Smoke smell HELP!

[Tara_P]

Tenants recently moved out of my rental, the house is clean, but smells like smoke inside. We do not have carpet. What methods have you used that worked to eliminate smoke smell?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

 

[adjusterjack]

Hire professional cleaners who can sanitize the place and get rid of the smell.

 

[quincy]

Tenants recently moved out of my rental, the house is clean, but smells like smoke inside. We do not have carpet. What methods have you used that worked to eliminate smoke smell?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

What is the name of your state?

Did you have a legal question or are you simply looking for ways to eliminate apartment smells? This forum is designed to help with the former. Another site would be better for addressing the latter.

 

[Tara_P]

What is the name of your state?

Did you have a legal question or are you simply looking for ways to eliminate apartment smells? This forum is designed to help with the former. Another site would be better for addressing the latter.

Louisiana. I was looking just to see how to rid the smell, but I would like to know if we are able to hold some of their deposit for the smell?? It is pretty pungent. Thanks!

 

[xylene]

Hire pros. Document and withhold that cost.

I am a big proponent of ozone.

 

[quincy]

Louisiana. I was looking just to see how to rid the smell, but I would like to know if we are able to hold some of their deposit for the smell?? It is pretty pungent. Thanks!

If your rental leases do not prohibit smoking in the units, you should not charge the tenants for smoke smells. The tenants have not violated terms of the lease.

However any nicotine stains that require extra costs to remove could be considered more than normal wear and tear.

 

[Tara_P]

My lease prohibits smoking inside of the home.

 

[quincy]

My lease prohibits smoking inside of the home.

Ah. That makes charges for cleaning reasonable.

 

[paddywakk]

My lease prohibits smoking inside of the home.

If professional cleaning doesn't get rid of the smell, you can buy special paint at any big hardware store that will get rid of the odor. My cousin smoked in one of the rooms of my grandma's house, and that was the only way we got rid of it.

 

[LdiJ]

My lease prohibits smoking inside of the home.

Are you sure that the smell is due to the smoking of various things (cigars, cigarettes, week etc), or due to smoke smell from candles or incense? I suspect that your lease does not prohibit candles or incense.

 

[FarmerJ]

If you cannot afford to pay a pro perhaps you will want to use a name brand primer sealer that is sold every where from regular hardware stores giant box stores in the paint dept. Since you didn't say how the home was heated but if the home has a forced air heating system you might have to consider hiring a pro to seal the insides of the duct work since that's a place that's pretty hard to address , the rest is easier should you do it your self which would mean washing every inch of woodwork like doors and trims , every paintable surface can be primed/sealed and then repainted. Carpet if it smells of smoke then hire a local pro , Be swift so you don't miss your states deadline for addressing damage deposits, do it on real paper and make sure you send at the minimum via certificate of mailing or confirmed mail delivery.

 

[reenzz]

If your rental leases do not prohibit smoking in the units, you should not charge the tenants for smoke smells. The tenants have not violated terms of the lease.

However any nicotine stains that require extra costs to remove could be considered more than normal wear and tear.

Quincy...i disagree. Tenants should be liable for any damges beyond normal wear and tear. If the lease is silent on the issue of pets, and the tenant has a pet, isn't the tenant responsible for pet damages?

 

[LdiJ]

Quincy...i disagree. Tenants should be liable for any damges beyond normal wear and tear. If the lease is silent on the issue of pets, and the tenant has a pet, isn't the tenant responsible for pet damages?

And I disagree with you. Smoke odors are the normal wear and tear of allowing smoking in a unit.

 

[quincy]

Quincy...i disagree. Tenants should be liable for any damges beyond normal wear and tear. If the lease is silent on the issue of pets, and the tenant has a pet, isn't the tenant responsible for pet damages?

It depends on the type of damage. Smells are different from stains.

If tenants are permitted to have pets or permitted to smoke, "normal" wear and tear will be the smell of pets and the smell of smoke. Not normal would be pet stains or nicotine stains.

 

[Tara_P]

Just an update.. I am having a professional cleaning service clean the house where they will wipe down everything such as doors, door frames, baseboard, cabinets and inside of cabinets. The only thing they don’t wipe down are the walls and ceilings. I am also renting an ozone generator and am going to run that for a few days in the residence. The lease does state that tenants and any visitors are prohibited from smoking anything inside of the residence.

The tenants paid their deposit through a company for insurance purposes and require proof of damage along with receipts. I can provide the proof of payment for services, but I do not have “physical” proof of smoke smell. The only thing I can provide is a satement. Are there any other items that I need to provide for proof so I can cover myself??