How to address pet urine smell

Question

Several months ago when my HVAC contractor showed up to take care of an issue at one of my rentals, he told me that the dog urine smell in the house was so strong he was afraid he might pass out. The tenant has been in the house for almost 4 years. He always pays his rent on time and I have had no issues with him. How do I let him know that he needs to take care of the urine smell? Do I tell him that it was my contractor that noticed it? Do I do an inspection of the house and then "notice" it? If so, what kind of inspection would I be doing? I have not done inspections, though I know some of you say that it's extremely important. Any other suggestions on how to address the smell would be appreciated. Should I just send a letter? Etc?

Thanks, Joy

Jacob Sampson · Answer

I have my maintenance guy walk the exterior and interior once a quarter.  He makes sure the guttering and exterior are in good shape.  On the inside he is looking for signs of misuse, leaky pipes, pet problems, etc.  He reports back to me on each property each time.  Just the fact that you regularly check on the property will change tenants behavior, in most cases.

Dan King · Answer

Remember to follow the rule to treat your rentals as a business.  If you owned a business you would want to "walk through" your offices, buildings, etc right on a consistent basis right?  Also, treat your tenants like employees.  If an employee were damaging your property you would address it quickly and in a forthright manner.  If they were a good employee (renter) you would expect them to stop the behavior in question (pet using your property as a toilet) and you would warn them that any damage would come out of their paycheck (security deposit).  Make sure to put this all in writing so when they move out and you charge their deposit it was documented they were warned to "fix it pay up." Personally, I would make them replace the carpet asap on their dime vs. dealing with the deposit.  Remember you can buy a pet urine stain light that shows location of stains.  Good luck!

Dan Mackin · Answer

If it's been 4 years it's probably time for a walk through. There are likely a few other things that you'll notice if a pet urine smell has been allowed to get that bad.