Every property manager eventually faces it.
A tenant moves out, abandons the unit, or leaves behind conditions far more serious than those at a standard turnover. Instead of a normal make-ready process, the property is suddenly dealing with severe odor, hoarding, gross filth, waste, blocked access, unknown contamination, damaged materials, or other difficult conditions that stop progress in its tracks.
Sometimes the issue is obvious the moment the door opens. Other times, the full condition of the unit becomes clear only after maintenance enters or contractors hesitate to move forward.
In situations like these, the problem is often not the move-out itself.
The problem is that the unit can’t move forward.
Repair teams may not be ready to begin work. Contractors may hesitate to enter. Maintenance may be unsure where their role starts or stops. Ownership wants answers. Make-ready planning slows down or stalls altogether.
When severe conditions impede the next step in the property process, knowing what to do can make all the difference.
In many turnover situations, maintenance, contractors, or cleaning teams can begin work quickly. But some units involve conditions that slow or completely stop the normal workflow.
Severe odor may make it difficult for contractors to work or for the source of the issue to be identified. Hoarding or blocked access may prevent safe entry into parts of the unit. Waste, sewage, biohazards, or unknown contamination may raise questions about what should happen first. In some situations, a tenant's death or other sensitive circumstances may require additional cleanup before repairs or inspections can begin.
The challenge in these situations often lies beyond ordinary cleaning.
It’s possible the unit may need specialized cleanup before maintenance teams, contractors, inspections, or make-ready planning can proceed normally.
Knowing when a situation requires a different type of response can help property managers reduce delays, avoid confusion, and create a clearer path to the next step in the property process.
Sometimes it is obvious that a unit cannot move directly into maintenance or contractor work. Other times, the warning signs are more subtle. If any of the following conditions are present, it may be worth slowing down and evaluating whether cleanup should happen first.
In many severe-unit situations, the biggest challenge is not knowing what should happen first.
If you’re unsure whether cleanup should happen before repair, contractor access, or make-ready, Bio-One can help you talk through the situation and identify practical next steps.
When severe conditions are slowing down the next property step, one of the biggest questions property managers face is simple:
While every situation is different, Bio-One helps property managers address severe-unit conditions through a practical, step-by-step cleanup process designed to help the property move forward.
Bio-One of Havre de Grace begins by understanding the condition of the unit, access concerns, urgency, and any needs that may be required before repair, inspection, or contractor work can begin.
Depending on the situation, Bio-One may help address hoarding, gross filth, severe odors, sewage, biohazards, waste, abandoned-unit conditions, or other severe cleanup needs.
Where appropriate, Bio-One may provide scope notes, estimates, photos, invoice details, work summaries, or communication support to help clarify what happened and what may come next.
Property managers often need visibility into what’s happening, what may be needed, and when the unit may be ready for the next step. Bio-One works to provide clarity in difficult situations.
Sensitive unit conditions are handled with professionalism, respect, and discretion.
In some situations, damaged contents, debris, carpet, furniture, or affected materials may be removed as part of an approved cleanup scope.
The goal isn’t just cleanup. It’s helping the property move toward contractor access, repair, inspection, ownership review, or make-ready planning.
It’s important to understand that Bio-One focuses on severe-unit cleanup and remediation. Repairs, rebuilding, flooring, drywall, or property restoration may involve contractors or other specialists, depending on the situation.
One of the biggest frustrations in difficult turnover situations is not knowing what happens first.
Can maintenance enter? Should contractors start? Is this a cleaning issue or something more? Can we make-ready move forward yet?
In many severe-unit situations, cleanup may need to happen before the normal property workflow can continue. This is where Bio-One often fits into the process.
A move-out, abandonment, inspection, maintenance visit, or contractor concern may reveal conditions that could prevent a normal turnover.
Bio-One reviews the condition of the unit, access concerns, urgency, and any needed preparations before the property can move forward.
Based on the approved scope, Bio-One addresses severe unit conditions such as odor, hoarding, waste, biohazards, sewage, and other cleanup needs.
Scope details, photos, work summaries, estimates, or communication notes may help clarify what happened and support next-step planning.
Once severe-unit conditions are addressed, maintenance teams, contractors, or ownership can better understand what comes next.
