Vacated rental bedroom in a St. Louis County, MO duplex with a stripped mattress, broken dresser and bagged belongings left by the tenant

For landlords and property managers

St. Louis Hoarding Cleanup: Rental Property Cleanouts in St. Louis

Getting a unit a tenant left full emptied, inspected and back on the market, inside Missouri's rules.

St. Louis and eleven towns within 28 miles
Written price before work starts
Licensed, insured local contractors
Occupancy inspection rules covered

St. Louis Hoarding Cleanup arranges rental property cleanouts for landlords and property managers in St. Louis and the towns around it, carried out by local cleanout crews. A unit left full is a unit that cannot be shown, cannot pass its rental inspection and cannot earn rent, and the cleanout is usually the only thing standing between the owner and the next lease.

Clearing a typical unit costs $800 to $3,000; every month it stays full is a month of lost rent, and in the City of St. Louis the unit still needs its $120 occupancy inspection before the next tenant moves in.

$800 to $3,000 for a typical unit

A rental cleanout around St. Louis typically runs $800 to $3,000 a unit, at the $1 to $2 per square foot published cost guides give for cluttered homes, or $150 to $350 a truckload where the job is mostly hauling. Furniture left behind, appliances that need recycling, stairs and how much sorting the tenant's paperwork needs all move the price.

Get a price: (636) 216-6490

Signs the tenant is not coming back for it

Rent is a month or more behind and nobody answers the door
Utilities have been shut off at the tenant's request
Mail is piling up and neighbors have seen a moving truck
The unit is full but the tenant's car and valuables are gone

What Missouri law says before anything leaves

A landlord cannot simply empty a unit because the rent is late. Missouri's abandonment statute, section 441.065, treats a unit as abandoned only when the landlord reasonably believes the tenant has moved out and does not intend to return, and rent has been due and unpaid for thirty days. The landlord then posts a written notice on the door and mails one to the tenant. If the tenant does not respond in writing within ten days, the landlord can take possession and remove what was left.

Courts read the statute strictly, and landlords who skip a step have been held liable. Keep a copy of the notice and the mailing receipt, photograph the unit before the crew starts, and if there is any doubt, talk to a lawyer first. A court-ordered eviction is a different process, covered on the eviction cleanout page.

Getting the unit through its rental inspection

In the City of St. Louis a rental unit needs a Certificate of Inspection before it is occupied, and rental units are reinspected every three years or at a change of occupant. Water and electric must be on for the inspection. Most St. Louis County cities run their own version: University City charges $60 a unit for a rental inspection, and St. Charles will not let a rental be occupied until it holds a health and safety occupancy certificate.

The inspector is looking for working smoke detectors, reachable electrical panels, clear exits and no accumulation of trash. A unit left full fails on all of them, so the cleanout comes first.

Not sure how big the job is? Describe the rooms and what is in them, and get a straight answer on what it usually takes.

Call (636) 216-6490

Turnover order that saves a week

Notice period runs out, or the court order is in hand
Photographs of the unit as it was left
Cleanout, with anything of obvious value boxed and logged
Deep clean and repairs
Rental inspection, then listing

Questions people ask

How much does a rental property cleanout cost in St. Louis?

Typically $800 to $3,000 a unit, or $150 to $350 a truckload where the job is mostly hauling.

When can I remove a tenant's belongings in Missouri?

When the unit is abandoned under section 441.065: rent unpaid 30 days, notice posted and mailed, and no written reply from the tenant within ten days. Ask a lawyer if unsure.

What are the signs a tenant has abandoned the unit?

Rent well behind, utilities shut off, mail piling up and the tenant's car and valuables gone.

Does the crew keep anything of value?

Items of obvious value are boxed and logged for the landlord, who decides what Missouri law requires next.

Can the unit be inspected while it is still full?

Not usefully. Inspectors need the panel, smoke detectors and exits in reach, so a full unit fails.

Often done together

Eviction cleanout

Clearing what a former tenant left once the court process is finished and possession is back with the owner.
Foreclosure cleanout

Emptying a vacant property after a foreclosure or a tax sale so it can be secured, inspected and sold.
Hoarder apartment cleanup

Clearing a hoarded unit without blocking the hallway, the elevator or the neighbors.

Talk it through before anyone carries anything out

Say how many rooms are affected, whether there is a deadline, and whether anything in the house needs to be kept. You will hear what the job usually involves, what it tends to cost, and how long it tends to take.