How can someone live like that

By Gabs
@gabs8513 (48686)
United Kingdom
January 21, 2010 2:16pm CST
As most of you know I am looking for a new Place to live Well last Night I went to view a Place, when I got there, the Landlord was waiting outside for me, he did not seem happy As I went up to him, he said to me that he needs to apologize but the Tenants who are still there have let the Place go, do I still want to view it, I said yes of course, no worries, I mean I had just driven an hour to view the Place, so we went in, well I could not believe my eyes, they had not even bothered to tidy up, the Place smelt awful, the Kitchen was a mess, the Wall Paper torn of, the Bathroom there was tiles missing the Pipes dirty and rusty The Landlord had a grim Face, he asked me what I thought, well I knew he did mean about the Mess and that, so I said yes it looks like what I had in mind, he must have read my mind, as he said if you want to wait outside it is up to you I just have to have a word with these, I nearly ran out of there, as I could not stand the Smell He followed me shortly after, he was very apologetic, he told me he will have the Flat totally done out once they have gone I got a Phone call from the Agency today, who told me he was very angry, he is going in there Sunday to look at it in Daylight and then get work started Well I have agreed to take the Flat as long as it will be done up, so hopefully in a Month I shall be moving, now all the Stress will start as I have to find the money for the Down Payment next week, I have to contact the Benefit People to cancel the Benefit in this Area, then contact them in that Area for them to pay it there, I need to find the first Month rent in advance to after that the Benefit will pay for my housing, my mind is already reeling here, the deposit for the Flat is no Problem as I will receive my deposit back from here so that will pay my deposit Anyway I just wanted to know how can People live like that, also knowing that someone was viewing the Flat they did not even try to make it look good I know once the Flat is done it will be just right for Gissi and me, it will be warm and small enough for me to manage I will be a bit sad to leave here but well I am sure I will settle in my new Home just as well
22 people like this
51 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
21 Jan 10
How horrible Gabs. When I used to rent I always scrubbed the place out before leaving. I wanted my deposit back! LOL. A friend asked us to clean his flat out after he had rented it out. When we went in we found cat litter dumped in a wardrobe and the carpet literally "bubbled" with cat fleas. I am allergic to cats and came out in a hideous rash that took days to go and received loads of flea bites - it's not true that they don't bite humans! I hope that you get it all together. Are you moving to the place starting with "H". XXXX
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Being an Ex Army Child and Wife it is part of me that does the Cleaning to "Military Standard" lol But I have been told by the Landlady I am not scrub the Place as there is no need for scrubbing as for the last 3 Years that I have lived here I have kept well on top of things lol Yes that is where I will be moving to I will not be far from the Shopping Centers and the Sunday big Market But it will mainly be Window shopping lol xxxx
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
22 Jan 10
He moved to Carnoustie Alice. Nuf said! LOL.
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Some people don't deserve to be called pigs, because pigs are in fact very clean animals. Landlord has a right to keep flat deposit if place is left in poor condition. I used to live in few apartments here in Chicago before I move into my house. I left each place spotless in perfect condition. In the other hand, landlord is responsible to paint the place once every 2 years or after people move out. The chances are that he didn't paint the place for the long time.
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
The Couple only lived there 3 Years but he did admit that he had not been to see the Flat for over a Year I am sure that he will not give them their deposit back as they have no right to it
• United States
21 Jan 10
Awww, isn't that amazing that people are like that? I know what you're talking about as I use to clean apartment buildings for a living years ago. What some of those people did just took me by surprise. One even left the whole house completely trashed and the pets too. They left a baby iguana, fish, and a cat, and never came back. Everyone who worked there took one of the pets to keep. The cages were filthy and so was the apartment..even the couch was overturned. I was going to take the baby iguana..he was soooo cute, but one of the guys there raised them and really wanted it, so I told him sure, take it. I felt the little guy would have a better life with him than me, as I knew nothing about iguanas. I ended up with the fish, haha. I hope your new landlord fixes it up really cute for you and Gissy. Good luck and I hope you find some happiness there and warmth.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Thank you Kash I have seen filthy houses before as well but I just never get how People can live like that Well the Landlord has a lot to do there lol but he said it will take about 4 weeks which is fine as I have to give a months notice to, I know they would let me go earlier but I need to pack and I need to get all the Paperwork and Finances sorted I just hope it is easier this time then last time lol
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Lol Kash would you like to come and help It will be another Challenge for me I have to say that lol but hey I am used to Challenges and actually like them lol
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Jan 10
You'll be moving just in time for spring! And a whole month will take some pressure off of everything you need to do. This way you can do a little everyday and be all done when you need to move. I'm excited for you!
