How do you handle junk and debris cleanup between tenants?

Question

Curious what other landlords and investors do when a tenant leaves behind furniture, junk, and trash. Do you hire a junk removal service or handle it yourself? Trying to figure out the most cost-effective approach. Would love to hear what's working for others!

Bill B. · Answer

If you do it yourself you have to volunteer your labor. Call the junk man and deduct it from their security deposit. Make sure you have signed statement saying they’ve left and nothing of value was left behind.

Most of our painters, landscapers, handymen jump at the chance to make good money cleaning out properties. I’m sure entry keep some, sell some, and trash some. But they can pay their unskilled friends and family to move stuff that it doesn’t matter if it’s damaged.

You’re only real fear/risk is they come back the next day asking where their grandma’s urn, the 75” TV or their Picasso is. :-). Make sure you have the legal right to toss everything. Some states make you hold stuff if you don’t get a signed “It’s all junk, toss it” form signed by tenant.

Ryan Spath · Answer

Great insight, thank you for sharing!

James Jones · Answer

Depends on the volume. Small stuff (a few bags, a couch) I just handle myself or pay the handyman to haul it. Anything bigger than a pickup load, I call a junk removal service like 1-800-Got-Junk or a local guy off Facebook, usually cheaper than the chains.

The real fix is upstream though. Deduct it from the deposit and itemize it with photos and the receipt. Tenants quickly learn that "I'll leave it for the landlord" costs them real money.

For ongoing turnovers, build a relationship with one local hauler. Repeat business gets you better pricing and faster scheduling than calling someone new every time.

Jim Johnson · Answer

I've found this usually comes down to scale and consistency more than just cost.

For a single unit or occasional turnover, handling it yourself can make sense if time isn't a constraint. But once it becomes repeatable, having a go-to junk vendor tends to be more predictable and easier to manage.

The bigger factor is how it's handled in your process. Clear lease language, defined move-out expectations and documenting condition upfront can reduce how often you're dealing with heavy cleanouts in the first place.

From an operations standpoint, I'd rather pay a bit more for vendor who shows up on time and clears everything in one pass than save a few hundred and risk delays on the turn.

Casey Hunt · Answer

@Jim JohnsonReally solid point, Jim.

I agree that consistency and process usually matter more long-term than just saving money on a single cleanup. Clear move-out expectations probably prevent a lot of bigger issues before they even happen.

Having a reliable vendor who actually shows up on time is definitely worth a little extra in many cases.

Casey Hunt · Answer

@Bill B

Thanks for jumping in, Bill!Really good point about signed statements and liability.

I like the idea of having a reliable junk removal contact instead of handling everything personally every time.What approach has worked best for u long term?

How do you handle junk and debris cleanup between tenants?

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