Here is how to get rid of a mattress for free. A mattress is one of the things that virtually all low income tenants leave behind. They are also one of the largest and most expensive items for a landlord to get rid of.
If you have been a landlord for over a month, odds are, you have had to dispose of a tenants junk. If you are a low-income, or Section 8 landlord, it is 100% certain you have had to dispose of a lot of junk.
A mattress or box spring costs between $35 and $50 to get rid of, unless you dispose of it when you buy a mattress. There are some companies that might pick them up for free and donate them to a worthy cause, but not mattress left behind in a low-income rental situation. They were probably originally received for free, and even the free pick up folks do not take away the old mattress that are beyond help.
If you have a couch to get rid of, here is a companion post about getting rid of a couch.
I had two queen mattresses and a queen box spring to get rid of; it would have been well over $100 in disposal costs. It takes about ten minutes, maximum, per piece. $100 for 30 minutes of work, I am in!
In my case, I have one last remaining section 8 tenant that I have given notice to move out. She has been with me for several years, and the drama is always there. Extra people living in the unit, using my rental as storage for her friends, extra garbage left outside, etc. But these behaviors are not unique to my tenant; they are common behaviors for many Section 8 and low income tenants.
I had a water leak in the basement that dripped a bit of water onto the floor, and whatever else was being stored there. Luckily, I had a floor drain that all of the water could go to. It wasn’t a lot of water, but two mattresses and a box spring were being stored there by the tenant.
One thing you should note with lower income tenants, when they buy a new item, and need to dispose of the old item, they keep it anyway. Even if the disposal is free, they think they can use the old mattress as a backup. Forget about them spending money to get rid of a mattress. It doesn’t matter that the old one was over twenty years old, and was junk when they got it five years ago, from another person. The number of stains on it doesn’t matter. The fact it has mold, broken springs or support frame, or a torn cover is fine too, for a backup.
When the tenants have a ‘free’ and close place to put it, they just move the mattress there. Like the basement of my rental. I can get rid of things before they move out, on my schedule, or wait until they move out and I have a month’s worth of work to remove it. Forget about charging them money to get rid of anything, they do not have any money. Forget about using the damage deposit, it will be used up anyway.
The first thing you need to do is get the mattresses onto your truck, and away from the rental. I find it easier to drive to my back yard and start the disposal mattress process there, rather than attempt to do it on-site where I might not have the tools that are necessary for the job.
Whether there are bedbugs in the mattress, or not, doesn’t matter; the process is the same. With a bedbug mattress, you may want to let the mattress sit outside for a few days to let the bedbugs run away, if they will. I have taken apart many bedbug mattresses too, if you don’t get rid of them, they sit somewhere full of the bedbugs only to cause you more problems later. It makes me itch as I write this… I have never had an issue bringing bedbugs into my own house, or anywhere else, when I have dismantled a bedbug mattress, but it is a distinct possibility it could happen. Be careful.
Landlord Nightmare: Bedbugs in an Apartment
Generally the tools needed for a disposal of a mattress are minimal. A good quality sharp utility knife and a roll of twine will do it. I buy baler twine from the local farm store. It’s cheap and you get a lifetime supply for not very much money. A pair of decent gloves also helps. With a box spring, a circular saw, or a reciprocating saw will also be needed.
Start by laying the mattress flat on the ground. Make sure you have plenty of room to work around it. You want to move around the mattress, not move the mattress around so that you can work on it. Proceed to run your sharp utility knife all around the entire perimeter, making sure that the knife cuts all the way through the cover. Complete the cut when your knife meets up with the place you started.
You should now have a mattress that has a 360 degree cut around the entire perimeter. Now is a chance to get a workout. Don’t pay money for a workout; tearing apart a mattress is a bit of exercise. Another savings!
Pull off the cover from the top of the mattress. All of the staples should just come loose, and the cover should peel off. A decent pair of leather gloves will help prevent any cuts from a staple or broken spring. The cover really isn’t hard to pull off, once you get started. When you get the top off, turn the mattress over and pull off the bottom cover (which is now on top, since you turned it over…)
When you have done it right, the finished mattress looks like a 100% metal set of springs. I haul these springs to our local recycling center, for a proper disposal where the springs can be recycled into something more useful. Some scrappers will pick up the springs for free, if you call them. If it was a real fancy mattress, you may have a bunch of individual springs, and those are more of a mess.
The box spring is similar. Make sure you are starting from the top side, as the bottom likely has more fasteners on the cover. The thing about a box spring, is the covering is much thinner. Run your utility knife around the edge, just like you did with the mattress. Pull of as much off the fabric as you can.
Notice the tag on this box spring, still attached. Never remove a mattress tag from a mattress, unless you are disposing of it. It is a violation of federal law. I know people that have went to jail for a long time because they took a tag of a mattress! (sarc)
You may see a piece of cardboard or other light platform after you remove the top fabric. Next, pull the bottom fabric off, just like the mattress. The corners typically have a plastic piece stapled to them, which takes a stronger pull to remove.
Once you get all the fabric off, you should have a wooden frame, similar to this one. From there, just get a circular saw, or a reciprocating saw, and cut it up. If you use a circular saw, it will have a bunch of kickback, so be careful.
Bring the springs to a recycling center, or sell them for scrap. Stack the wood in a pile, and burn it, or dispose of it. Roll the mattress covers into a nice small roll, tie it up with twine, and dispose of it in a regular garbage barrel. You get a workout, and save $100+.
Proper Furniture and Mattress Disposal
Here is a method of getting rid of a couch without costing your landlord anything. This is preferable to leaving it in the garage for your landlord to dispose of at the landlord’s expense and time.
The moral of all this? Next time, get better tenants.
Are you a landlord that has had to get rid of a tenant’s mattress? How did you do it, and what did it cost you?
Are you a tenant that has left a mattress behind for a landlord to get rid of? Did you get charged for it?
Great post. Mattresses are a hassle to toss and this breakdown will be useful!
Thanks for the comment!
Whenever I do this, I always think I have better things to do with my time. And then, thinking about how much money it takes to get rid of them, I go back to skinning them out and recycling the carcasses (the old trapper mentality I have…).
I truly love how it’s the “low income” tenants that leave furniture behind. Even more interesting; you’re the “low income” landlords. Or what we used to call “slumlords.” You assume these items are left behind because “low income tenants” have purchased new beds. I find your comments both repulsive and insulting. A PERSON who does not have unlimited access to money does not make them less than a HUMAN BEING. Most importantly; people considered “low income” often are disabled or seniors.
Be proud of your words that are demeaning and another way for landlords/property managers to look down on the people who fill your property as well as your wallets. Again, this very much reminds me of “slum-lords.”
There is so much pride in that title. Not enough for me to tell my children “grow up and speak ill of people who have less, better yet… Grow up and control the roofs over their heads.
Do slum-lords have conventions yearly to speak negative of your own tenants as well as how to take advantage of the elderly and disabled?
Enjoy your time taking apart mattresses and getting paid. However, wouldn’t of been kinder to help the “low income tenants” for a small fee and still getting it disposed of?
(PS: Do you actually take it apart or your maintenance worker at minimum wage?)
Thank you for reading!
No where do I say all low income people leave mattress behind. It is definitely a risk for low income housing landlords. It is not looking down on people to realize the fact that mattress are a problem that needs to be dealt with as a landlord. It doesn’t matter the reason it is left behind.
I, and many other landlords, do help tenants by taking their mattresses apart. I charge $50 per piece that I have to dispose. The charge is in the lease, the tenant can get rid of it on their own, or let me use the deposit to get rid of it. Since I have upgraded my tenants base, I no longer have mattresses or old furniture left behind.
There is a reason there is a shortage of low income housing. It is not profitable.
I did catch those phrases being repeated and sensed his underlined bitterness. Oh well.
Thank you for reading!
Nothing is meant to be disparaging, however getting rid of mattresses is a fact of life as a low-income landlord. That is just the way it is.
Thank you for putting this dick head in his place
Thank you for illustrating the entitlement mentality that is alive and well in the USA. I would encourage you to work hard so you can better yourself, and get the chip off your shoulder.
Jacque, thank you so much for your words. I was thinking them myself. I live on a very small income of $700 and therefore live on Section 8. I have lived in the same place for 12 years and I treat this house as my home. I a very clean and neat and have had landlords who have used me as an example to other tenants. I lived in my last home for 7 years and when I had to move because I needed more room the owner actually wanted me to move into his huge, beautiful home that he was going to sell because he knew I would take care of it. Every place I have lived was in better shape when I left than when I moved in. I deeply resent these “slumlords” and/or landlords who look down on those of us who can’t afford to own our own homes and who group all into the categorie that we all are lazy, filthy, irresponsible and worst of all, not worthy of anything.
I rented 2 different homes when I was first starting out and I also took care of them as if they were my own and was very clean. Just like Dianna, I also left them better then when I moved in. Unfortunately we are very much the minority. I have now been lucky enough (and worked very hard for it also) but recognize that many things went my way that for others haven’t. So I’m lucky enough now to own my home, and have had 2 different properties that I have rented out for many years.
I am in the process of selling the last of my rental properties and will never buy another property to rent again. I have rented to many tenants, attempted to manage the properties myself, and also hired several property management companies. After 10 years of attempting to be a good (non-slum-lord) owner, I have become convinced of one thing. It is pretty much impossible to profit from renting property.
I understand the view of those who are renting being frustrated that the money they pay in rent is gone forever so they assume that the owner is making lots of money taking advantage of less privileged people. This view is usually wrong. People can choose to live responsibly and clean, and organized regardless of their income. These are habits of living. I have never once had a single tenant that didn’t leave the place with so much damage and filthiness and old junk behind, that it cost me much more than every dime I ever collected from them to make the property livable again.
It’s strange to me that everyone can see the side of the tenant who expects that a home be in immaculate condition when they move in, but thinks it’s fine for them to leave the place in a condition that they would never consider renting. Dianna and I are rare people. All life is precious no matter what your circumstances are. However, although I am blessed enough to have the option to own a rental, I unfortunately am not blessed with enough to subsidize their life so that they can take advantage of me and abuse my wallet and property and then expect me to be ok with it.
In the 10 years I have been a landlord I have fixed everything that ever broke and even allowed renters to skip rent from time to time to get caught up on other life situations, I have gone out of my way to show human kindness to every tenant and EVERY time, the favor has been returned by a financial slap in the face. I collected 20,000 in rent from my last tenant over the course of 3 years of leasing to them.
When I chose to not renew their lease because of the way they were damaging my property by their living habits, I gave them 3 months notice, and they still thought I was wronging them. They stopped paying me thinking that they shouldn’t have to pay for the last 3 months they planned on being there until the end of their lease. When I explained that they would be evicted earlier then the lease expiration if they did not get current on their rent payments, they refused to pay and filed a law suit to delay their eviction. Luckily the court date was set within 2 weeks and the judge saw no logic in their complaint that they should be able to stay without paying simply because they did not want to leave. They were removed within 3 days of the court date, but they made sure and leave behind all their junk and additional damage that I would personally categorize as vandalism.
I completed the repairs about 2 weeks ago. It cost me $29,853.00. I’m sure they think that I had a party throwing hundred dollar bills in the air with the $20,000 that I so greedily collected from them over the last 3 years. The reality is that I have never once made a dime but have lost tens of thousands of dollars over the last 10 years that I have attempted to rent to ungrateful self absorbed, entitlement mentality oriented people.