1 person likes this
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
21 Jan 10
I have always wondered how people live like slobs. I watch the show "Hoarders" sometimes and can't believe what people live in. Its so disgusting. They live with garbage surrounding them. The kitchen or bathroom are horrid to look at. I will never understand it. Especially how do they live with the smell alone. I just can't believe how many people live like this that you can actually have a show on TV with different people each week living like this. I love living in a house where everything is clean and in its proper place at all times. I can't deal with messes at all.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
We have a Program here on TV about 2 Women who go and see People with dirty Houses I think it is very similar to Hoarders, they then clean the Place from top to bottom but the things they find is unreal and the state the Place is in I just do not get it I really don't
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Lelin I have to agree with you there I used to clean and I cleaned some mess up but goodness nothing like that I think I saw that one to Mentalward there was also one that 30 Cats and the Place was terrible they had to remove the Cats to as they where dirty to
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
21 Jan 10
Yes we have that show too. I sometimes watch it late at night. I can't believe what they walk into. Its just totally gross and disgusting. I love to clean but doing what these two women do I commend them because its would make me vomit seeing the stuff they have to clean.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
21 Jan 10
Hello, Gabs. I'm not houseproud by any means, but I couldn't live like that. We have friends coming to visit tomorrow, so I've spent the last few days cleaning every inch of our apartment. I told my husband Tony to keep moving, because if he stood still for more than a few seconds, he'd get a squirt of Pledge or a flick with a damp cloth. These people obviously have no standards and no self respect. I'll leave the washing up for a whole day if I feel like it, but no way would my place ever smell, and if tiles came off, they'd soon be put back again. It makes me wonder if they had some twisted idea that if the place was really bad, the landlord would let them stay, as nobody else would want it. however, that still doesn't explain why anyone would choose to live like that in the first place. Good luck with the move.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Hi Sandra I would not say I am Houseproud as such but I like it clean and not smelling, I have Air Fresheners and scented Candles and I like it aired ok I can not leave Dishes lol I just have to do them But again that is everyone to themselves but these People had no pride at all, I would hate for someone to walk out of my Home and feel like I did after leaving theirs, Disgusted
@Ladyslipper (1327)
• Philippines
21 Jan 10
I can't imagine that there are people who can live like that. For me, it does not matter whether the house is big or small as long as it is clean. One thing that I miss whenever I am away from home is the clean smell of sheets in my bedroom. If it would be me living in that place you had just described I will go crazy. A house should always be clean not just for it to look good but also because of health reasons. Besides, how could you sleep well in that kind of place with that kind of smell and dirt. I would go itchy all over and might even get rashes. My skin gets easily irritated by dirt and dusts. I am sure that if my place will be like that I will be sneezing almost ever minute. Argh!
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Hello Lady Yes I am like you there I like mine nice clean and smelling nice It just shocked me the state of the Place but it will be redone and cleared out
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
22 Jan 10
After moving 700 times I have seen the worst places in the world and some we took would take me a month just to get it clean and workable for us! If things needed replaced or done by landlord I would get on to them. I never left a place in bad shape for the next person needed a clean place ot move into! Good luck I hope he gets it fixed up real soon!
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Well I hope so to but I am looking at 4-5 weeks before I get to move lol which I need anyway as here I go again packing lol it does not seem like 3 years ago I was packing and moving here
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
22 Jan 10
No dont seem to me that you have been there for 3 years . wow. well HAppy moving!