The goal is simple: help move the unit toward the next property step, whether that means contractor access, repair planning, inspection, ownership review, or make-ready coordination.
Every situation is different, but having a clear process can reduce delays, confusion, and vendor uncertainty during difficult turnover situations.
Most property managers don’t want to start searching for a severe-unit vendor in the middle of a difficult turnover situation.
When a unit suddenly involves hoarding, severe odor, gross filth, sewage, biohazards, or abandoned-unit conditions, delays often occur when teams are unsure who to call or what to do next.
That’s why many property managers choose to establish a relationship with Bio-One before an urgent situation happens.
Know who to call when a difficult unit situation appears.
Avoid the pressure of vetting a cleanup vendor during an active issue.
Help move severe-unit conditions toward the next property step sooner.
For regional teams or multi-property operators, having a trusted resource can create a more consistent response process.
Give maintenance teams and onsite staff clarity around when to bring in additional support.
You hope severe-unit situations are rare. But when they happen, having a plan in place can make difficult decisions easier.
If a unit involves severe odor, hoarding, sewage, biohazards, waste, blocked access, unknown contamination, or conditions that may slow repair or make-ready, it may be worth discussing the situation before maintenance or contractors move forward.
Yes. Bio-One helps property managers address severe unit conditions involving hoarding, gross filth, abandoned units, odor, waste, and other difficult cleanup situations.
Where appropriate, Bio-One may provide scope notes, estimates, photos, invoice details, work summaries, or communication notes to support the cleanup process and next-step planning.
Not always. This may depend on access needs, property policies, scope, and local team process.
In many situations, yes. Damaged furniture, debris, carpet, affected materials, or contents may be removed as part of an approved cleanup scope.
Bio-One focuses on severe-unit cleanup and remediation. Repairs, rebuilding, flooring, drywall, or restoration work may involve contractors or other specialists.
Where appropriate, Bio-One may support documentation or communication related to the insurance process. Coverage and claim decisions depend on the insurance provider.
In many situations, yes. Severe odor may need to be addressed before contractors, maintenance teams, or inspections can move forward.
Yes. Bio-One can help with unattended death cleanup and other sensitive situations that may require professional cleanup before the property can move toward the next step.
Yes. Many property managers choose to establish a relationship with Bio-One before an urgent severe-unit situation happens, so their team already knows who to call.
If a unit cannot be moved forward due to severe odor, hoarding, gross filth, sewage, biohazards, abandoned-unit conditions, or other difficult cleanup situations, Bio-One can help property managers move to the next step with practical support, discretion, and a clear process.
Talk Through a Property Situation
The word “hoarding” probably evokes a particular image, made more common by shows like Hoarders that highlight extreme examples. In reality, not all hoarders have rooms full of items piled high to the ceiling.
The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (now, there’s a relatable title!) has classified hoarding behavior into five levels on their Clutter-Hoarding Scale.Level 1 Hoarding
At Level 1, a home is not pristine, but the space is still easily accessible and sanitary. There is clutter, but no concern for safety. Most, if not all of us, have been in Level 1. Many people spend most of their time in this stage.
Here are the defining characteristics of this level:
At Level 2, the home is still very livable, but there’s more evidence of disarray. The home is in need of cleaning and may be starting to overwhelm the residents. The hygiene level isn’t optimal.
Most of us bounce between Level 1 and Level 2. However, here are the more defining characteristics of Level 2:
Level 3 is considered the turning point between manageable household disorganization and a more serious issue. Level 3 homes show extreme disorganization and indicate hoarding behavior.
Here are the defining characteristics of this level:
Level 3 households should consider hiring outside help. Although, it’s still possible to get it under control with a concerted effort from the whole family
At Level 4, the home shows excessive clutter.Those living in Level 4 conditions need professional help. At this level, part of getting help includes professional cleaning to transform the house into a safe, hygienic space where people can thrive. Mental health counselors and social workers may also step in to help residents change their habits.
Here are the defining characteristics of this level:
Level 5 is the highest level of hoarding behavior. Level 5 homes are alarmingly hazardous.
They require professionals with safety equipment and training to clean.
Here are the defining characteristics of this level:
If you or someone you know is struggling with these levels of hoarding we are here to help.