I will now pay myself rather than attempt to help people who do not want to help themselves and can only see things through their own pre-judged glasses. When this house sells I will be down thousands and thousands of dollars from what I put into it. Owning a rental is NOT an investment. It is an attempt at charitable human kindness and love toward those who are not in as blessed of a situation to be able to buy their own home. Unfortunately most people who rent refuse to learn good and proper habits of living that will ever improve their situation in life and hurts those around them to the point that they drive away the very hand that is trying to help them.
I am done with it. My sincere thanks go to the author for sharing some good advice on saving me from even deeper losses that my last tenant has tried to inflict upon me by leaving their old mattress behind.
Thank you for reading! Great story!!
I am a senior and disabled. I take responsibility for items when I move out. I take pride in making do with what I have. Amen
I see very few seniors and disabled in line at the food banks. These usually are the ones volunteering to serve those in need. I see more people who need to be out looking for a job and stop asking for a hand out. I get angry when I see the same people with multi kids keep asking for food to feed them. They need to get off their lazy ass and go to work. They should be required to do volunteer hours in exchange for free food. They are never short on money when they need beer or cigarettes. And some use drugs, they always have money for things they want and their priorities are all messed up.
Don’t fuss at the landlords who have to come in and clean up the mess low income leave. They are the ones who show no respect for other people’s property, to lazy to take out trash and only move what they WANT when they go. Leaving the mess behind for someone else to clean up. I spent many years working with these people, one of them was my sister. Trust me I know first hand.
Thank you for reading!
There was a time when there was no welfare as we know it today. People had to work. With today’s environment, no one has to work any more. And there is an outrageous entitlement mentality that will eventually bring the country down. There is also a blame game, it’s always someone else’s fault for a person’s misfortunes, even though the person has not put in the time or effort to succeed.
Well said! I am a Section 8 tenant and I have NEVER left a property in less than prestine condition. Even when “the slumlord” did nothing to fix any of the maintenance concerns. Like roaches in the walls, screen repairs, a/c repairs, etc.
People are always looking down on Section 8 clients whether they’ve done anything to deserve it or not! I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 30, a single mother of 2, starting nursing school. Then my world changed. It was not my plan in life to become disabled and to need government assistance. And I certainly didn’t ask to be judged and ridiculed simply for needing help. So thank you Jacque for standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves.
Thank you for reading!
You are in the small group of Section tenants that do that. If all Section 8 tenants were like you, there would be a line of LLs waiting to take them. Unfortunately, most Section 8 tenants have to call like 50 landlords to get one that might accept the program.
Maybe if a Section 8 tenant would have to give up some money, or mandated to work to pay damages, Section 8 would be a more accepted program.
Right now, the LL is just out when the property has thousands of dollars in damages.
I know seriously! Fking poor people. They suck and are so stupid. I would just die if i had to be a slumlord and deal with them.
Thank you for the comment!
Unfortunately, that is a bad attitude to have. While it is near impossible to make money with low income housing, unless you run it like a slum lord, there are certain habits that you will have to deal with. Getting rid of a mattress is one of those things. Dealing with bed bugs is another.
All of these comments are not about getting rid of mattresses. They are about your attitude towards and about “poor” people. Delete this post and start over. Leave out all of the comments about what other people do. I was looking for info on who to contact about a mattress pick up, not this.
Thank you for reading.
It is an article about saving money as a landlord. And it helps landlords that need help getting rid of mattresses, which is a common thing for a low-income landlord, and landlords in general.
You need to die if you landlords thinks all you can do is talk stupid of your tenant whereas you are the fool. What do you do with the $500 or more deposit you collect from the tenants and increase the rent every six months?
Thank you for the comment!
If you think that the cost to remove a mattress is the only cost for a tenant that leaves a mattress behind, think again. Holes in doors, from punching, are common. Or broken refrigerator shelves. Or a very dirty apartment, ruined carpet, etc.
I wish it was just the mattress. And I get more than a month’s rent for a deposit. With better tenants, I am used to sending it all back.
Thank you for reiterating how a lower quality tenant thinks!
I’d be classed as a lower income tenant and I’m here looking for advice how to get rid of my mattress, so I don’t leave it behind. I also don’t live like an animal, and will be leaving this place better than when I started. Why all the sly remarks about poor people. Being poor doesn’t automatically make you a scumbag.
Thank you for reading!
Congrats on taking action to get rid of your mattress. I agree, being low-income does not make you a scumbag. And I would be that your credit score reflects a more responsible person than many other low-income people.
Getting rid of a mattress is part of being a low-income landlord. Far too many are left behind. Hopefully this advice will help you be able to get rid of it.
Not all low income peopple are durty and the only stupid one is you for talking down on people you suck
Thank you for reading!
No where did anyone ever say that low income people are dirty, but they often have the habit of leaving a mattress behind for the landlord to remove at the landlord’s own expense.
I do want to thank you for illustrating the importance of proper tenant screening.
Gee, did you ever think of trying to HELP any of them? My father made millions in the rental business but he knew a struggling soul when he saw one. He would take it to the dump himself for the person. Kind of makes you go hmmm doesn’t it?
Thank you for reading!
Why not hold tenant responsible for their actions? How much did your grandfather pay to take it to the dump? In my City, it my be $25 for each piece. Plus the time and gas.
Maybe you can start a business taking away mattresses? Only charge the people that can pay. They would help many people out, including me.
Very true! I bought a high end home and, as it turns out, the sellers left the home pretty filthy after they moved out. No matter the income there are some people who have class and some that don’t. The saying, “You can’t buy class” holds very true. I’ve met my fair share of disgusting pigs with high income.
Thank you for reading!
When someone leaves a home, they often do not do as good of a job cleaning as they should. A homeowner does not have a deposit to be refunded…
You are what’s wrong with this world.
Thank you for reading!
I am not 100% sure who you were responding to, but based on your attitude you are likely a tenant I would like to avoid. Thank you for helping illustrate attitudes of people to avoid renting to.
Sorry to necro.. I’m also low income and there is very definitely a tone in your article which implies that low income earners or section 8s are dirty, disgusting and live in their own filth; particularly the part where you suggested we just keep old things for free as a back up – did it occur to you that we keep them because they’re expensive to get rid of? Why speculate, its not enough to just say that it happens? You need to denegrate people with your own myopic opinions.
I also came here looking for an alternate way to dispose of my mattress – since I’ve been storing one in my stairwell for weeks (it’s not free space – its part of the tenancy i pay for) and cannot afford the fees for disposal, but I’ve been left very disappointed with the attitude of the writer and some of the commenter’s.. no one chooses to be poor because they’re simply lazy!
I am educated and have worked most of my life. I have never taken more than six weeks maternity and at times worked two jobs. When our child was diagnosed with a disability I had to quit work to see to his needs because his father simply earned more money and we have no extended family. After a work injury my ex went on to ruin my credit rating, develop an addiction to drinking, pain meds and gambling; and worse develop a predilection for physical abuse which ultimately sent him to jail.
I was then evicted when my landlord got a divorce and needed to take possession of the property to live in.. despite paying $410 per week for 5 years (aus, not US) my status as an unemployed single mother saw me basically blackballed from every agent in my area. I only bring all this up because I didn’t need to have all this happen to me personally to believe that it could happen to anyone, i was raised with empathy. You see despite my clean tenancy record; my ledger, references and property report, I was up against this perception that only stupid, lazy and dirty people are ever down on their luck.
That this could only happen to someone like me because I was cooking up meth, laying on my ass and churning out babies with anonymous men for welfare cheques. People like you perpetuating these negative stereotypes are directly impacting the lives of already struggling people so perhaps next time you write a ‘no nonsense’ article you can save your nonsense for yourself. Reserve your personal commentary on the motivations of the poor for the pub or upgrade your property to suit a better class of tenant if income is the issue.
Honestly I don’t want anything for nothing, but if YOU are paying for other people’s disposal because they cant afford it (and yes – unfairly leave it for you) perhaps it’s in YOUR best interest to petition councils in your district to provide a pick up service on behalf of people like your tenants.
Thank you for reading!
Most peoples problems can be solved by looking in the mirror. When I read your post, I see that is exactly the case. Rather than have someone else pay for the mattress disposal, including the city, I would rather see a fee put on new mattresses that include disposal. Just like tires.
Remember, the ‘city’ does not have it’s own money, it’s someone else’s money.
I have found the best way to avoid having to get rid of a tenants mattress is to take quality tenants.
The art of mattress disposal. I like it!
Mattresses are expensive to get rid of, and bulky. This is the best way I have found. I have literally gotten rid of a hundred mattresses and box springs. Of course, throwing them in a bonfire works too.
It’s not that expensive, 15.00 for a mattress/box spring. I take it you don’t want to pay that much. The thing is when you are a landlord you have to keep up your apartments. I don’t want to own a house anymore, but I don’t like bugs or living any kind of way if I am paying my rent.
Thank you for the comment!
Here in MN, it is at least $25 for each piece. I just had a tenant put a mattress and box spring in my dumpster, and I was charged $50. I have seen it even higher at $35 when people put a mattress or box spring in a roll-off construction dumpster.
Getting rid of mattresses is not the landlord’s responsibility, but it often becomes one when a tenant moves out and leaves their junk behind. In MN, I have to hold onto the mattress for 28 days. Even if it has bugs…
The tenants usually pay you deposit money which is twenty times more than disposable mattress fee and you still increase your rent every year. Why are you complaining. Tenants are not stupid but the grid landlords. Do you think a rich person will come to rent your shady apartments? You build it for poor people and you are getting money from them. That’s the only way you can rent your apartment.
Thank you for the comment (again)!
I generally rent to Class A tenants that can buy a house in a year or two, if they want. A person moving up in life will make a great tenant. A person who has peaked may be a problem. That is why I think credit score is a prime indicator of tenant quality.
Why would a tenant leave their old mattress? Who wants their old mattress? If they cannot afford to move it, they do not belong in my apartment.
Are these people N***ers?
Thank you for reading!
Low quality tenants come in all races. High quality tenants come in all races. You need to understand how to screen out the bad ones, in a non-race biased way. It is easy. Based on your comment, I assume you are a low-quality tenant and one that must be verified by a background check so you can be excluded.
Actually, I make 100k a year and my wife makes up half. So, low-income? I think not…
I would think someone in that capacity would be more civilized to know that race is irrelevant in a landlord forum. There are many ways to uncover a bad tenant ahead of time, and race is definitely not one of them.
Perhaps in the music industry, such as you are in, it may make a difference. A black man such as yourself, should be refraining from that type of language. I guess that your $150K household income, when you are living in Oceanside, CA, evidently does not bring you up to have a civilized attitude.
I love how-to posts like this. I am crossing my fingers though that I either never have to deal with this, or can find someone to deal with it for me. I’m not scared of the work…it’s the bed bugs.
LOL. Bedbugs are just like roaches, except harder to see. I have had previous tenants with them, and it is always the low quality tenants. I may have to write a post about getting rid of roaches.
I think you should write that one next too.
Really?. Only the low income tenants huh?. Clearly you know nothing about bedbugs. They can be anywhere, five star hotels even. They don’t discriminate based on income. Clearly you do and think you’re better than everyone else. Get off your high horse!
Thank you for the comment.
