"I'm not your mother," my co-owner Pat used to tell our student tenants. She was tired of nagging them to hang up their clothes and make their beds. Anyway, the nagging didn't help.
One group of hockey players wallowed in so much filth that a smell like rotting eggs drifted from their apartment.
I asked the boys whether they wished to invite vermin into the building. I showed them graphic photos of mice and cockroaches.
Finally I issued an ultimatum: “Your dishes must be washed by noon on Thursday.”
When I arrived to inspect, the tenants were still asleep.
“I’m here about the dishes,” I told the groggy girlfriend who answered the door. Then I marched into the kitchen, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work.
This will teach them! I thought as I scrubbed a spaghetti-encrusted pan. Now they’ll be embarrassed!
Hearing the clatter of pots, a sleepy boy staggered into the kitchen, smiled sweetly, and thanked me. Then he stumbled back to bed.
“I’m not your mother,” I called after him.
The hockey players eventually graduated and moved away, leaving behind empty pizza boxes, piles of dirty laundry, and a swirling cloud of flies.Match My Mess!
I thought these guys were the messiest tenants ever, but some landlords tell me they’ve seen worse. Have you? Post your dirty apartment photo or link in the comments section below. And, take heart. No matter how much trash your tenants leave, things could be worse.
Just look at what shocked landlords found in this nightmare rental property:
You think your hockey players were bad? Check out this trashed apartment in Houston, Texas:
Messiest Apartment Ever
Who cares if tenants leave a few dirty dishes? What gets me steamed is when the tenants do real damage, like this. Then they complained when I kept their security deposit!!!
Eee-ew! That YouTube video is the MOST DISGUISTING THING I'VE EVER SEEN. I'll never feel sorry for myself again.
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