You can find more information at https://bioonecorpuschristi.com/ or contact us at (361) 266-0968
Clutter is an everyday occurrence and there comes a point when we all need to clean up our messes. Leave things long enough, and we all start to fall into one of the 5 levels of hoarding.
But what are the 5 levels of hoarding?
What moves a messy room from Level 2 to Level 3?
Understanding the hoarding level of your space can help you prioritize which messes are one-person tasks and which may need some help from a back-up team.
Let’s walk through each level of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization’s Clutter-Hoarding Scale to better understand just how normal hoarding is.
There’s no doubt that many of us would like our homes to look as pristine as a real estate listing ad. But life’s hectic! With busy work and family schedules, numerous responsibilities and obligations, and competing priorities it’s easy to put off a small mess for later. However those moments of procrastination stack up to put our home at a Level 1.
Signs of this level of hoarding include clutter and messes that do not threaten your safety:
Ok, that last one MIGHT be dangerous if you’re barefoot.
None of these messes block exits in your home, and they do not cause an immediate bad odor. If we’re honest, we can admit that all of us—at one point or another—have had our home come in on this level of the hoarding scale.
Leaving your house in this state does not necessarily affect your health.
However, it may exacerbate avoidance habits that lead to snacking and more procrastination—which might lead to more clutter, shifting you up the scale.
This is another common level of hoarding. Most of us frequently bounce between Level 1’s clutter and Level 2’s disarray.
At this level, things literally begin to stack up:
At Level 2, the clutter can begin to impact a variety of areas of our lives. Some studies claim intense clutter increases our stress, makes allergies worse, and overall causes us to feel less satisfied with life.
These negative impacts are sometimes the trigger that leads to the situation getting worse.
Level 3 is where things begin to get concerning.
At this point, the mess itself may seem too daunting to tackle, and the increase in clutter results in a decline of cleanliness. There may be piles of objects obstructing multiple exits—or even a whole room used for storage instead of living.
It’s at this stage that pest infestations may become an issue. With the clutter, there are lots of places for unwelcome pests to hide and find food, and infestations of ants, lice, and cockroaches may warrant an exterminator. However, all that clutter makes it difficult for the exterminator to do a good job. Unfortunately, failing to clean up the source may set the stage for another infestation within a few weeks.
Another area of concern may be repairs needed around the home. Work may need to be done, but technicians or repair personnel may not be able to physically get to whatever needs to be fixed. This means small problems may become large ones as minor repairs are left to turn into bigger problems.
This state of things deeply impacts your ability to socialize. Messy and infested living spaces make it difficult to relax with your partner or family. Friends may prefer to outright avoid hangouts at your home. Your loved ones may be concerned about your living situation at this point.
The longer your home sits at Level 3, the higher the chance that leftover messes become long-term damage.
Hygiene and safety take a backseat in a house at Level 4. Long-term spills and messes create bad smells, and much of the house cannot be adequately used for each room’s purpose.
Those whose homes fit this category face daily irritation and inconvenience, all of it eventually leading to high repair bills, tripping hazards, and health hazards.
You may not think tripping hazards are a big deal, but falling over them certainly can be. Depending on how high the stacks are, they could even fall on you and do some damage that way.
There have been well documented cases where people have become trapped in their own home due to tripping hazards. Don’t let that be you!
Health hazards stack up in level 4 almost as quick as the clutter does. Issues like water damage that can no longer be reached lead to structural decay. Larger pests like bats or rodents may make their nests in the attic or basement and contribute to higher possibilities of disease.
A person or family living in this state may find it difficult to be comfortable doing anything.
Tackling the job to get the home back to a healthy and safe state may seem impossible on their own.
This is often what people think of when discussing hoarding behaviors. The situation may be the result of a psychological hoarding disorder or difficulty due to disability. It may have been compounded by depression or generational trauma or habits. The contributing factors are nuanced, varied, and often highly personal.
But whatever the reason, a Level 5 household is in need of serious, professional help.
Those in a Level 5 house live in outright unsafe conditions. On the daily they are coming in contact with:
Not only is it difficult to socialize with others in your home, you may find it difficult to even leave because of the sheer volume of things in the home and the blocked entryways.
Many who are at this stage find themselves disconnected from reality in a number of ways:
At this stage, the structural damage to the home is often irreparable and fire hazards begin to enter the picture.
