Tenant claims this is "broom clean" What do you think?

Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes

The tenant who recently vacated this unit claims that he left the unit in "broom clean" condition. He's been calling the office harrassing my staff about getting his security deposit back. Lol, sorry my man it doesn't matter how many negative reviews you leave online. We aren't going to be giving that security deposit back.

What would you do if a tenant from hell left this fridge in one of your units?

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Christine Kankowski

Real Estate Broker · Temecula, CA · Member since 2014 · 994 posts · 783 votes

on a positive note, you get a free Naked Juice.

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Jeff CopelandBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Tampa Bay/St Petersburg, FL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8y
I've had this exact scenario happen before.
Those who suggested "just charge a few bucks for cleaning the fridge" have clearly never been in this situation.
The fridge is not salvageable - those are insects, and insect larvae, and they lay eggs in every nook and cranny of the fridge. You could clean the visible parts, but, short of actually disassembling the fridge into its component parts, there is no way to get all of the insect larvae out of it. Regardless, I am not in the appliance cleaning business. That would be a colossal waste of time.
Would you put this refrigerator full of insect larvae back in your kitchen after some handyman wiped it down with bleach?
In my case, the used appliance company I use would not even pick it up and take it back to their shop for repair. It literally had to be scrapped. The tenant was charged a reasonable amount (roughly $300) for a comparable replacement fridge, among other things (cleaning, illegal dumping of furniture, etc) and ultimately lost over $700 of her security deposit.
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Matt Greer
Real Estate Agent · Mesa, AZ · Member since 2017 · 237 posts · 170 votes
8y
I just don’t understand how people live like this...
1 Reply
Luka Milicevic
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8y
Gosh, that is nasty.
To me, it looks like that fridge is beyond saving.
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Luka Milicevic
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8y
@Matt Greer I tell you I've wondered this same thing on so many occasions. I've walked through so many homes and scratched my head at how people could live in these conditions. It hurts me the most when I see diapers laying around knowing there are children living here.
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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @James Wise:

Originally posted by @David Hall:
I'm interested when you give them the letter explaining the reduction or elimination of the security deposit. Are you justified keeping all of it because the fridge is dirty? I know it's bad, but that can't me more then a couple hours of work, and for a $10 an hour employee.
When a Fridge looks like this you don't really think the rest of the unit is immaculate do you?
As a side note it's important to pay attention to the job market when hiring employees. Maintenance guys aren't $10/hour anymore. Walmart starts everyone at $12/hour & Amazon starts all their employees at $15/hour. Hiring guys at $10/hour isn't a scalable business. On top of the hourly wage you've got the cost of their tools, supplies, truck, insurance, workers' comp etc...So with all of that in mind you're better off just replacing this fridge. So after removal & delivery getting up to a $500-$600 cost to the tenant on the fridge alone isn't uncommon.
thats what i was going to say just buy a new fridge and make then haul the old one off usually 25 bucks or so to the delivery guys and they will haul the old one off. this idea that hey just get someone for 10 bucks an hour.. while it might work if your the one who owns the property.. and you drive over to home depot and grab one of the day workers standing in the parking lot.. drive them to the job.. buy them a coke or water.. watch them do the work then drive them back.. and in Oregon our non english speaking hispanic labor force at Home Depot has unionized and they all ask for 15 to 20 an hour Inflation..
as a side note we deal with this in new construction when they buyer wants to change a light fixture they saw at HD for 50 bucks.. and you have to charge them 300 to change it they go nuts and cant understand why..
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James Wise
OP
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Jeff Copeland:

I've had this exact scenario happen before.
Those who suggested "just charge a few bucks for cleaning the fridge" have clearly never been in this situation.
The fridge is not salvageable - those are insects, and insect larvae, and they lay eggs in every nook and cranny of the fridge. You could clean the visible parts, but, short of actually disassembling the fridge into its component parts, there is no way to get all of the insect larvae out of it. Regardless, I am not in the appliance cleaning business. That would be a colossal waste of time.
Would you put this refrigerator full of insect larvae back in your kitchen after some handyman wiped it down with bleach?
In my case, the used appliance company I use would not even pick it up and take it back to their shop for repair. It literally had to be scrapped. The tenant was charged a reasonable amount (roughly $300) for a comparable replacement fridge, among other things (cleaning, illegal dumping of furniture, etc) and ultimately lost over $700 of her security deposit.
Sad part is there are way too many landlords out there who don't understand this. It's not just the Tenants From Hell that make this a savage business.
1 Reply
Brian LaPorte
Rental Property Investor · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 10 votes
8y
@James Wise It looks like there are a couple unopened cans of something in there that you could salvage. That’s a plus. Maybe a couple moldy cans of Bud Light! Yum!
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Account Closed
Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Yum. The most disturbing thing is there is a human being out there who looks at that and doesn't see a problem.
2 Reply
Geoff Garrett
Latham, NY · Member since 2014 · 20 posts · 12 votes
8y
James,
I dont know what your talking about. This is broom clean. Ill explain why. The broom is clean it was never used. So clean in fact it is still at the store because they were never going to use one so why waste money buying it in the first place?
Depending on how your feeling and if the person keeps calling and wanting money back let them know you will get back to them once you have officially cleared the apartment. At which point do your cleaning or replacement or however you decide to best deal with this.
Add up the entire cost of the bill (don't forget to include the time support staff spent coordinating etc). If When it exceeds the security you contact them and let them know the amount that it exceeded their security by. Then follow up with wanting to set up a time for them to pay etc.
I found this kind of flips the script and adjusts their expectations. With that being said I don't expect they will actually pay any owed but it may help remove their demands to get the security back.
Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out.
Geoff
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Henry WashingtonPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Springdale, AR · Member since 2017 · 60 posts · 48 votes
8y
I would have trashed the fridge and purchased a new unit, and removed the cost of new appliance with delivery from the deposit. If there was money left, i would refund that.... unless there were other damages to the house. I would just not feel comfortable putting that fridge back in a rental for someone else since that looks like insect droppings and larva.
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Linda S.
Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8y
@Caleb Heimsoth,
Ours was only about half as gross, so we charged 3-hrs at $25/hr for cleaning the fridge. We go strictly off state law and only keep what's reasonable and what we can prove to a judge. No emotions, just legally what can you charge for to get it back to where it was before the tenant.
That being said, larger PMs and big companies are used to going to courts for evictions/getting sued, so it's just a normal business for them whereas we stay out of court.
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Christopher Winkler
Specialist · Dallas, TX · Member since 2014 · 900 posts · 392 votes
8y
Originally posted by @James Wise:

The tenant who recently vacated this unit claims that he left the unit in "broom clean" condition. He's been calling the office harrassing my staff about getting his security deposit back. Lol, sorry my man it doesn't matter how many negative reviews you leave online. We aren't going to be giving that security deposit back.
What would you do if a tenant from hell left this fridge in one of your units?
Rule #1 in rehabs, or at least our rule #1 is never, ever, ever, ever, open a leftover fridge or freezer. Band it up, take it out and dispose of it properly. And was there any other leftover crap or damage? If that was all, deduct cost to dispose and give him the balance, if any...
1 Reply
James Wise
OP
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Christopher Winkler:

Originally posted by @James Wise:
The tenant who recently vacated this unit claims that he left the unit in "broom clean" condition. He's been calling the office harrassing my staff about getting his security deposit back. Lol, sorry my man it doesn't matter how many negative reviews you leave online. We aren't going to be giving that security deposit back.
What would you do if a tenant from hell left this fridge in one of your units?
Rule #1 in rehabs, or at least our rule #1 is never, ever, ever, ever, open a leftover fridge or freezer. Band it up, take it out and dispose of it properly. And was there any other leftover crap or damage? If that was all, deduct cost to dispose and give him the balance, if any...
That is a pretty good rule to live by. No, nothing leftover tenant was sent a bill.
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