If you own an apartment building or a house that you rent out, you may find yourself concerned about having a tenant who hoards, which can bring about many dangers. The truth is that hoarding is a mental illness in which individuals become addicted to keeping their possessions. In many cases, psychological treatment is required to make a change to this lifestyle. While you may have no say in whether a tenant receives treatment, there are a few ways you can prevent hoarding damage in your property.
Dangers of Hoarding Explained
While it varies by individual, many hoarders fill their homes with garbage and junk, rather than items that would be considered collectible. While this might seem harmless, when these items pile up, it can cause issues to the structure of a building. Also, the piles of items may make emergency exits unavailable. On top of that, when belongings are stacked up everywhere, they can cause injury or death if they fall on someone. At this point, hoarding clean up in St Augustine, FL, may be your only recourse. But there are ways to avoid this problem before it happens.
Screen Your Tenants
You may not be able to look at someone and tell they have hoarding tendencies since anyone could potentially be a hoarder. However, if you notice things in their records about housekeeping issues or prior property damage, this is not a great sign. It doesn’t mean you’re dealing with a hoarder, but it doesn’t bode well for the future.
Add to Your Contracts
You may think this is silly, but you can add a clause about hoarding to your lease agreements. This will lay out the expectations for housekeeping, including avoiding piles of items near the doors, windows, and other passageways. You can also state how to dispose of dangerous objects like perishable items, chemicals, and more.
Watch for Pests
If you want to stave off the need for hoarding clean up, watch for pests. If you notice there are more rodents or insects around your property, this is a red flag. It may mean that someone is not disposing of perishable items in the appropriate way. This is a great time to find out what’s going on and deal with a situation before it escalates.
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