Show me the odor!

[Amy A.]

Have you ever had a tenant argue with you about an odor? I often allow pets and have had some great tenants with pets, but have occasionally been left with smelly apartments. I have one that's really bad right now, so I'm going to give them a notice that the dogs have to go. I'm sure they will argue with me that there's no odor even though it's overwhelming. They are damaging the apartment - carpets are a lost cause but I'm afraid it's going into the baseboards and walls. In the past, I had a mother of a tenant call me when I was going to withold deposit and tell me to go "show me the odor". How do you show somebody an odor? I can see this applying to smoking as well. It's my word against their's if it ever goes to court.