For landlords and property managers
A death or serious injury in a unit raises questions about access, belongings, cleanup and what to tell the next tenant. This page takes them in order.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
In order
Wait for the release
Do not enter or clean the unit until the police and the coroner's staff have finished and released it.
Secure the unit
Change nothing, but keep it closed and keep other tenants and staff out of the area.
Talk to the family or the estate
Belongings usually pass to the estate. Agree with the family before anything is removed, and ask your own lawyer if it is unclear.
Arrange the cleanup
Use a company registered with CDPH and get a written scope. Ask them to check under flooring and inside walls if fluids may have spread.
Call your insurer
Before the work starts, so the adjuster can see the damage if needed.
What to tell future tenants
Under California Civil Code 1710.2, an owner does not have to disclose a death on the property that happened more than three years before a new tenant or buyer makes an offer. That rule does not allow a false answer to a direct question about deaths on the property (Civil Code 1710.2).
For a death within the last three years, ask your own lawyer what to disclose.
Staff and shared areas
Maintenance staff should not clean up blood unless your company has the written exposure control plan and training Cal/OSHA requires (Title 8, section 5193).
If blood or fluids reached a stairway, a laundry room or a hallway, include those areas in the scope.
When you are ready, call
You do not need to know what kind of cleanup it is. Say what happened and where, and an independent company that works in the Riverside area will talk it through with you. Hiring them is your choice.
Talk to a cleanup company
Call (951) 518-9569Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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