Pet Smell Issue?

[Michael Limjoco]

Hello fellow investors and biggerpockets forum members, we are hoping for some guidance from other investors who have experienced a similar issue in the past. 

We have a rental unit where the previous tenant had pets. While we have had units rented with tenants who have had pets in the past, we appear to be in a unique situation where the previous tenant really let their pets run wild. The property owner is saying that the carpet and walls had animal urine on them, and there is a persistent smell that just won't go away (tenants claimed they had dogs, but property manager believes they may have had a cat that they did not disclose).

This is what the Property Manager has done to mitigate the smells thus far:

1) Brought in ServPro to mitigate the smells

2) Use "OdoBan" on all the walls

3) Brought in their own Ozone cleaner

The Property Manager is recommending the "nuclear approach" and replacing all of the carpet, flooring and painting the walls, and we feel this is quite excessive, not to mention extremely expensive!

Has anyone dealt with this in the past, and what have you done?

We filed a claim with our insurance company, but I my research has led to mixed results with this (sometimes it's covered, most of the time not).

We did document that the tenants had pets on the lease, so wondering if we can sue the previous tenant or pass along the bill for damages incurred.

Any knowledge the team can share on this would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Mike

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Michael Limjoco:

Document everything and definitely go after the Tenants.

Dog odor can usually be cleaned out. This sounds like cat odor, which often requires the nuclear approach.

Remove all flooring. Paint everything with an oil-based primer to seal in the odor. Paint. Install new flooring.

The last one we did cost us over $10,000. Tenant refuses to pay so we sent them to collections. We may never collect a dime, but at least it trashes their credit and prevents them from qualifying for a loan or makes it harder for them to find another rental.

[Eliott Elias]

You’re not going to get rid of that smell without replacing the carpet.

[Michael Smythe]

If ozone treatment was properly done and didn't work, then you will have to at least replace the carpet AND probably use oil-based Kilz primer on the underlying floor - where the pet urine most likely seeped in.

If you are going to replace the carpeting, would be a good time to shift to vinyl planking - which typically lasts longer than carpeting. 

[Randy Rodenhouse]

I concur with @Michael Smythe .  I found the ozone treatment to work pretty well but if really bad you have to remove the carpet and either paint the flooring or if it's a slab house with cement then bleach the cement floors. And yes LVP is better and last longer and lower maintenance cost.

[Michael J.]

How long did the run the ozone machine for?  It needs to go for several days and move it throughout the rooms.  Probably going to need to replace the carpet and pad to really get rid of the smell, & I'd run the ozone machine after the carpet and pad are removed before putting new flooring down.

[Jay Thomas]

I completely understand your situation in dealing with the lingering pet odor issue in your rental unit. Having 17 years into real estate I've come across similar challenges. While the suggested approach of replacing flooring and painting might seem pricey, it could be a worthwhile investment for property value and tenant satisfaction. Regarding insurance, it's wise to reach out to your provider for clarity on coverage. Since you have documented pets on the lease, pursuing compensation from the former tenant could be an option, though legal advice might be beneficial.

[Michael Limjoco]

Many thanks to our fellow investors who took the time to quickly and carefully respond to our inquiry. It sounds like the response is pretty unanimous that the nuclear approach is recommended, so we will be proceeding cautiously through that taking everyone's feedback into account.

I've reached out to an attorney who was referred to me by another attorney in our network, and also waiting to hear back from the insurance company. 

Hopefully we will be able to recoup the costs somehow.

Thank you to everyone who responded and provided some extremely valuable feedback from your experience!

Warm regards,

Mike

[Michael Limjoco]

Quote from @Michael J.:

How long did the run the ozone machine for?  It needs to go for several days and move it throughout the rooms.  Probably going to need to replace the carpet and pad to really get rid of the smell, & I'd run the ozone machine after the carpet and pad are removed before putting new flooring down.

 I don't think it ran for a few days, and it was just done by the Property Manager. I am going to look into a professional ozone cleaning service to see what they have to say. Thank you!