Can a person be evicted for dirty apartment?

Where do you propose to find a social worker?

I think in your shoes, I would call the local Area Agency on Aging and find out what they recommend in situations such as this.

I think she is far more likely to be evicted by management if she DOESN'T have the protection of an agency/care worker who can advocate for her.

I used to manage apartments--way back in the day when DH was in college and I was home with baby #1.

Roaches in an apartment? Those things don't have any sense of boundaries, once they have gotten in a bldg. there are there for good. One nice apt I managed became infested 40 years ago and is STILL on a monthly 'spray' regimen, 40 YEARS people.

Yes, she can be evicted, but the 'hangers on' will always be there. There's almost no way to control roaches in a large bldg.

A SW? I think a family member is going to have to step up if they want this lady to retain her apartment. A SW is far more likely to call in the apt manager and who knows what the dynamic is going to be like?

She needs a lot of help. Does she have family who can/will step up? And I am sorry to have to say this, but you HAVE to report the roaches. You can't prove they came from her apt but you need to have them dealt with.

And yes, you do have a real concern for her to be evicted. One has to hope they will give her some time to get her act together--sounds like she really needs to be in a better living arrangement, but that's probably not your call.

Diana, roaches will travel to other apartments in the building, and once the tenants complain about the pest, management will bring in a pest control company. Even a spotless white-glove tested apartment can have insects.

As for being evicted, one would need to read your friends Lease. As for a place being filthy or not, it all depends on the person's personal reference. If you feel the place is in need of a good scrubbing, can your friend afford to have a cleaning crew come over and give the apartment a good once over? If she cannot afford that, maybe a group of her friends could chip in and gift her a professional cleaning. Hopefully she will accept it.

I tried to gift my Mom [in her 90's] a house cleaning and my Mom was insulted. Oops, that wasn't my intentions. The dust bunnies were multiplying but Mom couldn't see it with her limited vision, and my Dad never noticed it.... [sigh].

I would also be concerned about her health and safety in those conditions. I think I might also be concerned over whether my assessment of why the place is dirty is correct. Is her vision loss recent? Did she clean up prior to the surgery? I find it difficult to believe that they discharged a senior after brain surgery who has limited vision, with no home care plan......so, I'd wonder if there might be other issues going on. If she knows she is in this situation, why does she not seek help? You're kind to offer help. I hope she will accept it. It seems like I read about there being special services for those who are visually impaired.

The 80 yr old woman obviously is unable to care for her self. Low vision and dirty house with roaches is a red flag. She might need more care than she is able to provide for herself. I reported an elder who lives alone and w/c bound, with a rabbit who has free roaming privileges in her house. Her husband and son died, they were members of our church. I made something and dropped it off, I could not believe the place, feces all over the place, it stunk, walls open with electrical wires exposed. I immediately reported this to the Board of Health, RN and Senior Center. They told me they were aware, and are working on the situation. Fast forward: Rabbit is gone, but house still filthy, and has not been evicted or placed in facility. I am not 100% sure an elder can be evicted for a dirty apartment with roaches. I think tenants do have responsibility to keep their place clean,otherwise it can become a health hazard for them, and other tenants. Elder services should be involved ASAP.

I lived in an apartment and I am OCD about cleaning, I had to call the management every month to get the building treated. I don't know what the reason for the tiny critters was, but none of my neighbors ever moved in the 5 years I lived there.

I am sure that they were happy to see me go because I was always making them deal with the problem.

Can you set some roach motels or whatever is the best to kill roaches in her apartment for her?

I think that Barb is right about her having an advocate to protect her. So contacting your area on aging should start the process. She may need facility care if she can't take care of herself safely, so be prepared for things to change for her.

Dirty? Roaches is not dirty, it so far beyond. I don't think this is something to keep secret because it is unsafe for her and others in her building as well.

Her landlord can order her to clean up the unit and get rid of the roaches and if she doesn't comply then the landlord has the right to start eviction proceedings. Leases are written to protect the property and the owner of the property. Eviction clauses are written very broadly for a reason. A landlord can start eviction proceedings for most any reason that he or she feels violates the lease agreement.

Nothing can stop her landlord from filing for eviction. She will have to appear in court and a judge will determine whether or not she is in violation of the agreement and whether or not the landlord gave her reasonable notice to fix the filth. To head all of that off at the pass, offer to help her hire a "Move In/Move Out" cleaning from a reputable cleaning service and a visit from an exterminator. If she's offended, oh well, it's better than being evicted. Time for a dose of truth that only a good friend can deliver.

If your friend's apartment has roaches, so does the rest of the apartment which should be fumigated. Roaches transmit 35 different types of diseases. It's not just her, though her apartment should be cleaned. Can't you simply find a cleaning service yourself to help her out? My experience with social workers is they simply give you a resource page to go find the services you need, they don't find the service. Your friend may be in the horrific position of not having any family available to help, and you are her angel. Angel jobs though some people choose, frequently are imposed upon us. Then we have an opportunity to do the best we can for someone. Sometimes it can be just notifying social services or meals on wheels of a senior in need, sometimes it's more.... a lot more. No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.

Roaches are usually not limited to 1 apartment but hers may have the most "food" so are abundant there. Most apartment complexes prefer to keep their places rented. If you are addressing the cleaning and they address the roaches, she shouldn't have a problem staying. it seems easier to have a cleaning service come over at least weekly rather than go through a social worker - whom you will have to pay as well.