Comments on: Cover Your Eyes! A Selection of Entries from Our “Worst Move-Out Photo” Contest

By: john

john — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:49:39 +0000

The problem is not a lack of inspections, but a lack of tenant screening… seriously.

By: Ms. Cannon

Ms. Cannon — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:37:53 +0000

Interesting…all managers who look at these photos should value yearly inspections and ensure that they are doing them and following up twice!

You have to question why no one complained…I am sure you could smell the filth from outside of the unit!

By: K.McDaniel

K.McDaniel — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:26:35 +0000

Looking at these pictures…it’s hard to believe these conditions happened overnight. If the owner was aware of these condition..yes I guess you’re absolutely right not to blame the pm.
It would be interesting to see the before and afters.
I’m hard press to call this “property management”. I think we need a new catogory..why not label it “property holding” or “property stink n up”.
I’ve had my share of bad tenants too. The worst was when the tenant started a fire in the house on eviction day. So sweet of her…..

By: LATraveler

LATraveler — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:13:45 +0000

I wish I still had some of my MO photos. These are tame compared to some I have seen and I did monthly inspections. Shreveport LA comes to mind. Preparing for a REAC we did two inspections within 6 weeks and my RPM and I did the clean up for an Engineer that appeared to have just given up. Water covered the entire countertop in the kitchen due to a clogged drain. It was black. DW had 5″ of black water. The tub/toilet/bathroom sink as black as the kitchen sink in these photos above. Trash everywhere. People just do not care.
I had one in Lafayette, LA who left 35 – 40 “leaf trashbags” 30 gal bags in the apartment. It was all her family’s trash to get back at me for evicting her. Her rent was $100 per month. We lost a refrigerator, carpet and stove also. It cost her $7700 filed on her credit with collections. She had the gall to ask me if she could rent from me again. I charged her $100 per trash bag, dumpster fee, etc.
When she wants an apartment, car, loan to build credit, etc., that is when it will come back to haunt them. That is the only upside to these types of tenants.
You can blame the manager, but it only takes a moment to destroy an apartment.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:13:57 +0000

We All live in sin, My question is what area and what degree is your sin?

By: kayla

kayla — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:29:47 +0000

before you start blaming the property management company….how do you know if this was not someone they inherited in taking over the property?

I think it is so funny that everyone is so quick to point blame on a contest that is meant to be light-hearted. Let’s take this for what it is and not turn it into something that it is not. In this industry, every property manager has run into an ugly move out at least once, to no fault of their own.

Keep it real people.

By: Heather English

Heather English — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:24:48 +0000

Quarterly inspections are an absolute must!!!!

By: Cincy Rents Real Estate

Cincy Rents Real Estate — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:07:48 +0000

Before we blame anybody, what you see is a choice people make and it has nothing to do with income, education, the property manager, etc.
This kind of thing has to do with how people choose to live and what they choose to do. There are high end and moderately priced rentals which are found in terrible condition, too, after move out.
The property manager does not control how tenants live and what they do at home.
All the PM does is what the owner is going to pay him/her to do. If you want inspections, the owner has to pay for it.

No one controls how people live. It is up to the individual who rents.

By: K.McDaniel

K.McDaniel — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:00:44 +0000

Can’t stress it enough….this is why you have periodic INTERIOR inspections while your properties are occupied. I’m sure all of these could have been avoided if landlord was on the ball. Holy crap…literally. Hard to believe some humans live like this.

By: M Jolly

M Jolly — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:19:29 +0000

I’m afraid we will have one of those, well not THAT bad. So what do you do if you inspect and find that situation? Madison, WI has very tenant friendly laws. Would you call in building inspector? Could we get in trouble for that?