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Jan 10
I hope you did not have to pay or sign anything. Did you make it plain that the deal depended on how the apartment looked after it was fixed up? It would be too terrible if you gave up where you live now and stopped your benefits etc. and you did not like what the renovations had been done!
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Oh no Heather nothing signed or paid I will not be handing over anything until it is done The Benefits would be no trouble they would be set up again no Problems at this end and canceled at the other End, so that is no worry either but no money will go apart from the Retainer Fee to them till I see the flat done up and when I move in
• United States
22 Jan 10
Great..good for you!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92711)
• United States
22 Jan 10
I'm very glad to hear that he was so apologetic. He sounds determined to fix it, so I hope he tackles that flat and gets people to make it look even better than it did orignally. Is it hard to picture living there because of the mess? I hope you get all the benefit stuff done easily. When I first moved after I got my benefits, it seemed like I had to jump a few hoops to get everything taken care of how they wanted.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Oh no it was not hard for me to picture living there and how I will have my Furniture and that there well it seems it is not as hard as I thought it would be with the Benefits but we will see lol
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92711)
• United States
23 Jan 10
Glad to hear that gabs. With your health you don't need any extra stress.
1 person likes this
@savypat (20216)
• United States
21 Jan 10
People who live like that have no respect for themselves or others. They just leave their messes in the world and move on. What they don't realize is when you live like that you carry it with you as baggage.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
I tell you Pat I was shocked and stunned I just can not believe it
@lindiebiz (1006)
• Canada
22 Jan 10
Your really have courage to actually take the place if it were me I would not.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
I know that by law he has to get the Place sorted and safe if he doesn't he can be blacklisted as a Landlord so I have no worries on it if it is not right I will not take it as I am not handing any money over until I know the Place is ok
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
25 Jan 10
We cannot simply predict how we are make a living daily but we need to continue besides of any struggle we face in a particular time. I can't conceptualize for what you mean here. I'm sorry for the matter that will be troubling in your mind, my friend. I wish you luck all your ways and do some success in your life...Have a nice day!!!
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 10
Thank you Aerous I am sure it will all be fine once it is all over and done with
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
26 Jan 10
I appreciate your compliment my friend. Have a nice day!!!
1 person likes this
@LeeHolt (433)
31 Jan 10
Well i'm sorry to hear you have had some trouble with that. And I agree, it really is disgusting that people can live in such a state. Now i'm not saying that our place is the best looking, but hey atleast it is clean and doesn't smell! Some people just have no self respect at all. I wish you the best of luck with your move, assuming that the flat is done up ok! Lee.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
31 Jan 10
Thank you Lee the Landlord is getting it done now and my Date to move in is the 1st March so I will be starting to pack very soon
@LeeHolt (433)
31 Jan 10
That can be the most stressing part so I hear, but thankfully i've never had to move yet! One advantage I could see to moving is that you get to sort through all of your clutter and get rid of things you don't need. I would love to be able to do that! I have lots of clutter :) Lee.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
22 Jan 10
I have seen the way some people live and I can't believe it. My brother's house was a mess! He had two dogs and a cat and he would let them go to the bathroom anywhere they wanted! Instead of doing dishes he would just eat out of the pots and then leave them lying everywhere. He was going to lose the house so he just left and left everything there (including the pets) and sent me a letter asking me to take care of everything. I did what I could and found homes for the animals. I couldn't stay there too long at one time because the smell would make me sick! I took the washer and dryer and the fridge, but I almost had to sand blast them before I could use them. My mother's neighbor keeps everything. There is just a path to get to the bathroom. Her son can't sleep in his bedroom, as he can't get to the bed. She has one room that she hasn't been in for so long, she doesn't remember if it's carpeted or not. She has demonstrations like candle parties etc. and doesn't even clean up when she knows she is getting company. In a way your lucky they were such bad tenants. You'll have an almost new apartment! I feel sorry for the landlord though, he's going to have a lot of work to do. Most landlords visit their tenants every once in a while to fix things. You would have thought he would have known what condition it was in & not showed it till they moved out. Moving is such a pain. What a terrible job you have ahead of you! It can be stressful and expensive. It will all be worth it though in the long run.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Goodness both these are terrible specially the Neighbour of your Mum I mean her poor Son The Landlord admitted that he had not been there for over a Year so he won't have seen it till that Night which really is his own Fault so I just hope it all gets done and then I will be on my Way Thank you for sharing this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Jan 10
