If your previous tenant had pets, the possibilities indicate that will leave unwanted pet odors behind. A stinking rental property occasionally can be grueling to rent out, especially if your new tenants don’t have pets or are very sensitive to pet odors. Getting rid of pet odors from a rental property can be very tricky, especially if the tenant lived there a long time or the pets led to a considerable amount of damage. To restore your property and get the pet odors out, here are a few tips from the pros that may help.
Assess the Damage
The first step to removing pet odors is to try and figure out what is causing them. Look for areas where the previous tenant’s pets may have urinated or defecated, such as on carpets, walls, or trim. You can also use a blacklight to help you find any urine stains. Just be aware that pet stains can often penetrate below the surface and may be coming from carpet padding or even the drywall. If there is any visible damage, such as urine stains or torn-up carpeting, it will be necessary to address these.
Deep Cleaning and Odor Removal
After you’ve isolated where pet odors are coming from, it’s time to deep clean the entire house. Using a steam cleaner or hot water extraction method on carpets and upholstery can help remove any lingering smells. Use an enzymatic cleaner that is designed specifically for pet messes on hard surfaces such as tile or wood floors. These cleaners break down the bacteria that cause odors rather than just temporarily masking the smell.
If the pet odor problem is particularly stubborn, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning or odor removal service. These professionals have specialized equipment and techniques that can effectively tackle tough odors.
However, it’s important to note that even deep cleaning will generally just remove surface odors and may not eliminate deeper smells embedded in floors, walls, cabinets, or carpeting.
Repair and Replace
If the deep cleaning didn’t eradicate the pet odors, it might be necessary to replace heavily soiled materials such as carpets, pads, subfloor, or even drywall and trim. This can be costly but may be required if deep cleaning isn’t enough to eliminate the odor. For example, if pet stains have penetrated through the paint on a wall, repainting may or may not do anything to get rid of the smell. The same thing goes for flooring. In severe cases, you may need to replace sections of flooring, drywall, and trim to eliminate all pet odors completely.
Prevent Future Odors
Once you’ve successfully gotten rid of pet odors, it’s important for Wentzville property managers to take steps to prevent them from coming back. For future tenants with pets, require them to use odor control tools such as pee pads or regularly cleaning up after their pets outside. It’s also a good idea to routinely deep clean carpets and upholstery, even if there are no pets in the rental property. This helps prevent odors from building up and becoming a problem in the future.
Across the board, getting rid of pet odors in a rental property can be challenging. Still, with deep cleaning and potentially replacing heavily soiled materials, you can restore your property and make it more appealing to potential tenants.
If you’d rather not deal with issues like stinky rental properties and pet addendums on lease contracts, Real Property Management Three Bridges has your solution. We’re the local property management experts who can help your Wentzville rental investment thrive. To learn more about our services, contact us online.
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