Guide for rentals
Biohazard cleanup for landlords and property managers
A tenant has died in a unit, there is blood in a stairwell, or a move-out has uncovered a hoarded apartment. You have a duty to the building and to the other tenants, and limits on what you may do on your own.
Answered around the clock, every day
The first day
In this order
Do not go in early
If police or the coroner are involved, wait for them to say the unit is released. Your key does not change that.
Reach the tenant or the family
Tell them what you plan to do and when. If a tenant has died, ask the coroner's investigator who the next of kin is.
Call your insurer
Report it under the building policy and ask what is needed before cleanup. Photograph the unit from the doorway if you safely can.
Bring in a cleanup company
Call (970) 372-1484, describe the unit and ask for a written price that separates cleaning from any repairs.
City rules
Fort Collins rental registration and minimum standards
The City of Fort Collins requires most long-term rentals to be registered every year. When you register, you certify that the property meets the city's minimum housing standards.
A tenant who thinks a home falls short can ask the city for a rental inspection at (970) 657-9521. The program's line for owners is (970) 416-2305.
A unit with blood, bodily fluids or waste in it is not ready for a co-tenant to stay in or for a new lease. Finish the cleanup and the repairs, and keep the company's written summary with your records for the property.
State law
Colorado's habitability clock
Under C.R.S. 38-12-503, every residential lease carries a warranty that the home is fit to live in. Once a landlord has notice of a condition that materially interferes with a tenant's life, health or safety, the statute gives 24 hours to begin fixing it. For other conditions that make a home unfit to live in, it gives 96 hours, where the tenant's notice also gives permission to enter.
If roommates or family are still living in the unit, a biohazard in a shared room is the sort of thing to act on the same day. This is a summary and not legal advice. Your attorney can tell you how the statute applies to your lease.
Limits
What is yours to decide
The owner's call
- Hiring a company to clean the unit and common areas
- Repairs to flooring, drywall, doors and fixtures
- The claim on the building's own insurance
- When the unit is fit to rent again
Not yours alone
- The tenant's belongings, which belong to the tenant or the estate
- Entering before the police or coroner release the unit
- Who ends up bearing the cost, which the lease and the law settle
- Asking maintenance staff to clean up blood or bodily fluids
Your staff
Why this is not a maintenance job
OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard covers employees who may be exposed to blood at work. It calls for an exposure control plan, protective equipment, training and hepatitis B vaccination. Most property offices have none of these, which is reason enough to hire the work out.
Landlord questions
The tenant died and I cannot find any family. What now?
Tell the coroner's investigator. The Larimer County Coroner's office is at (970) 498-6161. Do not clear the unit until you know who has authority over the belongings.
There is blood in a shared hallway. Do I need the tenant's permission?
Common areas are yours to maintain. Block the area off and have it cleaned promptly.
Can the company work while other tenants are home?
Usually. Ask how it will close off the unit and carry waste through the building, and let the neighbors know a contractor will be on site.