In many jurisdictions, hoarding is considered a mental health issue.
For landlords and property managers, discovering that you have a hoarder tenant living in one of your properties can be distressing.
Depending on their behavior, the hoarding may constitute a non-economic breach of the lease, which *could* be grounds for eviction.
CTI Services can help identify if your tenant is in breach of contract for any of the following reasons:
- Directly damaging to the property
- Blocking emergency exits
- Interfering with smoke detectors, ventilation or sprinkler systems
- Storing potentially explosive materials
- Keeping perishable goods in a manner that could attract mold or rodents
- Housing animals in a way that breaks the law or lease agreement
There is a thin line between dirty tenants and hoarders. Through regular property and tenant inspections CTI Services will make you aware of the circumstances regarding your unit to help you take action sooner rather than later.
In these situations, landlords and property managers should consider taking the following steps:
- Document Everything
Document the condition of the property using pictures, notes and videos. - Offer Help
Offer the hoarder professional counseling and clean-up. - Give Notice
Put the tenant on notice and give them the opportunity to remedy the situation. - Get Legal Advice
Consult with legal counsel if the conditions do not change. - Eviction
Proceed with an eviction if necessary.
Our team of seasoned inspectors can help throughout this process. With years of experience in policing, our inspectors can draw on a network of agencies / organizations who regularly deal with hoarding situations.
Our inspectors will implement an investigative and reporting protocol with the appropriate agencies / organizations to assist the tenants in dealing with their problem. This will include conducting detailed inspections, providing formal reporting with pictures and videos, serving Residential Tenancy Branch documents, giving evidence in Arbitrations and providing overall security.
Here is a recent news story of an apartment fire caused by tenant hoarding that resulted in a successful $4.85 million class action suit against the landlord and property manager for not dealing with complaints.