Yes, all income levels can get bedbugs, but some income levels are higher risk. If a renter picks up furniture on the boulevard, purchase a used mattresses, staying with people that have those habits, they are higher risk. factor in clutter, and you have a hard time getting rid of the bugs.
So, if you think those habits are across all income levels, you are correct. If my assumption is that those are low income habits, then my premise stands.
My husband and I were paying $2650/month for what was definitely NOT a low-income apartment. We make about 12 times the maximum income to qualify for Section 8. We got bedbugs from the apartment next door, which was occupied by four foreign tech workers here on H1B visas. They were living there before we moved in. We had to burn everything in our apartment, break the lease, move, and start over completely because our deadbeat landlord refused to take care of a known bedbug problem that existed before we even got there!
Than you for the comment!
Bedbugs are not necessarily a low income problem, but they are a low income habit problem. And you can get them from living close to, or visiting people with those habits.
Low income habits? You are a disgusting human being and must be a very miserable person.
Thank you for reading and confirming my observations about the connections between low income and the high probability of a landlord getting a mattress left behind. You would definitely be a high-risk tenant to avoid.
It would make sense for you to volunteer to help landlords clean out ‘affordable’ apartments after a low quality tenant has been there. You can count the mattresses as you haul them away. If more people like yourself would do that, it would make renting to your type a bit more profitable and provide much needed affordable housing.
You shouldn’t be a landlord, you have no respect for your tenant. Scary
And what makes you say that? Because I expect tenants to get rid of their own junk?
I know somebody that had bedbugs from a brand new mattress that was delivered. It had been in the warehouse of a furniture store. The lady who bought it made $145,000 a year. Go figure! Kinda blows your comment out of the water
Thank you for reading!
It can happen, especially if the delivery truck is used to pick up old mattresses, or if the ‘new’ mattress was a return. It would be near impossible to have bedbugs on a new mattress. I stand by my comment.
I hadn’t even ever considered breaking down a mattress. Thanks for the tips. I see a lot of mattresses for free on Craigslist but I certainly would never touch them with a 5 foot pole.
Good idea… Used mattresses can be OK, but there are a lot of potential issues. If I was in desperate need of a mattress, I would only use one from a high-end neighborhood. All too often, mattresses in low-end neighborhoods get discarded due to bedbugs or are unusable for other reasons.
It’s better to break them down, and recycle what you can, than throw them in a ditch somewhere.
What timing, I actually have a box spring that I need to dispose of asap, since we moved our kids into bunkbeds and don’t want to store it for the next few years. Great post, and thanks!
Thank you for the comment!
Mattresses and box springs make poor souvenirs, you are better off getting rid of them. Sell or discard them.
Okay, I’m no landlord, but I wanted to donate my mattress and it was going to cost me around $35. Instead, I sold it on Craigslist for the same amount. I’m not saying I would buy a mattress on Craigslist (I would not), but I am certainly willing to sell mine if it makes sense economically.
Thank you for the comment.
Craig’s is a great way to get rid of stuff, even on the ‘free’ listing. I have given away a lot of items that I would never thought someone would want. But most mattresses left behind in a rental are not fit to even give away…
Great advice to get rid of a mattress. People never think to break things down for better disposal. In my town you can throw out bigger houshold items once a month for free.
I like your idea on how to remove mattress properly. It is cleaned and precise way of disposing. And I know it must be very helpful to everyone. Thanks for sharing this. I will share it to my friends.
Thanks for the comment Hannah! It can save a ton of money, compared to calling two men and a truck.
Great tip, as usual. I love thinking of creative ways to get rid of things. I’m not sure if you will think we are crazy or resourceful, but we have been slowly getting rid of all the landscaping rock around our house. They are really small rocks that don’t look that great and really need to go. We’ll replace with mulch. But the resourceful thing is this: we have been slowly getting rid of it in our trash can. A few shovel-fulls a week. Every week! I checked with the garbage company and they are perfectly okay with it. We are fine with slowly changing the landscaping so I think it’ll save us some money versus paying someone to haul it away.
That works. I am doing a small landscape job too. I have been throwing my rocks in the woods…
A while back I had a friend who needed rock. I gave him about a ton of rock. He needed it, and I didn’t want it. It worked for both of us. And I delivered it.
OK, when I saw the mattresses on the back of the pickup truck, I thought the “tip” for getting rid of them for free was to just drive really fast on the highway without having them tied down!
This is genius! Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for the comment!
I have never tossed them on a highway, or other place. I have burned a few.
The Salvation Army in some cities will pick up used mattresses, with some exceptions – see below from their website.
“Mattresses and Box Springs. The Salvation Army does sanitize these items; however we cannot accept mattresses if there have any tears, holes, structural damage or stains”
Thanks for the information. Mattresses are very expensive and bulky to get rid of. The best recycling method, for anything, is to put it back into use for its original purpose.
I thought this might be legitimate, but when I got to the part about tearing the label off a mattress being illegal, I knew the post was a farce. Let me tell you this: Pulling a tag off a mattress and/or box spring is a bad idea if you ever hope to resell your mattress. If your bed is under warranty, tearing off the tag WILL void the warranty. However, it is ABSOLUTELY NOT ILLEGAL!!! You will most definitely NOT GO TO JAIL for tearing off the tag of a mattress you own!!!
Thank you for the comment!
That was a bit of sarcasm in the post. Next time I will try to slow them down for you…lol
I asked my realtor for advice on getting rid of our old CA King-sized mattress set since we are moving soon; it’s nearly 20 years old and bedbug-free, but we just don’t want it and it is impossible to donate mattresses and toilets (because they might not be “low-flush”) in our state. The realtor had a great idea: 1-800-GOT-JUNK. We schlepped it to the curb and voila! Gone.
Btw: I once put a settee on the curb with a sign that said “Free.” Not only did it not move, some kids tried to set it afire. So, I put a sign on it that said “$10.” It was “stolen” within hours. Just sayin’.
Thank you for the comment!
Yes, there are plenty of ways to get rid of a mattress if you want to pay. I have seen a minimum of ~$25 per piece, or even higher. Craig’s is a great way to get rid of things too.
our 30+ box spring is on the second floor. Remembering how we got it stuck in the stairwell when we were much younger, we think we need to cut up the boxspring upstairs and bring the parts down. (moving bed to a first floor room and we replaced the top mattress with a select comfort years ago) Any thoughts on the best saw to cut up IN PLACE so we dont make a horrible mess? A handsaw sounds like a real pain but might be the only option….
Just found your site, going to read more. our trouble is a deadbeat commercial tenant right now. UGH!
Thank you for the comment!
I would use a circular saw, or a reciprocating saw. If you have a patio door and a deck, throw it off the balcony. I have done that before too. Once the cover is off, it’s easy to see what needs to be cut.
thanks! Hubby wants to use his Sawzall—sounds scary and messy to me. Only doublehung regular windows upstairs. I said lets at least put down old sheets or something for the sawdust!! Very good tenant info here….and your straightforward writing. have more to read!
Thank you for the compliments! Don’t worry, it will not be too dusty.
Thank you for this helpful article. I took one apart today that our tenant left. It would have cost me eighty dollars to have them haul it away because it was so large. (They charge by the cubic yard here.)
I cut it apart just like shown and have the parts tied up and ready to go out to the garbage!! Springs are by the curb for scrap!! It only took me a little over an hour. Thanks again!!
Thank you for the comment!
I am glad I could help. I have taken apart probably 50 mattresses and box springs so far. It really saves. I am not sure why everyone doesn’t do it. It’s really pretty easy.
If I could make a suggestion to you, it would be to delete this post and rewrite it. Except next time leave out your personal opinions and job related frustrations, because that is not professional. “Section 8 and low income families” shouldn’t have been written into this post anywhere because the purpose of this post was to “get rid of a mattress for free”, or am I wrong? You even stated that “they probably received the mattresses for free, that no charitable organizations would want their used mattresses, and that they didn’t have any money anyways.” What you are doing is stigmatizing these individuals. And essentially you and like you call them, “section 8 and low income families”, are doing the same thing…saving money. You don’t want to spend the money to have it disposed by someone else and you said so yourself that “they don’t have any money anyways.” Your cultural norm would be to dispose of your belongings yourself, but maybe their cultural norm is that they can’t. Everything we know as human beings is taught to us through social interactions. You were possibly taught that it is okay to throw a mattress into a bonfire, whereas maybe someone like…a firefighter wouldn’t agree with you because a lot of mattresses have been made with a product called formaldehyde and is flammable and bad for the environment (oh you might piss off some environmental activist by doing that too!!) So as a favor to yourself and the rest of us who stumble upon garbage information like this…delete the post and rewrite it. Or you may find yourself in 2014 where social media could turn something like this into a complete nightmare for you.
Sincerely,
Institutionalized Deviant
Thank you for the comment!
This is mainly a landlord advice blog, and getting rid of a mattress and other junk is a common thing for landlords. Especially if you have Section 8 and low income tenants. So, landlords need to know how to save money in disposal, and account for that when they buy low income properties. The profit has to come from somewhere, and the risk also needs to be included. That is why most low income housing is best left for the Government to provide. It is near impossible to make money renting to low income families unless you are getting government subsidies.
I am not stigmatizing anyone, just stating the facts. I would guess a low-income person or Section 8 person, with a 650-700+ credit score, would be a great tenant. Unfortunately, they are difficult to find.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking!! What a D bag. I knew immediately he was an old white middle class dude with a plethora of stereotypes to dish out. Awful post.
Thank you for the comment!
This is a prime example of why it is important to screen tenants. Your attitude is one that a landlord definitely wants to avoid. Thankfully, with solid credit score criteria in place, most tenants such as you can be avoided.
In addition, your comment is extremely racist with a plethora of stereotypes about “old white middle class dudes”. In the future, you should refrain from your racist attitudes, attempt to get a job, and make something of yourself. In the USA, anyone can be a millionaire if they work hard and have enough ambition.
Thank you for the example!
You are a f**king jerk. Piss off. The scum in this article is you. I hope yours kids enjoy your sh***y karma.
Thank you for your well thought out comment.
Originally, I was going to delete it, but I decided it does provide some value to the many landlords here. I can only assume you are a person that has left a mattress for your landlord to dispose of, or threw one in the dumpster where you live. Generally, rental places with a dumpster frown on mattresses in the dumpster.
Your comment does indicate the entitlement mentality of many lower income (and low credit score) renters. Not every low-income person has a low credit score, but if they do, they are double trouble. I suspect that a low-income person with a 700+ credit score would be OK. Your credit score is an indication of whether you keep your word with people you owe money to.
Failing to properly dispose of a mattress, and leaving it for your landlord, is common among this low-credit score crowd. In virtually every household such as this I have rented to, I have had to get rid of several sets.
Thank you for helping all landlords understand the mentality that they are dealing with. I can’t even imagine what your attitude is during an eviction…
If a tenant cannot afford a unit, with at least 3.5x the rent in income, they are a tenant that is better suited for a different property, or a lower rent.
The name of the site in NO nonsense landlord! Im a landlord of several section 8 properties and the owner of this site is not only spot on, he is being gentle. Stereotypes are not just made up for no reason, section 8 tenants are generally have low IQs and not much consideration for others. Your comment about “cultural norms” is laughable and dangerous. Does this cultural norm excuse include white people or only poor minorities? My cultural norm is to call you a brainwashed liberal.
Thank you for reading!