Houses at level 5 are prone to fires because of the flammable piles of clutter. If a flame were to spark anywhere, it could easily catch something and spread from there.
Not only that, but it’s very difficult for firefighters to enter. If a fire were to start there’d be little to no way of stopping it. With so many flammable objects and no way to enter the home, all it can do is burn.
So how did your home do? Do you have an idea of where your home fits on the hoarding scale? The vast majority of us are on there somewhere, and the good news is that no matter the level your home scores, there is always help available.
After walking through all 5 levels of hoarding, it’s clear we all struggle with cleaning up the house sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a messy house. It’s a part of normal, everyday life.
However, your health and safety are important, particularly when things advance to those higher levels. When facing a daunting clean-up, here’s quick tip for each level of hoarding:
Your home falls into one of these levels—just like everyone else’s! The next step is determining what you need to get back to a manageable Level 1.
Our team at Bio-One understands messy homes, and we’re here to offer discreet, compassionate help when you or a loved one is trying to dig out from a higher level mess. We offer affordable, professional services that include cleanup, disinfection, and decontamination.
Every job has a unique remediation plan tailored to the specific needs and goals of the client. Rest assured, wherever you may fall on the levels of hoarding, we have the experience and equipment necessary to help you.
Consult with our team today to discuss your situation and determine how much time you can save with professional help.
Rebecca Wallace, Bio-One owner, recently visited with Arizona Midday to share how the Bio-One team makes a difference on and off the job in Arizona and throughout the United States.
Arizona Midday - "Well we've got some help for your home right now. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a clean-up project, we've got help for you today. Rebecca Wallace is with Bio-One. Hi Rebecca. What is Bio-One?"
Rebecca - "So Bio-One is known for crime and trauma scene clean-up. However, we do a lot more than just that. We help people when there is a hoarding situation, so that they can regain their home and their lives again. We help with infectious disease decontamination, rodent droppings, odor abatement, basically if you think you might need a respirator to do the job we're the people you want to call."
Arizona Midday - "Wow, that's incredible. It's stuff we don't want to do. What made you decide to get into this line of work?"
Rebecca - "So, me and my husband live in Flagstaff most of the time and we were talking with some first responders and heard how when people pass away or they're hoarders there is no one that can help them. There's just no one who does this kind of work. So we decided we want to be able to help our community, help those around us during a time of need so they can actually move forward in their lives and not have to deal with the mess of maybe things that have happened that they don't want to have to think about."
Arizona Midday - "I love that idea. So in order to help your clients as much as possible, do you work with other companies? Tell me about that if you do."
Rebecca - "Yes, we do. We work with quite a few other companies, because what we do is just a piece of a whole puzzle. So we work with a lot of restoration companies, Best Option Restoration, they are state-wide like us so they can help us anywhere as well. We work with animal rescues, so if there is a hoarding situation that animals are involved in we can get the animals out safely and get them rehabilitated. We work with quite a few non-profits that help first responders if they're in a time of need or crisis. It's across the board. We work with all kinds of different people. Contractors. Mental health professionals. Anyone that can be a piece of that puzzle with us, we want to work with them.
Arizona Midday - "Oh, I love that. So what areas of Arizona does Bio-One cover?"
Rebecca - "We have offices all the way down from Tucson up to Flagstaff, and everything in-between. Our goal is to be able to help our clients within 90 minutes or less if there is an emergency. So we have offices everywhere. Any we're national. We have 120 offices throughout the US as well.
Arizona Midday - "Wow. That's incredible. So you work with businesses. You work with non-profits, but you're also really involved in the community too, right? Tell me about that."
Rebecca - "Yeah we are. It's important for us to give back. Our community is important. We live here. We're part of it. So in 2020 alone, we gave out over 25,000 bottles of chemicals that are approved by the EPA for COVID-19 decontamination. We have blood drives all throughout Arizona to help with the blood shortage. We donate PPE to first responders and victim advocates. And we have BBQ's throughout the state as well for all of our first responders just to tell them thank you for what they've been doing. They work hard and we want to make sure that they know we care.
Arizona Midday - "Rebecca Wallace, incredible work that you're doing with Bio-One. And thank you so much for spending time with us today.
Rebecca - "Thank you for having me."
