How To Combat Foul Odors In Your Rental Property

Dallas Property Management Blog

There is nothing as horrible as trying to show a vacant rental unit to a potential tenant only to end up getting embarrassed by a foul smell in the unit. The first response you will get from the tenant is “what’s that smell?” as they try to cover up their nose. You’ll then be forced to explain yourself knowing very well that you’ve lost a potential tenant. There are many sources of foul odor in a rental home. The first is garbage that has not been disposed of. The second is the kitchen sink, and lastly, the toilet. These three areas should be the focus of any cleanup or home repair project. However, it is important to note that cigarette smoke and pets are also sources of foul odors. The following are tips on how to combat foul odors in a rental property:

Identify the Source

Before you can deal with a problem, you first need to identify the underlying cause of the problem. Once you know the source, you can take the appropriate steps to combat the foul odor. For instance, if the stench is coming from undisposed garbage, you need to clean up the house and get rid of the garbage. You can use your smelling sense to identify the source of the foul smell and decide whether you can get rid of the smell on your own, or you have to hire a professional to help you out.

Always Demand a Move Out Cleanup

In many cases, foul odors are a result of unhygienic conditions and debris left by a vacating tenant. Therefore, you should provide a move-out cleaning checklist to be performed by the tenant before they can get their security deposit back. If they do not clean properly, then you can consider a deduction from the security deposit before refunding the balance. Then ideally, you should hire a licensed cleaning company to do a deep clean.

Carry Out Routine Property Inspections

As noted above, most odors emanate from unhygienic living conditions. Therefore, it is recommended you carry out a routine property inspection. Ideally, this should be done quarterly. The tenant agreement should clearly indicate when and how the property manager or property owner is allowed to inspect the property. This will help to prevent any misunderstandings.

Learn How to Get Rid of Different Types of Odors

How to treat foul odors depends on the source. There are many types of cleaning products that are specifically designed to combat cigarette smoke odors and pet odors. Baking soda alone can often remove many types of odors. If your own cleaning efforts aren’t working, a professional cleaning company can often get great results regardless of the source of the odor.

Specialized Property Management Dallas has been helping property owners in Dallas, TX and the surrounding Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco and Plano areas with our over 30 years of experience in the industry. Free yourself from the hassle and burden of managing your own property or that other sub-par property management companies have added and let our trusted and proven record go to work for you.