Oh he will have to as the Housing Benefits and Health Authorities would be on to him as I am registered Disabled he would get into big Trouble lol if he didn't
• United States
23 Jan 10
Good Luck and try not to get to stressed over the move. I don't envy you. If the landlord hadn't been there in a year, that might mean he doesn't take care of things that go wrong. I hope that's not the case. I own my own home and when things go wrong I sometimes wish I had a landlord I could call. Then I remember that some of them wouldn't fix things anyway.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Jan 10
i have rental house and because people have trashed them you have to make a cleaning depoist unreal just to recover what you can but these type of people have in there heads o well it not mine i did't have to pay for it so they trash it after some of the mess that i have to go in and clean it make me wonder why some of these people don't kill themself from just the gas from the rotten food and to top it all off we live in texas and that mean cockroaches if you dont keep a clean house.and keep bug jell out
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Jan 10
Yes here in the UK we also have to pay Bond Money of one Month rent which also will not be given back if the Place is trashed I have that coming back to me from here so it will go to the new Place as Bond Money
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
23 Jan 10
Well in Australia we have to pay a bond of 3 months rent that is held in trust. You only get it back if you leave the place in the same condition you found it. I cannot understand how people would trash a place and lose that sort of money. Still I suppose that some people just don't care and are willing to lose the money. Not me, I always made sure the place was cleaner than when I moved in, if that was possible.
1 person likes this
@jezzmay (1845)
• United States
25 Jan 10
I have some family that is like that. I believe they do not even believe anything is wrong. I do not see how they do it. I fear to go to their bathroom. The smell in one house is awful, it has even gotten on their dishes. I had one in my house and it was making a smell in my house. I had to get it out. Have a great day.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 10
Wow Jezz that is just terrible I just do not know how People can live like that
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jan 10
OK I'm not exactly a neat freak, but when I move out of a place I at least take everything out and leave it swept and vacuumed. Some people really have no respect, I guess.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 10
It wasn't so much the untidiness, it was the smell, the wallpaper of the walls, the Cooker a Disgrace, the bathroom a total mess and things like that what got me
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Hi, gabds8513. I think that the landlord should have had the place cleaned before he allowed you to view it. That would have given you a great impression about the management. It was nice that he apologized and it is great that the agency is putting their foot down to get this place in order. These previous tenants should be punished for leaving this place in this unkempt and smelly order. Once it is all cleaned, sprayed and sorted out it will look nice for you and Gissi. I hope that you enjoy your new home. It is a shame that tenants fail to take care of the place that they were staying in. This makes it harder for the next person whom decides to move into this place. I once rented out an apartment and the landlord, did not bother to clean this apartment up. When I was moving my things into this place, it had roaches and mice. The kitchen was so filthy and there was all kinds of residue of some of everything on the counter tops. The carpet in the front room was very dirty. When my kids sat on it or took their shoes and socks off, the floor left their feet and clothes, so black and nasty! I did not keep this apartment too long. It carried too much of germs. The kitchen floor was very slippery by the door way. There was a leak coming from the kitchen faucet. They fixed this, but the floor was still wet. The cabinets was so filthy. I smelled urine on the counter top. It was just disgusting in this apartment! My cousin was complaining that my landlord needs to get someone in the apartment to clean it up. He did not approve of the condition of this apartment. It was so nasty in there, that I purposely left my two sofas because I did not want to carry any bugs to my new place. My landlord did not clean because she worked out a deal with me. I would have to clean it myself being that she did not charge me an security deposit. But, I still felt that she should have allowed it to get cleaned by her staff. I had to throw away the old tenants clothing and mess!! I will never rent from anyone that does not care about my well being! Where I live at now, is very clean. When I first walked into this apartment, it was very clean. And it smelled very nice. I am glad that your landlord and the agency cared about the condition that this place was in. I hope that you and Gissi will feel comfortable living in your new place very soon. Take care.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 10
Wow Cream that was awful, here by law they are not allowed to rent places out like that and I would never accept one like that either no matter what The Landlord does not live in the Area so the last time he had been there was over a Year ago These Tenants are moving out of there today so the Landlord is going in on Sunday and then on Monday I should get a Date
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
21 Jan 10
I am very happy for you, gabs8513. I hope that you enjoy your new place. This landlord really broke the law. That is why I am no longer a tenant of hers. I can't live in filth. That is not how I was raised.
