Guides

Straightforward answers to the questions people actually ask when something has happened at a property — what the process is, who is responsible for what, and what to expect.

Why these exist

Almost everything written about this subject falls into one of two categories. Either it is sensationalised, written for people who are curious rather than affected, or it is thinly disguised advertising that answers no question in order to make you call. Neither is useful when you are standing in a hallway trying to work out what to do next.

These guides are written to be read by someone who needs the answer. Where the honest answer is "it depends on your state", they say so and point you at who can tell you. Where the answer is that you do not need professional help, they say that too. A page that only works by withholding information is a bad page.

Where to start

• Someone has just died at home. Start with what to do when someone dies at home — it covers the first hour, who to notify, and what nobody tells you about the property afterwards.
• You are dealing with a scene. Who cleans up crime scenes explains where responsibility actually sits and who pays.
• There is a smell you cannot locate. Read what a decomposing body smells like and what an unattended death is.
• You are selling a property. Disclosure rules vary sharply by state, and physical condition is a separate question from the death itself.
• A family member is hoarding. Getting help covers the clinical side, and the five levels explains what changes as a property deteriorates.
• You are an employer. The OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard sets out duties that reach far more workplaces than most people realise.