When someone has a cultural norm of leaving their mattresses and messes behind for someone else to clean (and pay for), it’s time to clean up the cultural norms. I find credit score to be a great indicator to a predictor of this type of behavior.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. 1) I know how to get rid of my kids’ old bunk bed mattresses. 2) Where I live, nothing in your post was wrong. Absolutely 100% true. People can get mad all they want, but if the shoe fits….
Thank you for the comment and compliments!
People that have no experience as a landlord, often think they would make the best landlords, and also have the most advice. Yet, if they were really that great, they missed their calling.
Thanks for the post – it is exactly what I was looking for. Also, thank you for the gracious way that you have answered those who have found fault in your observations. I know a good many people in low-income housing, and while there are certainly those who would never leave things behind for others to deal with, the fact of the matter is that many often do.
I did not find what you said to be stigmatizing folks – just stating the practical fact that, as a general rule, landlords have to deal with these realities.
I have been a landlord one time (of a single-family home in a nice area), and hope to never do that again. I’ve also been near poverty when the economy went south on us. Most of us, from poor to so-called “upper middle-class” need tips now and then on saving some money – and I thank you for the advice. 🙂
Thank you for the comment!
Unfortunately, life as a landlord is not always easy. And sometimes very expensive. Far too many renters do not realize that an extra mattress costs quite a bit to get rid of, and no one will take them away for free.
I am glad I could help.
Yesterday I took a mattress to the dump for disposal and was upset about the $12.00 disposal fee. Especially since some SOB dumped this set on my property to start with. I drove out of there and decided to dispose of it somehow other than the dump. I already did this with a box spring but not a mattress. I will try this process and see how it works.
Thank you for the comment!
It is a great way to avoid fees, save a bit of the environment by recycling the springs, and get rid of the mattress. The box spring is the hardest part, compared to the mattress, you have already done most of the work of the disposal of the set!
This is a great DIY. I had my mattress stored in a clean sealed shed for 2 years. As clean as the shed was, a rat still manged to get INTO the mattress. I learned this as I went to move into my new place and smelled the terrible stench. I must say I’m a little grossed out to have to do this, but I know that the rat is beyond dead and decomposed by now. I’d rather suck it up than to have to pay upwards of $100 for other services here in California.
Thank you for your comment.
It’s a pretty good hourly wage when you think about it. I know I can save/make at least $1 a minute, after taxes! And you can even feel more green than if you dumped the entire mattress in the dump.
Excellent common sense idea. I googled “Where can I trash a mattress” and this post was the 3rd hit, thankfully. I am the tenant in this scenario soon to be moving and I certainly have to fight the ‘poor-man’s mentality’ I was raised on. if not for this idea, i most likely would have ended up leaving a pair of broken box springs behind for the landlord to deal with. After reading the article i immediately tore them apart and it took less than an hour using only a hammer and box cutter. Now its time to google some crafty way to repurpose the wood from them.
Thank you for visiting and taking care of your mattress! It’s a nice small workout, and a green way to get rid of the mattress and box springs.
Thanks for the idea of tearing down the mattress. I was thinking of dumping in the dumpster at the brats apartment complex. Then her brother advised against it. #1 – brat would get into trouble if I was caught as I would be using her truck. #2 – would have to dumpster dive to retrieve if caught by security.
Found this webpage on google searching for dumpster aternative.
Thank you for the comment!
You never want to dumpster dive to get back your own stuff. Only do it if it is real good stuff from other people. And never do it for a mattress either.
On one note, you do have good advice on how to get rid of a mattress, on the other hand it is completely offensive and rude.
I myself am a Section 8 tenant in a very nice building. I’ve always worked and continue on bettering my life, I don’t collect old junk, I don’t bring in charity items in my home, simply because I don’t know what it’s been through…
Being on Section 8 doesn’t make you scum but it makes people scum that categorized and look down on others. You don’t know what everyone’s circumstances are. Some are on Section 8 until they can afford rent on their own and are doing so with no help what so ever. I know of other good CLEAN successful people who have had it until they no longer needed it and now doing better financially and got off program.
It doesn’t boil down to Section 8 tenants and just boils down to the type of person period, section 8 or not. I myself am getting rid of mattress simply because of downsizing and was looking for the proper way to do it and not throw it out on the curb as you stated “us section 8” people would do. But some people never grow mentally and still stereo type no matter what age. Its understandable a lot of certain types do the same things but We also have to understand it still isn’t everyone of that kind.
Thank you for the comment! I am glad you can use the information I provided to dispose of your mattress.
You are correct; Section 8 is just a program. There are good people on it, and bad people. Overwhelmingly, they are as a group, high-risk. But it is not due to their being on Section 8. There are just as many, or more, not in Section 8 that are high-risk. You can see what an expected return should be in that category of neighborhood in this post.
Providing low income housing is a high-risk venture for a landlord. Efficient mattress disposal will save a landlord a lot of money. There will be mattresses left behind if they have C and D properties.
If you read my posts, you will see that I use credit score as a major indicator of not only payments, but behaviors. Low credit score people, by definition, have already screwed people by not paying their bills, and will have no trouble doing it to their landlord.
I assuming you have a 650+ credit score, which would indicate you fall into the above average score among renters. Anything below would be below average. Credit score and income are not connected in any way. A credit score is a terrific way to objectively categorize people into different risk categories.
I have posted two other comments on here but have something more to add. I am a section 8 tenant because I was injured in a motor vehicle accident and went on disability. I had 4 children at home and was working two jobs because I didn’t want anyone “taking” care of me. I coached all my girls in sports until they entered high school and did all the scouting activities with my son. When my accident occurred I was unable to work and therefore my credit suffered until my disability came through. My habits and attitudes had nothing to do with my credit score or why I’m on section 8. I am responsible and respectful of others and their property. I went on this website to find a cheaper and or easier way to dispose of a mattress because I don’t and won’t let others suffer or pay. Your tips were very helpful and I appreciate them. I’m sorry about your many bad experiences but would like to say that there are other ways to judge whether or not somebody will be a good tenant. Check references, not from a family or friend, you could also charge an extra deposit for mattresses that might be left behind. If they vacate and take the mattresses great, if not you have the fees, can still take them apart and then you’re ahead and could use said funds for something else.
Just saying, credit score and section 8 don’t make the person
Thank you for reading!
You are right, credit score and section 8 do not make a person, but there are limited screening criteria that are legal to use. Credit score is one of them. A low credit score tenant is high risk, every time. A landlord may get lucky, but they are high risk.
Man some of you have a poor attitude toward people. I understand you may have been wronged, but wow. Poor you every job has its downside. Stop and take a minute to appreciate what you have and pray for the less fortunate.
Thank you for the comment.
It is not a poor attitude towards people. It is trying to mitigate the risk of owning a rental. All people can be good, and most are, but there are certain things that a landlord needs to deal with and they happen to be mattresses. It is a low income habit to leave mattresses and other junk behind, not a high-income habit.
Knowing this, a landlord needs to avoid low income people that cannot afford to remove their junk, or build into the price the cost of mattress and other junk removal. It raises the cost for all renters. That is why there is very little affordable housing. It is much less profitable to rent to them. That is why it is important to be able to weed out the good and not as good renters by credit score. A low income person, with a good credit score, will be a great tenant.
With as many advocates for low income housing there is, if a hand-full of them would help low income renters in their move out clean ups, it would go a long way.
Thanks for your Post and Comments! Very entertaining and true. I was a section 8 renter for many years and had the mentality of the landlord has lots of money he can pay for it although I never left stuff behind and always tried to get my deposit back! I would see what others in the complex would do. I am now on the Landlord side and have considered renting to section 8 because it pays higher than average rent, but for me I’d rather have my place taken care of by tenants who have pride of being there and make less per month. Like you said not all section 8 tenants are self absorbed or feel entitlement. And there are no Stereotypes only Facts of Experience in these posts, I don’t feel anything is made up. It’s all TRUE which makes it pretty damn funny to read.
Thanks no nonsense landlord for keeping it REAL!
Thank you for the comment and confirmation of my experience.
Far too often people see the “Rich Landlord”, and do not see the person as someone struggling to keep costs under control and make a living like everyone else. Section 8 is an excellent program, however the average Section 8 tenant is a nightmare to deal with.
Have been keeping a mattress in our basement and wondering where I should take it. Cut it up today and drove a few blocks to a recycling center and threw the springs in the scrap metal dumpster. Thanks a lot for your post.
Thank you for the comment and great job!
It really is not that hard, and you get a good ‘green’ feeling. And you save yourself a bit of cash! Use that savings to help you achieve financial independence.
Thank you so much for this advice! I am taking a bed off my mother’s hands as she has downsized her home. We always turned in our mattress when purchasing a new one. Never have had to get rid of one on my own. To all of you that are upset about the way this article is worded- I feel sorry for you and your sense of entitlement. Being a landlord is a business. He does not owe you a place to live. There is a very high overhead cost associated with running a rental property.
Thank you for the comment and confirmation!
I am glad I could help you out.
Regarding the section 8 defenders — people who don’t understand statistics think that believing a certain group is more prone to bad behavior is the same thing as believing everyone from that group is a bad person. At least, they’ll make that argument if it defends their group from being considered low status.
Thank you for the comment!
Great points about the difference between a statistical analysis and a stereotype. All people are different, and Section 8 is just a program. Unfortunately, the risk for a bad tenant is great in the Section 8 program.
I am a landlord too, with only 4 units. Of these, one tenant is a Section 8 tenant whom I inherited when I bought the building. She happens to be a great tenant: has never been late with the rent, quiet, etc. But I have screened out other potential tenants on income, credit score and related grounds because I need this investment to make money and support my ultimate retirement, not to be a continuing source of hassle. A tenant who cannot afford to pay rent, or who wants to have me rent to too many people for the apartment, simply presents a big risk as problems in other areas of that tenant’s life will likely leak into his or her rent payment, and any time I need to evict, I’m losing a lot of time and money. (My building is in Southern California, where eviction is always an expensive pain).
Thank you for the comment! Great job on getting 4 rentals!
Evictions can be very expensive. I always figure it costs a minimum of $5K. $3K in lost rent/vacancy, another $1K in legal/court fees, and $1K to repair.
You are great! You tell it like it is. For all the folks out there, what this guy says . . is true. It is refreshing to hear the “not so politically correct” side of life. I have a news bulletin for all the sugar coating and cover up that “politically correct” gets us . . . . . . Its not the truth. My family owns investment real estate. We have purchased foreclosures, remodeled, rented and networked with hundreds of people who have done the same. Everyone is on the same page; low income housing is not the problem, it is the people, not the homes. There I said it. By the time a ‘landlord’ gets done with the people who “run game”, throw the lease into court because of reasons that did not exist expecting free rent for six months (and getting it), trashing the apartment up beyond recognition, sending the cracker scout to rent (turning the apartment into a crack house after they move in and then the building into crack building, all 24 units) let me ask the low income people out there one question . . . do you actually believe the ‘slum lord’ makes money at this point. Do you believe that the ‘slumlord’ does not wake up at 3 am in cold sweats realizing that this nightmare is not a dream . . I give props to the low income people for one thing and one thing only . . you know the laws of the state and city code better than any attorney that I have ever met . . . and with that knowledge . . . . you run game. Yes you do . . you run game on the landlord like there is no tomorrow. After the drug dealing, running girls (cause they are addicts), the dice games, the cooking (it ain’t pasta), not ever paying rent (except the first month), and the friend who slipped on the sidewalk (who never even visited the property), the student loans taken out to pay for the new furniture, the new Chrysler sitting out back that is six months behind on payments . . . . this is the short list of things that are believable . . . . Oh and the one you would never believe . . . . the home loan for 100,000.00 that got refinanced by your cousin and appraised by your uncle for 250,000.00 when real estate went up in 2004-5-6 and running game for 150.000.00, living in the home, not paying anything for a year and a half until the sheriff showed up . . . . I have a statement to the low income housing person . . . . who says that what I just said is a fallacy. . . . .the truth is . . . either your the person running game, who says “don’t hate the playa, hate the game” or your the person who turns the cheek and says “you have to do what you have to do”. Now you have run into the owner who is no clown. I am real.
