Situations property managers bring to us
Each of these touches residents, owners and sometimes families at the same time, so we keep communication clear and calm with everyone involved.
- A resident who died in a unit and was not found right away
- Units left in severe clutter or unsanitary conditions
- Sewage backups that affect more than one unit
- Needles and paraphernalia in stairwells, laundry rooms, garages or grounds
- Blood or bodily fluids in hallways and shared areas
- Units left behind by squatters or abandoned with heavy contamination, and vacated encampments on the grounds
Working through a unit death with care
After a death, the medical examiner's office and the funeral home handle the person who died, and the property must be released before cleanup begins. Tennessee law generally requires medical examiner authorization before a reportable body is moved, so the timing of our work follows theirs.
Family members may still have rights to the belongings in the unit. We coordinate with you on access and can set aside documents, photos and keepsakes found during the work. For more detail, see apartment death cleanup.
From first call to turnover
- Call and access You tell us the unit, the situation and how we get in. We confirm any release from authorities if a death or crime is involved.
- Scope We inspect the unit and adjacent areas and explain what needs to be removed, cleaned and disinfected before starting.
- Cleanup Affected materials are removed, surfaces are cleaned and then disinfected with EPA-registered products per label.
- Odor Where odor remains, we address the source first and deodorize only if needed.
- Handoff We review the work with you and list items for your maintenance team or contractors, such as flooring or drywall replacement.
Neighbors, common areas and shared systems
In apartment buildings, condos and townhomes, a problem in one unit can reach others through shared walls, floors or plumbing. We check adjacent spaces when there is reason to, and we keep containment in place so residents can move through hallways safely.
Shared drain lines, ventilation and fire systems belong to your plumbers, HVAC contractors and life-safety vendors. We will flag anything we see so you can involve them.
Hoarded units and resident dignity
Hoarding disorder is recognized as a mental-health condition, not a lifestyle choice. When a resident is still living in a unit, we work respectfully with them and with you, and we do not discard belongings without the right authorization. Questions about lease enforcement or eviction belong with your attorney; we focus on the cleanup. See rental hoarding cleanouts for more.
What your on-site team can do first
Lock or secure the affected unit, and keep maintenance staff from removing flooring or furnishings until we have assessed it. If needles are in a common area, block off the spot and avoid picking them up by hand. Note when the issue was reported and by whom, which helps with insurance and owner reporting later.
If a resident or employee touched blood or fluids, direct them to medical care. If odor is drifting into neighboring units, closing doors and vents to the affected unit can help until the source is removed.
Documentation and cost
We describe what we did in plain terms so you can share it with owners, your insurer or a resident's family. Whether a property policy helps with cost depends on the policy and the cause of loss. For portfolios across several counties, we serve all 41 counties of Middle Tennessee from the Nashville area.