time I'm spending on cleaning/fixing stuff. I seriously doubt she would ever take me to Small Claims Court. What I AM wary of, is, should she die? Her Son/his Son/whomever, MAY try to cause me some trouble? I'm hoping I'm wrong about that. I realize that, once I fix-up the place, it will be worth more in rent, should the 'Owner' so choose. That's a bridge I'll have to cross, when and if it happens.

B.

'ay Starrunner,

Sometimes, the interwebz scare me, due to the eerie timing of RL stuff going-on, and comments people make...

What you shared, right here-

"Again, it may be the cynic in me ( plus the fact that I can't get Beverly Hillbillies Granny out of my head) but I'm having a hard time accepting she was oblivious to the deplorable state of the unit, regardless of her age or eyesight. I'm a bit worried about how she will handle future repairs throughout the tenancy. I understand that you don't mind doing some of the smaller ones and that's certainly your prerogative, but I would strongly advise against taking on structural repairs, such as electrical or plumbing which require professional attention. Your landlord is responsible for ensuring these repairs are done according to municipal and state-approved standards. These are not the types of repairs you should be doing since there could be liability issues involved, particularly for your landlord. Also, what happens if there is an emergency such as a flood or the heating system that breaks down in the middle of the winter? How will your landlord address this?"

Tonight, as I was finishing-up the cleaning/scouring of walls, prying at loose bits of paint/sheet-rock mud, etc., I discovered something very serious- rotten walls/mold inside them...

This will be a major deal-breaker for me as a tenant. I don't muck around with that kind of shit, having lived in Oregon for 10 years, and working my ASS OFF at my prior landlady's double-wide trailer, and the one I was renting, in wasted efforts to fix the problem.
No, I will not do major reconstruction/building of a rental, unless ALL my rental fees are waived during the rebuild (and landlord/lady pays for ALL the material/tools/equipment needed to do it).
I have to call her tomorrow, meet her, and then re-walk the place and point-out all the areas I uncovered. I'm, well, beyond shattered... I'm so sick of roughing-it as I've been doing the past two years, and was SO looking forward to a place with working plumbing, hot-water-on-demand, 'Safe' for me/my pets (from bad neighbors)...

goddamit...

I could be reading her wrong. I'll be the first to admit this. My 'People radar' on friendly terms is often wonked. It's usually spot-on for imminent danger/unease/don't trust with really bad folks. Not sure how the hell that works, but I've learned to trust my instincts when the alarms go off.
I think what's happened is, she's trusted others' word(s), that said job/repair were done properly. Here in the Great NorthWest, the BIGGEST threat to any dwelling is moisture/water intrusion. It will literally wreck a home in one season, if the owner doesn't catch it fast enough. Once mold/rotten wood/gypsum is found? Major repairs/reconstruction is usually the only remedy.

I'm so g-damned bummed-out right now, I don't even have the words...

Hopefully, after tomorrow, meeting her and showing her in depth the trouble, we'll be able to come to some arrangement.

Thanks for your continued advice and warnings about being extra-careful about this venture.

B.

Bucephalus I take my hat off to you for your hard work and ingenuity.

Maybe not everyone agrees but I think you have more respect for your self when you live in a clean environment.

Your new landlord undoubtedly has an amazing deal from you cleaning and taking care of the place ahead of moving in and then paying rent but you being personally responsible is better for society in general IMO.

I'm done...

Dirt/grime/grease, minor fixes, I don't have a problem with.
1/2 of this place is literally falling apart, and black mold has infiltrated the interior walls/ceiling. Paint is bubbled-up, and when I remove it to find the stuff still adhering to the original paneling, I'm finding mold under that, too.
Mold I refuse to tolerate.
What really pisses me off?
She KNEW the attached laundry/storeroom, has already suffered water damage, yet failed to tell ME that, during any of our conversations. The sheet rock in the ceiling is drooping/wet, and again, the paneling is coming loose due to severe rot of the studs they were once nailed to.

I was wondering why her Son/grandson (and his friends), were giving me strange looks as I carried-in new paint/hardware/tools.. Turns out, they're the ones who did the 'Repairs/Construction' of this trailer. They know how messed-up it really is.

They can have it.

And yet another Holiday Season, homeless...

I feel like I'm cursed.


B.

Of course mold is a deal breaker, that WHY she didn't tell the OP.

And welcome to the joys of home ownership. While you are paying the mortgage off, they are huge money pits. After that, you wonder why you didn't buy a house sooner (as long as you maintain a quazi "home" payment/savings account for those unexpected repairs).

Oh, this reminds me. There are MANY states with renters laws. Some of them even state that when a renter is required to fulfill the duties of the landlord for maintaining the residence, then the renter is legally allowed to deduct that cost from their rent. Just make sure you are in one such state (and keep the receipts too).