Excessive indoor accumulation of belongings and common household trash can render homes and living areas unsafe. Depending on severity, these conditions can have wide ranging implications on safety of the occupant, neighbors, and public in general.
Excessive indoor accumulation of belongings and common household trash can render homes and living areas unsafe. Depending on severity, these conditions can have wide ranging implications on safety of the occupant, neighbors, and public in general.
Excessive indoor accumulation of belongings and household waste may consist of things like newspapers, junk mail, merchandize, and common household waste. Excessive indoor accumulation gone unchecked can cause a property lead to potentially unsafe conditions in a number of ways. First, excessive indoor accumulation can make cleaning common living areas more difficult. It can also attract rodent and pest infestation by providing shelter, material for nesting, and in some cases a food source. Second, the accumulation of expired food and uncleaned dishes or silverware will lead to unsanitary conditions as the food begins to decompose. Third, excessive accumulation can provide fuel for fire, which increases the risk of more intense fires, and can impede or restrict altogether means of ingress/egress in the event of a fire. Additionally, in some cases, prolonged accumulation of contents and household waste can also jeopardize the integrity of the structure itself. When household waste is allowed to accumulate, the decomposition of the material can emit methane which is not only harmful to breathe in, but is also extremely flammable.
An additional resource for reducing clutter by opting out of pre-approved credit offers, often referred to as junk mail, is available by opting out of these mailings online at the OptOutPresreen website. More information about this resource and other ways to opt out can be found on the Minnesota Attorney General’s website.
For more information and resources please check out the Minnesota Hoarding Task Force’s website by clicking on the link below. With questions or concerns regarding excessive indoor accumulation please contact Ben Pierson with Apple Valley Code Enforcement by email at: bpierson@ci.apple-valley.mn.us; or by phone at 952.953.2571.