Wherever large groups of humans live in close proximity to each other and share common spaces, there will inevitably be messes; tracked-in dirt and grime, spills, stains, smudges and bits of random debris. All of this is usually pretty routine for the staff members tasked with cleaning it all up. For supers, porters, and custodians, it’s just part of the job description. 

But sometimes an unexpected or unsavory situation arises that demands significantly more expertise—and delicacy—to remedy than just a bucket and mop. These are the kinds of things that nobody likes to think about, much less encounter in the building they call home: a resident passing away in their apartment and not being discovered for days or weeks; a violent or fatal crime; cases of severe hoarding. Though rare, these kinds of incidents can happen in any shared-interest community—and it’s incumbent on boards and managers to know what to do if they find themselves facing one.

The First Sign of Trouble

Speaking plainly, the first indication that something is very wrong in a unit is often an unusual or unpleasant odor emanating from a neighbor’s apartment that intensifies over days or weeks. Neighbors may write off a bad odor in a hallway or stairwell as a passing annoyance at first—maybe the garbage chute just needs cleaning, etc—but eventually it becomes impossible to ignore, and the reality sets in that something isn’t right. At this point, someone usually complains to the building super or manager. 

“That begins the process,” says John Mazzola, senior vice president of Be Clean New York (BCNY), a maintenance and cleaning company serving both commercial and residential buildings throughout New York City.  “Usually, the super calls the property manager after a neighbor has informed him of an intensifying smell.”

“In some cases,” says Josh Holzer, senior vice president and director of government housing for Maxwell Kates, a management firm based in New York City, “the super may get into the apartment—he may have to break in if necessary, especially if a resident hasn’t been seen in a while.” That may be the point at which it is discovered that the resident has passed, and decomposition of their remains has set in, causing the odor. Once the situation is ascertained, the super and/or manager should immediately call 911. At that point, says Holzer, “The police come. Once they confirm the death, they call an ambulance to take the body away.” Depending on the circumstances, the super, manager, and possibly other residents may be asked to give statements or answer some questions for the police and medical examiner’s report. 

Once the remains have been removed from the unit, and law enforcement has cleared the site, “The property manager then calls me,” says Mazzola. “As long as there are no legal channels required, we go in. Regardless, after the police clear the site, we come to assess the situation. We generally wear hazmat suits for everything. You never know.” In the case of a deceased resident or crime scene, cleanup pros may encounter blood and other body fluids; in instances of hoarding, the mess often includes pet waste, vermin, and flammable or otherwise hazardous materials. All of this must be removed and disposed of according to safety protocols and health codes—both for the safety of the cleanup workers and of other building residents.  

Bruno Bartoli, director of management for Evergreen Management in Bedford, New Hampshire adds that this type of scenario “is one of the most delicate subjects that a manager has to deal with. I have personally dealt with crime scenes, suicide, and hoarding. Each situation is different, but the process may be very similar as to how to deal with it. When it comes to a crime scene, suicide, or death from natural causes, the management company’s first step is to communicate with the police and provide support in anything that they need. This includes letting law enforcement inside the building, and providing access to any video footage if the HOA has cameras. In the case of a condominium or HOA, it’s also important to communicate with the board.”

The Clean-Up

In cases of a resident’s death occurring within their unit, the cleanup techniques used after the fact are essentially the same, regardless of whether the death was natural, accidental, or criminal. Remains can deteriorate pretty quickly, and the resulting byproducts can seep into just about everything, posing a health risk for personnel cleaning up the site—so protective hazardous material (HAZMAT) suits and masks are standard operating procedure for anyone entering the unit. 

“We have a special crew of professional cleaning and remediation experts,” says Holzer. “They assess the space wearing hazmat suits and begin the removal of the bodily fluids that result from death. They also remove and throw out anything touched by body fluids.” That means everything from beds and couches to carpet, floorboards, and drywall. 

Mazzola recalls one particularly grisly call to a site where a man had jumped from the 36th floor of a high-rise, landing on a planter with such force that both he and the planter were cut in half. “After the police finished, we had to remove the remains from the roof and the flower pots,” he says. 

All the pros we spoke to for this piece stress the importance of remembering that amid the unpleasantness and necessary logistical work that these situations entail, there are real people involved on all sides. “It’s very important for the management company to be discreet when handling these cases,” says Bartoli. “In the case of a crime or suicide, the management company needs to work with the unit owner’s family. Always keep in mind that they are in shock and emotionally sensitive. The family may not be able to comply with everything that is needed. Management should take the time to explain the process, and make sure they understand what’s involved from every perspective.”

