Clearing out units

[Sugaree]

I know that probably everyone here either does this themselves, or has a property manager who handles it for them, but how do you handle all the stuff that people leave behind when they move out?  If you pay someone else, do you mind sharing what it costs you and what aspects they do (full cleaning, debris haulaway, etc)?

DH has been offered a side gig clearing out apartments and so far he has enjoyed the work though.  He got laid off last week and would like to see if he can expand this to other apartments/landlords while he looks for something else.  I think he might be underestimating what it really is going to take because right now all he has to do is haul the stuff from the unit to the dumpster and then a cleaning crew from the complex comes in behind him.  He can easily knock out 2 units in a couple of hours. 

[Jon Bon]

What else can he do?!

I would kill for a jack of all trades type. Guys that can think as well as do are hugely valuable to landlords. If he can do handyman stuff as well my guess is he would have more work than he can handle. Clean out personally sounds kind of terrible in what I am thinking. Usually its either 1-2 items or an episode of hoarders!

I would have him reach out to whoever is sending him leads and say hey I am happy doing X Y and Z at $XX an hour and I bet they would probably bite. Good help is really hard to find at full employment right now.

[Sugaree]

What else can he do?!

I would kill for a jack of all trades type. Guys that can think as well as do are hugely valuable to landlords. If he can do handyman stuff as well my guess is he would have more work than he can handle. Clean out personally sounds kind of terrible in what I am thinking. Usually its either 1-2 items or an episode of hoarders!

I would have him reach out to whoever is sending him leads and say hey I am happy doing X Y and Z at $XX an hour and I bet they would probably bite. Good help is really hard to find at full employment right now.

He actually just got laid off as a groundskeeper at another complex where he also did a lot of the light maintenance work.  He's also been the de facto property manager for his dad's rental houses (that situation is a total cluster though).  I think his ultimate goal is to take over his dad's rentals and get a couple more. 

[Jon Bon]

I would call/ask around, see who needs some help. I have a guy that sounds a lot like your DH that I hire out for small jobs a few times a month, and a few big ones each year.

The work he does is valuable, but the contacts with guys who need his services are better.  I would recommend he tries to find some small to medium sized real estate investors and try to do work for/with them. Foster the relationship, then find the RE deals though them if that is your goal.

[K-ice]

I don't need this often and would do it myself.
There could be some value in this service but I am not sure what I would pay.

For a "c" class one bedroom with sofa, mattress etc. I might pay a few hundred if for some reason I couldn't DIY. I'm thinking a few hours work and a pick-up truck full of crap =$400. 

I'd be sure you know the rules in your area. Have the previous tenants been contacted regarding the abandoned stuff?

I'd hate to take on the responsibility of throwing out someone's stuff if I wasn't sure I could.

Your area should have rules depending on the value. How long do you need to store it for? Where are you allowed to dispose of things?  (Should you charge an additional per lb at the dump.)  Can you re-sell some items? Some times this furniture is lease to own from a local store so I don't know how that plays into you getting rid of it.   

I do not even know the rules in my area but I think under $2000 total can be trashed, over that needs to be stored for at least 30 days.

It is an interesting service and, combined with storage and a percentage of sales for abandoned goods back to the landlord, it could be a unique service.  You could even expand for people moving & estates, not just landlords.