You know that I know the game and you do not have anything to say to me. What I am talking about is not a conversation, it a statement of the facts. This is being real & “politically incorrect”. There are those of you who are the 2% of the good people, who raise kids in this mess and when the shots ring out at night, your actually in bed so you can go to work in the morning. You have to live here, but not forever . . . . I will say this, move . . . before you get used to it and it becomes the norm. This is not normal. And one word of advise, don’t ever introduce yourself to anyone as a low income person . . ever. You just validated it. Have a blessed journey moving forward.
Thank you for reading and the confirmation!
That is why credit score is a great indicator. Generally, a higher credit score means a person is a higher caliber renter. They are generally good for their word. If they say no one else will be moving in, they will abide by their word.
There are many great people in all income levels, but to maintain the highest profitability, stick to better income levels and higher credit scores.
Thanks for the tip…even if the article was very creepy and classist. Wow. My slumlord just stole our deposits and doesn’t even have the money to pay us back now. We could get a lawyer but…I would almost pay to not deal with her at this point. I shouldn’t even clean after what she has done. But I am anyway. Maybe Im a sucker but she has a small child and somehow that makes me want to try and make things easy on that kid any way i can.
Thank you for reading!
How can your landlord steal your deposit if you are still living there? If you do not clean, she will certainly deduct from the deposit.
The best money you can ever make is returning your rental as clean and un-damaged as when you moved in. Getting rid of a mattress yourself is a lot cheaper than having your landlord do it. Far too many people want someone else to pay for their habits. Hopefully, you are not one of them.
My wife and I rented an upper duplex for 5 years while we saved up for a house. I fixed many things (including appliances) that wore out, replaced the water softener because the landlord kept promising, but wouldn’t ever get it done, mowed the lawn, cleared the drive of snow, even fixed stuff for the tenant in the lower unit because the landlord wouldn’t get it done. I basically treated the place as my own and never was late on a payment, ever.
When we moved out, we left the place cleaner than it was when we moved in and we painted all the walls, just to be on the safe side. We had to take the landlord to small claims court to get the security deposit back. Not all landlords are noble, hard-working people, believe me.
Thank you for reading!
You are correct. Some landlords spend your security deposit, rather than save it.
Youre incredibly offensive. If you dont like section 8 tenants…. dont let them in your building. I shouldnt have to scroll down 4 pages of you being a bitch for me to find how to get rid of a mattress.
Thank you for reading!
This blog is about landlording for profitability. Not how to get rid of a mattress for free. It so happens that getting rid of a mattress for free is a great help for landlords that have low-quality tenants.
Most Section 8 tenants are low quality, but I have said in many other posts, Section 8 is just a program. Screen the people, not the program. Look for higher credit scores, which will indicate a higher quality tenant.
I do not take Section 8 tenants, as it is too much effort to find the few good tenants that are on the program. Since very few landlords take it, maybe 1 in 40, I would be overwhelmed with calls and showings, only to have the person not qualify.
Very interesting comments!
I don’t think bed bugs are a problem here but I hear in the US they can be. My Mum lives there (apt in Phoenix) and they are now living out of boxes because of bed bugs. Landlord hasn’t fixed anything and the standard of living is terrible. Thankfully they are moving next week even though they had to break the lease.
In the house we are in, its essentially falling apart. Very frustrating because yes we are low income but we pay our rent on time, we don’t damage property, we keep it tidy. Our rent is the same as other houses in the area which are much nicer. We have a broken window (due to a windstorm), non working air conditioner (found out after we moved in that half of the power switches weren’t working?!) broken stairs, rotting shower (landlord used wood in his renos!) and he doesn’t care to fix any of it. We will be out of here soon because the landlord has sold it to a developer. So you know nothing will be repaired. When we moved in, they promised to fix the stair and replace the gates within two weeks! Fours years later…. Still I bet they’ll want it in display home condition when we leave just for it to be knocked down.
Being low income here means your options for properties is minimal even though you pay the same as your neighbours, though we do get govt assistance it shouldn’t matter. We shouldn’t be treated poorly because of our ecomomic circumstance.
So I know there are dodgy tenants, low income or not but dodgy landlords are very common in my experience. Maybe they don’t think we’re worth it? If we had more options we could speak up more. I can understand why low income people may be bitter. If we left the house as we rented it at the start it would be dusty, unclean pantry (this happens a lot) and bottle tops all other the yard. Yes the last tenants damaged much of the house and the landlord fixed as much as could to be able to rent it out but it certainly wasn’t in perfect condition like is expected at every inspection. We can’t even have a clutter for inspection. (Clutter defined as spice racks and appliances in your kitchen!) Its very unbalanced power structure based on classism for sure.
Thanks for this article. We are discussing how we will get rid of old mattresses (we are planning to replace when we move).
Thank you for reading and contributing a great comment!
Lower income people do indeed have it tough. They have to live in sub-standard housing as it is all they can afford. Landlords avoid them as they are typically harder on the property than a higher-income renter and are higher risk.
Typically, lower income people live in high-crime areas, another disadvantage. Stores in these high-crime areas charge higher prices due to increased expenses due to shoplifting, higher taxes, etc.
The best thing you can do to help clean up an area such as this is to report all crime that you see. Call the cops as often as you can. Make sure you are a good witness if you ever see a crime. Sooner or later the bad folks move away, or get put away. It really is that easy.
Awesome tips. I’m going to break down my mattress. Thanks!
I love your responses. I’ve had many rental properties and the people talking smack are EXACTLY the ones that leave the crap behind. Funny thing is… I am dismantling my own mattress and was looking for ways to do it (I did the box springs before I moved and took mattress with me, then bought a new one). It never occurred to me to leave my mattress for someone else to deal with lol. Great article and GREAT responses! Free cell phones for every voter!! or something…
Thanks for reading!
I like the ones that somehow it is justified to leave the landlord with a bunch of stuff, as the tenant cannot afford to get rid of it. Yet the worst tenants ALWAYS have a top-end phone, big screen TV, and plenty of things to spend money on other than rent and getting rid of their stuff.
lots of detailed info on what to do with unwanted mattresses. in TX you can not sell them after they are used so this info is very helpful thank you.
Thanks for reading!
I am glad you could use this information.
Sorry you’ve had to deal with crappy tennants AND commenters. You never made a statement sound like fact, you said “most” and tried to give head warnings on what to expect.
As a lower income person, I try to avoid what you have legit complaints about, hence why I’m looking up how to break apart a mattress and not leave anything behind. Thank you for seeing that not all of us are crappy people. Lol
Thank you for reading!
There are good (and bad) people in every category. It does seem to be that many lower income people have an entitlement mentality and that landlords have deep pockets that can pay for their mattress disposal.
That is why low-income housing needs to be priced just a bit higher. It doesn’t make sense, but a landlord need to re-coup the added expenses from somewhere.
How dare you down talk human beings like that. I grew up dirt poor, but was raised with a sense of pride and dignity. You are the tea scumbag here buddy. Good luck when you get your ass handed to you…
Thank you for reading.
As always, comments like yours show others why it is important to screen tenants with effective methods. Quality tenants do not leave mattresses behind for their landlords – no matter what their income level is.
Joey, how dare YOU act like you know what this person is about based on a post and some phrases written within. You’re a class A coward. Nobody speaks like that in public , only cowards post junk in comment sections because they could never speak like that face-to-face. I know people who grew up “dirt poor” and they have more manners and more respect then you’ll ever have because you’re a hater,…. and a coward. Cowards get their power from anonymity of the web. This writer even answers his critics with respect,…. you don’t need to grow up rich to know who’s the honorable person and who is making foolish negative ASSumptions.
Thank you for reading!!
There are far too many people like this person that think it is the public job to give them a handout. I always like to include the comments, as it shows what a landlord can be up against. Imagine if that was your tenant, and you were evicting them.
A landlord is far better off letting these people live in government housing projects, where they can be pampered and making money is not the housing projects goal.
How typical,….you give some good advice based on legitimate experience and knowledge and a bunch of COWARDS who hide behind “posts” feel it’s their duty to call you names because you pointed out some FACTS !
Hey negative posting scumbags,…he never said YOU, or ALL,…..he told the truth and said SOME low income people do certain things. Shut your pie holes or go post your negativity some place else. Nobody wants to read your whiny baby crying. If it wasn’t for low income housing managers there’d be much fewer places to live for a many lower income people and families. Nobody asked anybody to be a social conscience on this post. If you don’t like the info,…..change the channel ! And take your ridiculously foolish and improper comments with you!
Thanks for the GOOD information. Ignore the name callers and other morons who have nothing better than to seek out a word or phrase and try to make it encapsulate everything the speaker is about. There is nothing politically incorrect written here just a bunch of losers sharing their hate and negativity. They’ll be just as bitter tomorrow,..and the next day,…and the next day,…… as they search the web for things to slam and whine about.
Thank you for reading!
You are 100% correct. Just because a landlord doesn’t want to wipe a tenants butt when they move out, some people are offended. After a few low-quality tenant experiences, I just wait on a better quality tenant.
I find your post offensive. I grew up dirt poor. You talk about low income people as if they are cockroaches.
My mother receives section 8. She is one of the tidiest and most respectful tenants. When her landlord sold the property she made certain my mother would still have the place with the new owner. She also visited my mother last Christmas.
Poor does not equal low class or dirty. Being poor does not equate to being inconsiderate or lazy.
Attitudes like that are the reason why my mother can’t find an apt close to me…no one will take section 8 bc of stigma. Meanwhile she is non smoking, has no pets, is quiet and tidy. Great references. She just happens to be POOR.
I think you should rephrase some of the things you say and remember the people you are talking about vary just as the middle class do. Some people have a harder time in life.
I happened to be poor growing up. We were evicted. I ate in soup kitchens. Now I am very nicely gainfully employed. I always have paid my rent on time. I never left a mattress or anything else behind.
Thank you for reading!
I too grew up poor. People do not take Section 8 as it is so hard to get a good tenant that is on it. It is just a program, and I am sure your mother is a great tenant and has a solid credit score. You may not have ever left a mattress behind, but I can assure you, many low income people do. As you get higher on the income scale, it is less likely to happen.
Hey there no nonsense lol you are absolutely right.
I grew up very poor I have been busting my ass my whole life. I broke up with my wife my family has 3 apartments and a small cottage I rent. Now before I moved into the cottage which is behind the 3 tenant. The cottage was in rough shape from letting people trash the house.
