I'm a tennant moving out?

Question

-My lease doesn't say anything about cleaning, and the last people left a mess for me when they moved out. Am I legally supposed to clean?

Ifso, do I need to make everything spotless, or just cleaned good?

-What about all the food the last people left in the fridge? Do I need to throw that out, or leave it?

-Am I allowed to leave garbage in cans outside, or do I need to take it when I leave? What about recycling?

Answer 1

If the lease doesn't say anything about cleaning then they can't take you to court for not cleaning.  throw out the food .  Leave the trash by the road for the trash man to take Monday.  Please sure and get all your stuff out of there. Don't leave a forwarding address with the landlord and he won't be able to find you to bully you.  

Answer 2

.    You already know that this landlord is going to try to cause you trouble.  So clean better than you have ever cleaned.  Leave no garbage in any of his cans. None.  Empty and really clean the inside of the frig.  All drawers empty and wiped.  Shower has no mold or mildew.  You know what you need to do.  And don't leave it until the last minute because you will run out of time.

I pay local teenagers to drive bags to the dump.  Quick and effective.  You can do this correctly.  YOu'll be proud of yourself.  Then make sure you do a walk-thru with the landlord. If he tells you that he is too busy, you know what he is going to do.  You must demand to be there and get a letter (you write it) saying the place is clean and undamaged.

Answer 3

Even if you had to clean up after the former tenant it's just the moral thing to do to leave it better than when you found it.  It won't hurt you and it just makes the world a better place to live in.

Answer 4

You have to get the place as clean as it was when you moved in.  Did you take pictures when you moved in or fill out a move-in inspection?

If no, then he can hold you responsible for any mess that is left there.

I won't go into how nasty it is that you have food in the fridge from the last tenant.  Why didn't you throw it out when you moved in?  Why are you worried about all these trash bags, don't you take the trash out every week?

Sorry, but this is why poor people stay poor.  People that live in slums will continue to live there b/c of this mentality.  And, if it's not a slum when they move in, it will be by the time they move out.

Answer 5

just clean up ya mess! this natural common sense! dont leave a mess

Answer 6

Why lower your standard to the former tenant's scale?  Leave it decent and have some pride for yourself.  I have left my former residences clean before and received my deposit back.  In fact one landlord gave me some extra because of all the work it saved him.  Make sure all garbage is gone and recycling also.  That is what is wrong with our country...we compare ourselves to the less than more than trying to be the best we can be for ourselves.