1 person likes this
21 Jan 10
Hi Gabs, i think its terrible for people to live like that and not even bothering to tidy it when they know someone was going to come round to veiw it, I know my place is not that tidy but if I know someone is coming, I make sure its nice and tidy and clean, I just hope it will all go well for you hun as you deserve to have a nice place that you like and warm, also for Gissi, keep fingers crossed for you. Love and hugs. Tamara xxxxx
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 10
Sweetie there is a difference of a Place being untidy or Dirty, this Place was dirty I mean I have Gissi's Chewies and that lying round here (which hurts when you stand on them you know) when my Children where little their Toys used to be all over the Place, but this was a young healthy Couple who took no pride at all I am sorry I did not ring Sweetie, I was so tired when I got back and all I have been doing is sleeping I am really sorry Love and Hugs to you xxx
22 Jan 10
Hi Gabs, Oh hun, that is ok as I have had a bad day yesterday, I locked myself out and was with my next door neigbour, he was trying to call my hubby at work but no luck there so had to call the locksmith, I didn't settle till late in the evening as was so wind up with it all, so don't worry you needed your rest. Love and hugs. Tamara xxxx
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
27 Jan 10
Sounds as though there is NO excuse for their living condition. Maybe they are leaving feuding with the landlord & doing their best to make it difficult for him to find a new tenant. I pray you're content once it has been cleaned up. I have NO doubt that you will settle in nicely. However, I'm wondering what trials & tribulations will be brought on by Gissi!!! He will be happy to be with Mum & will have an array of NEW places to wander through & check out. I do hope & pray you BOTH enjoy your new home!!!
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
29 Jan 10
Hi LadyM well it might all have to be put on hold but I will see At the moments the problems are setting in that I was dreading and I am getting stressed out over it but I will survive no matter what happens But these People I just could not understand how they live that way
@millertime (1394)
• United States
26 Jan 10
Many years ago, I started working for a gas company in Michigan, USA and I was a meter reader. In the older sections, the gas meters were installed in the basements, so I had to go into 200-300 homes every day to read the gas meter. You would not believe the sights I saw while going into that many homes. It ran the gamut from spotlessly clean homes to people living in filth and garbage. I saw homes that looked like animals lived in them. One basement I remember was exactly that. It's where the dogs lived and I had to tip toe my way through piles of excrement to get to the meter. Another one I remember was filled with dirty clothes. The entire basement floor was covered with several layers of dirty clothes. You literally could not see the concrete floor anywhere. Another had a hole in the floor where a water leak had gone unfixed and rotted right through to the basement. Some homes looked like they never, ever got cleaned at all. I could go on but you get the idea. Some people live like they care nothing about their home at all. It's amazing. After about two and half years, I transferred out of the meter reading department into the street department and worked on underground gas lines. I figured digging in dirt was probably cleaner than going in a lot of the homes I had been in and I never regretted the decision.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 10
Wow Millertime I am sure you could have refused to enter the Places as it would have been bad for your Health Here in the UK I know they can refuse to enter homes like that as it is against Health and Safety Law