Unfortunately my mom and her husband rented to anyone I have been living here for 6 years “the rug I put in is still in good shape”. I say that because the apartment house apartments have had so many rugs put I’m I’ve lost count never mind the doors people punch because poor them there poor well I’ve seen probably 20 tenants and most have a loser boyfriend who claims he can’t get a job they collect welfare and some work under the table. It is usually the 2-month rule now mind you apartments fresh paint new rugs no lead I say no lead because that’s another issue I will get at later. Example kid girl kid girl going to school but boyfriend 23 riding his bmx to go buy a dime how do I know he told me so two months goes by then there short a hundred then it all begins.
No pay rent then you have to evict which cost my mom so much money never mind the holes they put in walls with fist nails tacks then coloring walls what else sneak a cat in after you tell them no animals it’s nothing but a nightmare these. One girl was claiming her daughter couldn’t talk anymore because of the lead damage well we had the place tested thank god funny thing the longer she scammed there I mean lived there same thing her daughter’s lead levels went down. I could go on and on and on reading your comment about that mattress made me mad because I know exactly what you mean it’s not just a mattress and the funny part you give some their money back and they leave all kinds of shit.
This guy who was living on third floor decided he wanted to put smart plugs in the house and paint the walls semi-gloss we said he could paint but he decided he would paint with trim paint on the walls I had 5 gallons in basement so he could freshen it up not change color fucking moron.
I should have known better as it is people think painting you just paint no sand nothing so it is a mess. So anyway he never put back the wall plugs so now there are wires hanging out of wall everywhere among other things big ass old tv in basement big air conditioner he painted the heaters with house paint took the shower head no mini blinds he took those he called my mom and said he cleaned it and he wanted his security back it was clean but burn holes in rugs looks Luke fingernail polish on rugs to I mean he is nuts. I’m so pissed now he works under table and collects welfare so he has no excuse he is just a fucking asshole.
How many low income people really make no money not all of them they are just scammers some of them. So I can relate to what you say. Now I’m not a landlord just a guy who is getting buy who is caught I’m the middle of this disaster house. And the rent is cheap that’s the funny part they just don’t give a fuck.
Thank god we have someone on first floor who is good and my rent other than that my mom would lose this place because of these so called low income people who are not all so called low income I would call them the reason why welfare gets a bad name.
One other thing these people act like they are the victim it’s like pay your fucking rent asshole you work get welfare for money food and your methadone that’s not good enough they prey on old people because they know how to manipulate the whole system the court let’s people who don’t pay rent stay in your house it’s fucking crazy the landlord has no rights the market crashed the housing Market well if people don’t pay to live when they get money to then who protects the house owner.
Thank you for reading!
It’s amazing the people you meet as a landlord, especially if you rent to low quality tenants. It’s a completely different species of people…
You’re sure making a lot of assumptions about us “low income tenants”
We’re not all like this but thanks for the generalizations – you must be an old white male Republican
Thank you for reading!
Your generalization clearly shows you are a racist and a tenant to avoid. Thank you for illustrating (again) the mentality of tenants that a landlord needs to be able to deal with. Someone looking for a handout, and when they do not get it, they claim racism. Claiming racism, where none exists, is a larger problem in America than racism itself.
If you read my post, you will see that it is a common habit of low quality tenants to leave mattresses and other items behind. So a landlord that has these types of tenants needs to charge more in order to make money.
That is why so called ‘affordable housing’ is in short supply. It is near impossible to make money on it.
In order to improve your life, did you graduate from High School? Join the military? Avoiding having kids before you could afford them? Avoid associating with drug dealers and users? The source of a persons problems can be found by looking in the mirror.
If anything the comments are reacting to your classist views, not bringing up racism. If you would like to know what classism is here is a definition: “the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class.” But now that you brought up race, thanks for sharing your views that the “someone” (I assume your mean a person of color) are just looking for “handouts.” I was shocked at how bigoted your article was, but your comments take that bigotry to a whole other level.
Also, you make it seem like it’s so easy for a low income person to improve their lives, but blatantly ignore systematic policies that disenfranchise lower income people.
I am sure you are going to reply with a note about how I am a person with an attitude that you want to avoid as a landlord or maybe I have a low credit score! But really, this has been an enlightening reminder to people about landlord attitudes that I would want to avoid. I both own rental properties and I rent, and would never express such judgement and generalizations with my renters or as a renter. Renting is a business transaction and as with any successful business, it is best that you keep your personal views to yourself.
This could have been a simple post about mattress disposal, but turned into a platform for you to share your sweeping generalizations about low income people and those people “claiming racism” and looking for “handouts.”
Thank you for reading!
As always, I appreciate the comments. I am not saying it is easy as a low income person. I came from poverty myself. I am just saying that if you rent to low quality renters, you will have things like mattresses to get rid of. That is part of the territory, like it or not. And you have to have that built into your budget. And if you can get rid of them cheaply, it saves you money.
It’s too bad the renters leave them behind for me to even have to write a post like this…
Karma will get you & everyone else on your side. Your problem is communication & understanding. Instead of belittling these people you hate so much why don’t you kindly teach them how to do certain things? I mean these people you talk about are humans too. The amount of figures in someone’s paycheck does not make them a clean person. My ex’s family OWNED a big house in the suburbs making money legally, donating $1000 to their high school & even had their name painted on the bleachers. They could afford anything but the inside of their house is trash & the man of the house was regularly high off heroin. (not my first time seeing rich slobs)You are so closed minded that all you care about is money. If that’s how you’re gonna look at life you will have no one at your funeral. There’s plenty of rich people out there that hate people like you. SO CLOSED MINDED! When I was in school the drug dealers were the rich kids that openly admit to using hardcore drugs. Stop judging a book by it’s cover, more like stop judging people based off income it’s ugly.
Thank you for reading.
I do not judge people on income, other than to qualify them. Leaving mattresses behind is mostly a low-income habit though. People with higher credit scores and enough income to get rid of their mattresses generally do.
Before you judge, yes I did live on welfare. Your problem is #1 communication skills. Ask someone how they got to where they are. America is not made for the wealthy the world is diverse, period. My parents escaped a genocide & traveled to 3 different countries to get here. We didn’t ask to be here, a few years later my dad is shot & murdered outside our house my mom was left with 6 kids to raise on her own barely speaking english. She manged to get be a US citizen & get her driving license. I’m working on business ventures like there’s no tomorrow.
Thank you for reading.
I am not judging, however you seem to be… The world is indeed diverse, and diversity is no excuse for leaving a mattress behind for a landlord to get rid of.
I do appreciate the advise on proper disposal but I don’t see how the multiple suggestion that ” low – income ” people aren’t capable of being responsible
Thank you for reading!
I do not believe I ever said ”low – income ” people aren’t capable of being responsible”. I do say that low quality renters will more likely leave things like mattresses behind. A landlord that rents to these types of tenants needs to be able to factor that into the rent and damage deposit.
All you keep saying is low income tenants, what’s your Damn problem ! You rich or something. You can get what you have taken, so don’t down low income peoples. That shit ain’t right !!!! PEACE
Thank you for reading!
Unfortunately, leaving mattresses behind is a common thing in the lower income rentals. A landlord needs to be able to factor that into the cost of renting. It would be nice if a government agency could pick up the mattresses for the people, so the landlord did not have to do it. Or maybe add the cost of mattress disposal into the cost of a new one, like they do with tires. That would help quite a bit.
Everything you said is spot on; I just parted ways with a “low income” roommate. He gave every excuse in the book – including the “my debit card was stolen”, which I’m sure you’re familiar with. I would always pay our landlord early without him ever asking – I’d be very ashamed if he had to ask me for the rent. Him? It was constant work on my part to get the money from him. So when he moved out early (didn’t finish the lease like he said he would), he left me a present – a stained old mattress and box spring along with a few other items. Thanks for the info.
Thank you for reading!
There is definitely a correlation to low income tenants and low quality tenants. And a correlation to low quality tenants and leaving mattresses behind. A landlord, or even roommate, need to understand who they are living with.
In the time it took to read through the comments, I found a home for the mattress my youngest no longer wants. LOL
As a renter, I can attest to the veracity of the poster’s comments regarding low-income housing.
Perhaps there is classism and bias in his post. I certainly think so. However, he’s not wrong. I live in a $1200 per month apartment next to a low-income building. In the past I’ve lived in a low-income housing complex. There is a difference between these neighborhoods and the “nicer” ones. The lawns are different, the parking areas are different, the trash areas are different.
I don’t know why people think it’s okay to leave bags of trash outside the door or on balconies instead of taking them to the dumpster. I don’t know why people think it’s okay to drag a cat-clawed, peed-on sofa to the curb and leave it there. I don’t know why smokers fill their entries and balconies with cigarette butts. I do know people do these things far more often in low-income areas than in nicer neighborhoods.
I have a good credit score, which took me years to repair after a disastrous divorce. I am a single mom of three. I don’t have a big screen TV. Heck, I don’t even have cable. I have a good job. But I’m definitely not in a position to buy a house or move to a nicer neighborhood.
Thankfully, I have a landlord who doesn’t tolerate the kind of behavior listed above. He just had the parking area graded and pressure washed the building. He has the dumpster locked because of our neighbors. It’s a pain to take out the trash in the winter when I forget the key, but it’s a decent trade-off to have a landlord willing to screen tenants and invest in maintenance.
I do think there is classism and bias toward me as a lower income member of society, but I also recognize the statistics behind that bias.
Anyway, I do appreciate the how-to for mattresses and box spring disposal.
Thank you for reading and confirming my post!
Great job on repairing your credit. It is near impossible for a landlord to make money on low-income housing, even when rent is paid by the government. As you can see, there is a LOT of extra maintenance involved with that crowd.
Maybe because that was their lifestyle they learned from their country. If you traveled or watch people travel the world you would know the way of life is different everywhere you go. All you prejudice people need to take a step back & realize everyone in the world is raised differently. You don’t know how rough someone’s life is not everyone was raised the “American way.” So what IS the answer? You TEACH them what they should know or just don’t become a damned low income landlord. No one made him be in that position he put himself there so I feel no remorse because it is VERY BLATANT that this was a article he used & abused to take all of his anger out on about these people y’all can’t stand! Reply all you want I’m not gonna waste my time on here anymore.
Thank you for reading.
I agree, it may be because the people have not assimilated. They came from squalor, and are used to living in it. Then, when they get a nice apartment, they do not know how to take care of it. It’s gets ruined, and they do not even recognize the fact, as they are use to things being broken. Many people, and many nomadic people, are used to destroying the earth and moving to a new section when the land is barren. The same with apartments. They ruin the apartment, and move out, leaving their mattress behind.
The same can be said for people that are used to lying and cheating people their entire lives. In some countries bribery, corruption, lying and cheating are the norm. You cannot get by without he practices, and it is expected of you. That is where having a solid credit score is necessary to help mitigate the chances of taking a tenant that has a poor record of honesty.
Also, I hope you know that there are a lot of white people that are also illegal immigrants they admit it’s easier to blend in here. Not all immigrants are colored.
Thank you for reading. This post has nothing to do with immigration status.
You keep going on about how credit score means how shit of a tenant someone will be. I’ve had a terrible credit score ever since I’ve turned 18 because I’ve had medical problems and no health insurance. Don’t blame me, blame this shit country where we are one of the only (if not the only) first world industrialized nations to not guarantee healthcare to all people. But fuck me because I’m poor, right? I should have to go in debt and not get an education because my parents had no money.
