As a personal assistant to property managers, I end up seeing a lot of the Phoenix area and the properties we manage. Part of my job is to take condition pictures when a tenant has moved out and make sure it is ready for the new tenants to move in. When a tenant moves out, it is interesting to imagine why some items were left behind. I envision conversations like this:
“Honey, where did you put the orange juice?”
“Oh, I thought you drank it all? I didn’t have breakfast because I wanted to get this last load of laundry done before we moved.”
“Okay, well let’s not worry about it. I’m already stressed about moving. I’m sure it is in the fridge and I just didn’t see it”
In my head, this is something that could have easily happened before one of our tenants moved out. When I walked into the newly vacant home in the summer of 2010, I found a bottle of orange juice oddly placed inside the dryer. Let me answer your next question now: yes, it was warm.
This is one of many examples of items that tenants have left behind. This usually occurs when a resident has moved in haste, a couple has broken up, or perhaps just an honest mistake. There is a broad list of items left behind on moving day which can range from dishes and exercise machines to items of a more…unmentionable nature. With that being said, here is a list of the top five items left behind by tenants (I swear I didn’t make this up):
#4: An elliptical machine, fire pit/chairs, a television
I’m not sure about the story with this one, but throughout the multi-level house and in the back yard was left an elliptical machine, an outdoor fire pit along with a matching set of chairs and a flat screen TV.
#3: A complete ceramic espresso cup set
There was also what appeared to be a broken espresso machine with this set. Maybe they switched to drinking tea?
#2: A load of dirty laundry
Yep. There was a load of dirty laundry sitting on top of the washing machine. It looked like it was ready to run through the washing machine and someone simply forgot it when it was time to move.
#1: Full fridge of food and a bottle of orange juice in the dryer
As described above, there was a bottle of orange juice in the dryer, along with a freezer and fridge completely stocked with food. Thankfully, the electricity was still turned on at this place or I’m sure that salmon in the fridge would have been pretty bad to walk into.
This is proof that being in the property management industry means we will always be managing a variety of properties and working with many different personalities. If you have managed a property or moved into a vacant home to find what someone else has left behind, leave a comment below and let us know what the craziest thing is that you’ve found!