The situation
Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.
In a hypothetical early-1900s brick walk-up in central Denver, a building manager notices mail piling up outside a second-floor unit and a neighbor mentions an unusual odor in the hallway. The tenant, who lived alone, has not been seen for several days. The building has hardwood floors over old plank subfloor and plaster ceilings.
- The manager requests a welfare check through the police non-emergency line rather than entering alone. Officers make entry and confirm that the tenant has died.
- The Office of the Medical Examiner takes the tenant into its care. Once police and the investigator finish, the manager confirms that the unit is released and asks how the family can be reached.
- The manager closes the unit, places a towel along the base of the door and turns down the heat, without airing out the unit for days or using fragrance products.
- The tenant's adult child, reached by phone, agrees that belongings will stay in place until a cleanup provider has set aside personal items and photographed contaminated contents.
- A provider, chosen after the manager asks three companies the same questions, assesses the unit and also asks to check the ceiling of the apartment below.
- Contaminated flooring, a mattress and nearby furniture are removed and packaged as regulated waste. Gaps in the plank subfloor mean a section of boards and the plaster ceiling below are opened as well.
- Exposed wood is cleaned, disinfected and sealed once dry. The tenant below is offered a temporary stay elsewhere while their ceiling is opened and repaired.
Both units are repaired. The family receives a box of documents, photographs and keepsakes that were cleaned and set aside, and the manager keeps the disposal records and photos in the building file.
Decision points in order
- Before entry
- Calling for a welfare check instead of using a master key protected the manager and preserved the scene.
- At release
- Asking for the family's contact and confirming release in writing avoided confusion later.
- Before quotes
- Keeping the unit closed limited odor spreading into the hallway and other units.
- During assessment
- Checking the unit below caught fluid travel through the old plank floor that would otherwise have been missed.
- At close-out
- Documentation went to the insurer, the family and the building file.
What helped and what could have gone wrong
| Went right | Common missteps avoided |
|---|---|
| No one entered without responders | Airing the unit for days, which can push odor into shared halls |
| Belongings were sorted before disposal, with the family's agreement | Throwing out belongings before the family was consulted |
| The apartment below was checked early | Refinishing the hardwood over contaminated subfloor |
| Neighbors received a short notice without personal details | Assuming the problem stopped at the unit's own floor |
Building manager takeaways
General information for the Denver area, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.