Thank you for reading!
It’s too bad you cannot take any personal responsibility…
I did not say that a credit score absolutely means a bad tenant. It means that they are a high-risk tenant. For a landlord to make the most money, they need low risk. Often people health problems come from lack of exercise, failure to wait a day or two before going to the ER, or failure to have an emergency fund. There are plenty of social programs to get free healthcare, especially for children.
Like it or not, medicare care cost money. We need to see how to reduce the cost of education. Teachers could be required to teach for 4 years after college, in order to get free college. Perhaps teaching at minimum wage for 4 years after they graduate would make education more affordable, and there could be more doctors.
Getting rid of pharmacists, and let people order any drug they want from the internet when they think they need it.
Here in the USA, anyone can be a millionaire, if they have enough drive, determination and ambition.
So where the fuck is your drive, determination, & ambition? NOWHERE!
Thank you for reading.
There is plenty. Have you ever taken apart a mattress?
Sweet article. I didn’t want to leave behind my mattress like a bum but wasn’t really sure how to get rid of it. Considered cutting it up but was nervous I would make a bigger mess. Definitely a big help brah.
Thank you for reading!
I am glad I could help!
Hey how do I get the springs out of the actual mattress without making a huge mess. My mattress has some kinda fluff around the springs
My mattress was worn out I live in the country so i burnt it with brush and leaves and stuff burnt really quick.
Thank you for reading!
That is definitely a great way to do it. I have burned many myself. The newer mattresses you have to burn at night, so they do not smoke as much.
Lots of snobbery and assumptions on the part of landlords here. I bet those same “poor people” you complain about would have plenty to say about you landlords. Not every Section 8 recipient is a trifling, watermelon-eating moron. But you know that, of course.
Thank you for reading!
You are correct, “Not every Section 8 recipient is a trifling, watermelon-eating moron.”. There is a high number of them that are low-quality tenants that make landlording difficult. Worse yet, are people that have been kicked off Section 8. A landlord needs to know how to identify what makes a bad tenant, independent of their assistance program.
Hi,
I’d just like to say that I’m impressed by the manner in which you respond to the comments “No Nonsense Landord” . Very even and measured haha even when being sarcastic. I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I’d have made at least one silly post while annoyed at a “personal attack” comment and then regretted it the next day. So kudos !
In regard to the post, Thanks for the mattress disposal techniques! I may follow this guide soon. Though, I’ll just throw in that I’m more on the commenters’ side about there being a few too many pokes at low income renters whether the pokes are accurate or not 🙂 Doesn’t seem totally necessary for the “getting rid of a mattress” topic.
Thank you for reading! I will take your comment as a compliment.
As always, each renter is different. It helps to know how to save a bit of money and be a bit green at the same time. And who knows, maybe the mattress springs will wind up being recycled as a hellfire missile and kill a terrorist! Another bonus.
Oh yes, the first part was meant as a compliment. An even / professional manner is definitely a good trait to have. Apologies if it was ambiguous
Thank you again!
We have flipped house and would have loved to have this advice before we toted some mattresses to dump.
Glad, I found your website great tips.
Thank you for reading Marisa. I am glad I could help. I have saved a lot of money taking the mattresses apart. And got a bit of exercise.
A fine assortment of whiny losers posting here who have never been in your shoes but can tell you to get off your high horse. They complain that you generalized all low income people as filthy (which you didn’t ), then they turn around and generalize all landlords as evil.
Thanks for the info.
Thank you for reading!
As you can see, the entitlement mentality is alive and well for many tenants.
your comment only prove more forward that landlords are pieces of shit here you are on a site conspiring against tenants wow get a life
Thank you for reading! You have also demonstrated the reason why being a landlord to tenants such as yourself is very difficult and should be avoided.
You sound exactly like a bully in grade school. Was your reply for your ego? It seems you were the type in school to follow the cool kids instead of being an original individual having mediocre visuals. You’re a bitch, kys.
Thank you for reading.
It’s too bad you have a bad attitude. You really should understand the dynamics of running a business, and know that when a customer creates damage, they are not a good customer. Leaving a mattress behind is a great example of creating damages for the landlord.
Worked great for me! Just did it this morning. No recyclers in town, didnt have the heart or budget to take it to the dump.
Thank you for reading!
I am glad I could help. It’s a great workout and makes you feel like you helped the earth out just a bit. The springs can be recycled.
As I renter I normally just drag it out to the units BFI bin and dump it there. Easy for me. Plus I get to buy a new mattress and those things feel great.
Thank you for reading!
I am sure the landlord has to pay a good price for all those mattresses to be disposed of, but I would do exactly what you are doing. Maybe it saves them money, because they get rid of them sooner, rather than have a bunch left all over.
Thank you for reading!
Those are great ideas!
I have a similar problem but wonder if sometimes it’s more about knowledge rather than just not caring.
I live in a multi-family set of condos that includes affordable housing units owned by the county. I’ve noticed most of our neighbors in these units are perfectly fine tenants, but some just don’t know how to live in a building without a super or someone else who fixes stuff. I mean this literally – no one has ever told them how to replace the battery in the smoke detector themselves, or that the trashmen don’t take away bulk items. I wish we had a way to get the information to them, something humorous maybe would work better.
Other people – of any income – don’t realize what can and cannot be recycled. So they put all kinds of stuff in the recycle bin. Great intentions, bad results. Also people are always hauling something large out to the dumpster but I think they just assume it will be taken by large trash pickup. Unfortunately it is not. It just sits there, and only people like me – an owner who reads letters from our property manager – know it costs $100 each time to pay a guy with a truck to come haul it off to the dump.
This place is mostly middle class with many owner-occupied units and a nicely kept grounds. Most of the affordable housing folks appreciate this and some are just on hard times, but we do get a couple who cause trouble. Often it’s the boyfriends who are the trouble all the way around. Some of my downstairs neighbors were here in the affordable units for 15 years and never caused trouble except a bad patch their teen son went through, which any kid might have. But then we have the other lady downstairs who never bothers to let the condo management know if there’s a leak until it’s a huge damage. Is she lazy or not know what to do? Or just not care? It’s hard to say when she does not end up paying any part of the price – maybe she never gets TOLD that cost will end up increasing her rent. Now we have had a flooded building with $350,000 in water damange and can’t get insurance without a huge annual fee. This means all the rest of us – including the other affordable units – have to pay more in condo fees each month.
It would be great if the property had a designated place to put mattresses, chairs, toys, etc. that someone else might want, or that need hauling away. My friend’s apartment complex had a place like that and it made a lot of sense.
Right now we have a huge mattress blocking one of our dumpsters, for whatever of these reasons or laziness or whatever. Too bad they didn’t just post it on Craigslist. Why is it people always manage to haul a mattress or a sofa out on the day it’s going to rain? sigh
Anyway my point was, I am thinking of the larger problem and how to solve it:
o Information or an orientation might be needed (for those who just don’t know differently)
o Realistically, everyone needs to get rid of large items, especially when moving, so how about a system to handle it
o And yeah, humanizing everyone, including the “landlord” aka all us other working neighbors who will have to pay the extra fees, would help
Thanks for the pix of the mattress breakdown. I wondered if that was possible and maybe we will have a solution here for the rest of it.
Thank you for reading!
Some cities and apartments take away large items, otherwise there are trash services that pick up junk. Many mattress places will take away the old ones. When you have’stuff’ to get rid off, it costs money to get rid of it. There is no free ride.
your post was really helpful thank you for all the info I am not thanking you for being racist against people that don’t have money I am one of those people that don’t have money I have never left the house with a single thing in it in fact I have shampooed the carpets vacuum the carpets painted spots that need a painting in those normal wear and tear areas and that would be up to you landlord. so there is good people out therewith no money or on section8 I would really appreciate it if you would not talk shit about people on your site when this was supposed to be about disposing of mattresses you’ve done more shit talking about human beings than anything. in my head from what you said and my experiences you’re what we call and i quote a slumlord.meaning someone who looks at their tenants as pieces of shit but doesn’t help them at all these are your properties and normally not kept up on at all and the tenants normally Rebelle back by not caring about removing their stuff out of the properties because of the landlords actions.
all I have to say is take a step back and a good look at yourself and your problems might be solved.
Thank you for reading!
There are many people without money that are great people. Unfortunately, for a landlord, a lower income person usually costs more to rent to than a market based person. That is why I like credit score as a screening indicator. It differentiates the people that may be a problem before you get them.
FYI. Income is not a race, and therefore discriminating on income level is not racist. All landlords and banks do it. The problem of seeing racism where none exists, is a larger problem than racism itself in the USA.
“If you have been a landlord for over a month, odds are, you have had to dispose of a tenants junk. If you are a low-income, or Section 8 landlord, it is 100% certain you have had to dispose of a lot of junk.”
maybe you should read and actually pay attention to what you’re reading this is in like the second paragraph if you asked me this is Targeting us “100%”
one last word of advice for you about 90% of America is in the Poplar Level so odds are almost all your tenants are going to be power if you think this is how all tenants act I suggest not being a landlord.
people with money typically buy houses not rent them.
Thank you for reading!
I am targeting landlords, and explaining to them how to get rid of a mattress for free. Low income, especially Section 8, landlords definitely need this type of advice.
I was unable to decipher what you mean by “about 90% of America is in the Poplar Level”. Maybe income? I know the median level of income in my area is ~$56K, so that means half the families are above that number.
Since you like to copy & paste, here’s one for you, “A fine assortment of whiny losers-.” You literally called these people losers & are now defending those same people. FUCKING SHEEP!
Thank you for reading.
I do not defend or call people a loser, unless they are leaving a mattress behind for me to dispose of. Why would someone deliberately leave their trash behind? Why can’t people be held responsible for their actions?
I found your interesting and well written article when I did an Internet search on getting rid of a mattress.
Wow! You really had to endure a lot of scathing criticism which you handled very diplomatically. I did not get the impression that you were stereotyping low income people! You were simply stating the fact that you had many used mattresses to deal with, and giving others another idea how they could handle theirs. I come from a low income background and did not take offense at your article.
It was nice of you to share what you had learned.
Thank you for reading and the compliments!
In this business, you have to have a thick skin. I just do what it takes to be an efficient landlord, and take the money to the bank.
I have looked all over the internet on how to get rid of my old Mat/box combo. This is a very good article on how to do it yourself and save money. I live in a apartment complex that has Sec 8 tenants and have seen a few leave the apartment with items that they couldn’t take with them, so they leave it for the maintenance to remove because they can’t throw it away in the dumpster. When it is removed all the silverfish, bed bugs, fleas, ticks, body oils, dirt, dust balls, and stains are handled by the workers who touch the items. Not so nice to have to do, is it? Again thank you for the article with illustrations, you have taken the time to help others!
Do Sec 8 tenants pay the deposit themselves or does the state pay it for them?
Thank you for reading and the compliments!
Typically the state pays the deposit for the Section 8 tenants. Sometimes even the car insurance, and hair color…
Wow this really belittles people sounds like the writer had a really bad experience with tenants wonder how much money was made off these bad tenants
Thank you for reading!
It really does not belittle anyone. It explains how landlords can save money by getting rid of a mattress for free and be green about it. Any renter that leaves a mattress behind is a low quality renter, by definition, and should be avoided like the plague. There is absolutely no reason why a renter should leave a mattress behind, unless they are trying to cheat the landlord. Solid renters do not do that.