Hoarders

Hoarding situations often have factors in common with medical or crime clean-up scenes, but unlike the process for handling human remains, handling a hoard involves working with a living resident. 

“Hoarding is more typical than you might think,” says Mazzola. “Almost every building has a hoarder. As with a death, the effects of the problem are reported to the Super first. Usually, it’s neighbors complaining about smells, roaches, and rodents. The super is always the first guy on the scene. He or she will report to the property manager, and the property manager will call me or someone like me to assess the size and scope of the problem. Hoarding often involves bedbugs, roaches, vermin, so often we have to fumigate and do pest control. We have one job now where there’s a moth infestation, and it’s spreading to other units. 

“The problem is, especially in co-op and condo settings, that the apartment owner has to be willing to let us in,” Mazzola continues. “Otherwise, you need a court order which can take months, sometimes years.”

Holzer concurs, and explains how difficult access can become. “You have to notify the apartment resident in writing to make arrangements, because it’s a fire hazard. There are other hazards, as well. You inform them that the hazard must be cleaned up in X number of days, otherwise we will come in and clean it up and charge them. In some cases, you can also get adult protective services to assist in the clean-up, if the resident allows it and asks for help. Removal of the contents has to be done by a professional cleaning company. The super can help a little, but the job must be done by a professional.”

Bartoli shares one hoarding situation that he was involved in: “A unit owner noticed water leaking into his unit from a neighbor. Management sent a technician to inspect the unit from which the water was leaking, and right away they saw that it was a hoarding situation. There was one inch of water on the floor resulting from a broken pipe, and black mold four feet up the walls in the majority of the rooms. Due to the hoarding in the unit, it was difficult to find the pipe—even the unit owner had no idea how long it had been leaking. Luckily, they agreed to accept help. Mitigation involved removing all the hoarded items from the apartment. Ultimately, the unit had to be completely gutted, as nothing could be saved.”

But that was only the physical side of the issue, Bartoli says. “The building’s insurance carrier got involved—but because the leak had continued for over 45 days, they denied payment for the mitigation and reconstruction,” which meant that the hoarding owner was on the hook for $50,000 in damages, including the health and safety hazard mitigation and gutting of the whole apartment. Ultimately, Bartoli continues, “The association paid for the initial mitigation, but the owner of the hoarding unit couldn’t come back to the unit. It’s now awaiting a date for a sheriff sale.”

When a hoarding owner or shareholder passes away in their unit, removal and cleanup efforts become that much more complex–and unpleasant. Mazzola recounts how one man passed away in his dangerously cluttered apartment, making it extremely difficult for EMTs to get to his remains, “and when we removed him, we also found 40 one-gallon bottles of urine which had to be removed along with his remains.”

Friends, Family, Reputation

Again, the pros reiterate the importance of managers, boards, and staff acting with compassion, discretion, and professionalism when faced with these types of scenarios, both toward the resident involved (living or otherwise), and in any interactions with their family and loved ones. According to Bartoli, “Management needs to understand how difficult it is to tell an owner that they’re living below sanitary conditions. Some owners do not cooperate, and the association attorney needs to get involved. Be mindful though, that the hoarder does not see the issue as management or their neighbors will see it.”

When managing the passing of a resident, “As much as possible, managers should and need to be willing to find ways to ease processes and accommodate families going through a difficult time,” Bartoli continues. “Likewise, boards should share only the necessary minimum details to respect the family’s privacy.” In these types of highly emotional situations, he says, “the end goal is to resolve the situation without creating additional emotional discomfort for anyone involved.”

Managers also have a role to play in terms of probate and survivor’s rights, says Holzer. “We contact relatives and family if necessary to get proof of who might have rights to the estate or probate. If the probate is in process, family members can’t go into [the unit]. The probate action must resolve before family members can go in and remove things, and they must also prove their right to enter. Proof of right to access by family members is very important.”

It’s a common refrain in the residential management industry that the job is as much about managing people (and their emotions) as it is about managing properties. This is never more true than in situations where both those emotions and the stakes involved are running high.

AJ Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for CooperatorNews, and a published novelist. He may be reached at alan@yrinc.com.