This is the common misconception among tenants. I thought the same thing when I was renting 2 different homes before I got myself established and bought my first home. I was so convinced of this misconception that when I moved out of my first home, I rented it instead of selling it thinking I was going to now be the one making all kinds of money!
I have owned 2 different rental properties now and have rented to several tenants between the two of them. I went out of my way to take care of the properties so the tenants would have a nice place to live thinking that was the right thing to do. I am now in the process of selling the last of my rental properties because I have lost tens of thousands of dollars because of “bad tenants”
I have never had a single tenant that paid me more in rent added up than it cost me to rent to them. My last tenant was there for 3 full years. I collected just over $20,000 from them over those 3 years in rent. Sounds pretty good, huh! Until I tell you that I also just got through paying over $30,000 in rehab work to put the place back to the same condition it was in 3 years ago when those tenants moved in.
For some reason Land lords are looked at as greedy money grabbing jerks, but now that I’ve been on both ends of it, I am convinced that the exact opposite is GENERALLY true most of the time. I’m sure there are exceptions on both sides, but unfortunately I have never personally made a single dime from being a landlord.
If I had buried my money I’ve put into it and then dug it up these 10 years later, I’d have at least $25k more in my pocket than I do now. The only way to even come close to breaking even is to follow the advice of this author and try to save as much as possible doing as much as you can yourself (which consumes your life) and be a “slum-lord.” Which by the way is only allowing the renters to live in the conditions that they themselves create, by not fixing what they break.
Most renters don’t care about taking care of anything or being careful not to destroy property because it is not theirs so “it serves that nasty jerk of a landlord right for daring to collect rent from us in the first place.” In the end it is usually the land-lord that looses. Thanks again to the author of this article for his attempt to save some of us from any deeper losses than would otherwise be added to the pile.
Thank you for reading!
Great story about the risks and rewards of landlording. As you know, no one is guaranteed a profit. You are almost guaranteed a loss if you do not run it like a business.
The way low income/section 8 tenants are talked about in this article makes me very sad. It is not 100% certain that all low income/section 8 tenants leave behind junk to be disposed of and not EVERY low income/section 8 tenant is going to leave behind a mattress. Not ALL low income/section 8 tenants leave trash outside, move their budddies in, or hoard stuff because they’re poor. I can prove all your statements false so quickly, get over yourself.
And shame on you, we should be showing compassion for these people not grouping them all to be filthy, lazy, and obnoxious. All I wanted to know was how to take a mattress apart and dispose of it in a cheaper way, not your bigoted idea of poor people.
Thank you for reading.
You are 100% correct, not all low income/section 8 tenants leave junk behind. But many do. At a much higher rate than market rate tenants. You will not be able to prove otherwise, as it is true.
Bahahaha!! So many of these comments are very comical!
Thanks for the detailed post. It will help me dispose of/recycle my mattress. As you intended it to.
I have lived in section 8 and other low income complexes and I can say that there is most definitely a certain… mentality to those communities. That is not to say that EVERY single person in those communities is lazy, unjust, needy, wasteful, careless, rude, stingy, or smelly. But the majority that I have come in contact with have been. That has been my experience.
Yes, people there may not make much money, but that is NO EXCUSE to leave junk behind or not cleaning and then act surprised by not getting your deposit back. We sign contracts that explain that very well.
If you can’t plan ahead to get rid of your crap, maybe you should move back in with your parents and learn how to be an adult. The author of this post did a great job explaining an aspect of culture that is depriving America of responsible, well-mannered people. All it takes is for us to not play the victim in life. Even if we don’t make much money, we can still be very successful people. Money does not define who we are or how we should act!
God bless America!
Thank you for reading!
You are 100% correct. While not all tenants in lower income housing have these habits, it seems to be a pervasive trend. Even though many of the comments here attempt to deflect and say that low-income people have no choice, it doesn’t help a landlord that has to get rid of a mattress for $50 or more.
When people grow up feral, and continually rely on others to support their lifestyle, they lose the mentality of what others go through to get their wealth. We really have a sad situation when the drive to succeed is lost and a person’s failures can be blamed on others, and not by looking in the mirror.
Excellent advice. I only stumbled onto this article looking for advice on how to cut a mattress in half, so it would fit in my car for the trip to recycling. However I can now strip it right down, bagging up the fabric for inclusion in my regular refuse collection, and the springs for collection by a guy who picks up locally for free. Many thanks.
Thank you for reading!
I am glad I could help out. It is a great way to get rid of a mattress, and be green at the same time.
I am sure none low-income tenants leave their junk behind to I bet you also discriminate against race
Thank you for reading!
If you read my blog, you will see I am a strong advocate of using credit score as a litmus test test criteria. Race is not factored into credit score.
As I enjoyed reading the guidelines on how to break a mattress down, this “class warfare” bs slang is about a sad as Trump’s dick. With as much time as the writer spends responding to his comments, really shows where his time is spent, obviously relishing in the fruits of his ego(masturbation maybe over left behind panties?). But then again, everyones entitled to their own opinion.. but man, lay off the class crap or just hang yourself cause it’s not helping the betterment of mankind.
Thank you for reading!
A low income landlord will have to deal with mattresses left behind. That is a fact, it is not class warfare. Unfortunately, you seem to have a problem with someone that is part of the capitalist system. Without people such as landlords, you would likely be homeless.
YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THIS POSITION, PERIOD! STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT A JOB YOU CHOOSE TO DO! If it bothers you that bad then TEACH PEOPLE! Here’s a tip for you slumlords, when you’re screening people, show them a video on how to take apart a bed or whatever furniture & tell them in the contract that that’s how you want them to dispose of the mattress you can even help them or give them few months notice if they can’t agree. Tell them the consequences first hand so for future reference they won’t leave mattresses behind.
Thank you for reading.
I think it is common knowledge that if you leave your garbage for someone else to get rid of, it is wrong. And if you leave an apartment in worse shape that you got it in, it will impact your deposit.
It my leases I state a mattress left behind will be charged $50 per piece. There are no surprises.
Thank you for reading.
You are right, it is a job. And I am helping landlords deal with mattresses left behind by subpar tenants. I do not care how they dispose of a mattress, that is up to them. I just do not want it there for me to get rid of.
It is not a landlord’s job to babysit an adult renter.
One last thing, your comment right there makes you sound like a bad record label. You might as well say, “without my record label you wouldn’t be famous so I can treat you however I want because contract says so.” You’re a slumlord there’s a difference between a good landlord & bad ones. You, are fucking terrible. I’ve had sweet landlords that taught us how to fix things on our own because that’s how nice of a person he was. He wasn’t rude & never complained about us he just TAUGHT US!
Thank you for reading.
It’s good your landlord taught you how to fix things. Likely he did not want to be bothered by you for the small annoying items, and did not want to pay someone to fix it for you. A slumlord generally rents to the dregs of society, which I avoid like the plague. Reading my sections on tenant screening will illustrate the point.
Dear lord just get to the point, we don’t need your whole life story to get rid of a mattress, and sometimes tenants are trying to look for a free way to get rid of it, like myself. Not all tenants are trashy, unless you have apartments in a trashy area.
Thank you for reading!
Many landlords do have rentals in areas where less than desirable tenant live. They need this advice too. Remember, this is a landlord blog…
This article is very offensive! Saying that people on section 8 are all about drama and making ur property a mess and doing things they r not surpost to be doing! Not everyone is like that! And if u have tenants like that u probably should ask them to move out but I bet u don’t cause the guaranteed check once a month helps huh? This is ridiculous I would say that about people. The rest of the article I didn’t even read because I was so offended. So just a idea maybe u shouldn’t be so damn rude and ignorant to your tenants and then many they would treat ur property with respect just a thought!
Thank you for reading!
Unfortunately, a Section 8 landlord, or any landlord, has to deal with many of these things. When you are dealing with the lower part of the income scale, there is definitely more drama.
It’s too bad you are not a Section 8 landlord, or you would see the issues first hand. Not every Section 8 tenants is like that, but a large percentage are.
Thanks for the tips. We have a mattress we need to get rid of and I am not thrilled at the idea of $30-50 to take it somewhere.
As far as the blowback on the tone of the piece, I’m sure a guy who rented to low income/section 8 tenants has more experience with those people than any of the commenters.
I used to own a cleaning business and it is a fact that the level of cleanliness and care goes down with income.
Those of you who take care of places and leave them clean are the exception.
Thank you for reading!
It does seem there are plenty of landlord ‘experts’ out there, that have never been a landlord…
Before you say, thank you for reading, I did not read past the first paragraph.
Your tone and condescending nature lead me to believe all your tenants hate you just as much as you hate their (in your eyes) ‘poverty stricken filth’.
Good luck being a landlord people are running away from.
By the way, you definitely voted for Trump.
Thank you for reading!
Unfortunately, when a landlord caters to the lower income side of tenants, they are faced with many obstacles like mattresses and old furniture. There are a few more obstacles too, but this post is about mattress.
Wow… I can’t get over some of the comments you receive here.
This post seems typical of the ‘blowback’. Feeling your pain…
As a fellow landlord / “Property Manager”, I can attest to the unexpected things we have to deal with. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what a person’s economic background is – a mattress or couch, or dresser left behind is just more junk for the landlord to dispose of. Donation works for many items, but the reputable donation places like Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc will NOT take mattresses for fear of them being infected with bedbugs.
Disposing of ‘abandoned personal property’ from a rental, or from a property purchased to turn into a rental is all the same. Any rational person wants to dispose of it in the most cost, and time effective way possible. Thanks for posting this DIY common sense method
Just to restate the obvious, you are a total scumbag. And no, I do not have low credit and no I have never and would never leave behind a mattress or anything else for a landlord to deal with, nor would any other people of low income that I know. Perhaps people leave stuff behind because they have no respect for you. You’d have more luck with tenants if you weren’t a total ass.
Thank you for reading.
You obviously do not actually have no idea of what actual low-income and low-credit landlording is about. It’s good you take personal responsibility, and have good credit. Hang around peopel with low credit, and I am sure your positions would change.
Thank you for reading.
You obviously do not actually have no idea of what actual low-income and low-credit landlording is about. It’s good you take personal responsibility, and have good credit. Hang around people with low credit, and I am sure your positions would change.
Wow…my search on the internet for valuable information turned into me reading your discrimatory garbage. Don’t judge people whose shoes you don’t walk in & if they’re so repulsive and difficult, then buy properties that target your preferred audience. My dad has been a landlord for 10+ years and even with the most difficult tenants (not paying rent, damaged property) he would NEVER speak on them as disgustingly as you have. Shame on you. This is very unprofessional.
Thank you for reading!
I do not speak ill about any tenants, however landlords that rent to low-income tenants will need to know how to get rid of a mattress. That is the purpose of the post.
Thanks for the link!
Well done. Common sense prevails. Thank you for the instruction, i will put it to good use
Thank you for reading! I am glad I can help.
Wow, these comments lol. Thank you for this helpful post. I’m reading this now because mattress recycling has been put on hold due to corona virus. My mattress is new and unused though, just the wrong size, it would be a shame to cut it up but I am getting desperate. I will try to hold onto it until recycling resumes but I may have to use your method. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading!
I am glad I could help. Some people think that helping a landlord do better is evil. Disposing of mattresses are a part of low income housing. It is a fact.