You might be reading this late at night after a hard visit home. That's how a lot of families find us. Take a breath. You don't need to have answers yet.
The first thing we'll ask you
When you call, your project manager will ask some simple questions. Is your mom still living there? Can she get to her bed, the bathroom and the stove? Are there pets, or signs of mice? Has anyone from the city or county been out? Does she know you're calling?
None of those have wrong answers. They tell us what to do first. If the stove is buried, the kitchen goes first. If there's a notice on the door, we start where the notice says. If your mom is anxious about strangers in her home, we start small, maybe one room with two people, and build trust from there.
If you're still working out how to even raise this with her, our page on helping a family member walks through that conversation. Hoarding disorder is a recognized condition in the DSM-5, and the International OCD Foundation has solid information for families.
City of Dayton or the county? It depends on the address
Montgomery County has a lot of separate cities and townships, and who handles a housing problem depends on where the house sits. This trips families up, so here's what we confirmed.
Inside Dayton city limits, housing complaints go to the City of Dayton's Division of Housing Inspection at (937) 333-3977.
In the unincorporated parts of the county, such as the townships, Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County runs a Nuisance Abatement Program. It looks into trash, rodents and unsanitary conditions at homes, and tries education first before enforcement. Its environmental health complaint line is (937) 225-4362. Public Health doesn't regulate mold in homes.
In other cities, like Kettering, Huber Heights, Miamisburg or Trotwood, the city's own code or building staff usually handles it.
If you've already gotten a notice, take a photo and send it to us. Your project manager will plan the first days around what it asks for. Often that's clearing the yard and porch, opening exits and hallways, removing garbage, and getting the kitchen safe. That's a smaller job than the whole house and can buy time for the rest.
When you're worried about safety, not just stuff
Sometimes the house is only part of it. Your dad has fallen, isn't eating, can't manage his pills, or hasn't paid the gas bill. That's called self-neglect, and Ohio treats it as something to report.
Montgomery County Adult Protective Services, part of the county's Job and Family Services department, takes reports 24 hours a day at (937) 225-4906. It serves adults 60 and older. You can also use the statewide Ohio line, 1-855-644-6277, or the state's online APS report. If he's in danger right now, call 911.
Calling APS isn't turning on your dad. A caseworker can help with health, money and services we don't provide. Many families call APS and call us.
We didn't find a current hoarding task force in Montgomery County, so in Dayton, APS, code staff and the person's doctor usually work separately. Your project manager can help you keep those threads straight.
What Dayton houses are like to clear
Dayton's housing has a lot of age and character, and that shapes the work.
Older city homes. In the Oregon District, St. Anne's Hill, Dayton View and South Park, houses are often a century old, with tall staircases, small rooms and a basement under everything. Belmont and Walnut Hills have rows of bungalows and Cape Cods with tight basement stairs. Crews carry by hand and take it slow.
Postwar ranches and split-levels. Kettering, Huber Heights, Trotwood, Vandalia and Centerville have lots of brick ranches and split-levels from the 1950s on. Clutter tends to fill the garage and the basement first, then creep into the living room.
Basements and water. A wet spring or a failed sump pump can leave boxes sitting in water. That brings mold and a musty smell that rises through the house. We pull wet material early and bag it.
Heat and cold. Miami Valley summers are humid, and heat makes spoiled food and pet accidents smell worse. Winters bring ice and the occasional heavy snow, so we clear and salt steps before moving anything heavy. If pipes froze in an empty house, we clean up the damage. Repairs aren't our work, but your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
Homes with pet or human waste, rodent droppings and heavy odor are normal work for us. Nobody on the crew will make a comment. We remove the soiled material, sanitize, and keep working on the smell until the home is livable.
Sorting, donating and hauling
On the first day, crews set up three areas: keep, donate and discard. Photos, letters, cash, jewelry, savings bonds, service records and papers get boxed for the family. Money turns up in books, envelopes and coat pockets. All of it comes back to you.
Furniture and household goods in good shape go to local thrift stores and charities. Metal, cardboard and electronics get recycled where we can.
Montgomery County's South Transfer Station on Encrete Lane in Moraine is the county's main public drop-off now that the old north station has closed. It also runs household hazardous waste drop-off, which is where the old paint and garage chemicals go. Nearby, the county's Material Reuse Facility takes some usable building materials, tools and office equipment, so a few things that look like trash can get a second life. You won't need to load your car. Your project manager arranges the dumpster or truck and the disposal.
You can read more on our hoarding cleanup page.
Probate Court on Perry Street
When a parent has passed, the house usually can't be emptied or sold until someone is appointed to handle the estate. In this county, that's the Montgomery County Probate Court on North Perry Street in downtown Dayton.
We don't give legal advice. We work around the schedule your attorney or the court sets, and we go through every drawer, closet and box for wills, deeds, titles and bank papers before anything leaves. Our estate cleanout page explains more.
Where we work
A local project manager covers Dayton and Montgomery County, including Kettering, Oakwood, Centerville, Huber Heights, Trotwood, Riverside, Miamisburg, West Carrollton, Vandalia, Englewood, Clayton, Moraine and Washington Township.
Cost and financing
We don't publish prices. Every house is different, and a small ranch with a crowded kitchen is a very different job from a two-story home with a flooded basement. Our cost page explains what changes the cost. Financing is available.
Common questions
Who do I call about a hoarded house in Dayton?
Inside Dayton city limits, housing complaints go to the City of Dayton's Division of Housing Inspection at (937) 333-3977. In unincorporated areas, Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County handles nuisance complaints. For a person's safety, call Montgomery County Adult Protective Services at (937) 225-4906.
How do I report self-neglect in Montgomery County?
Call Montgomery County Adult Protective Services at (937) 225-4906, any time of day, or the statewide Ohio line at 1-855-644-6277. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Can my mom stay home while you work?
Usually, yes. Many people stay and help decide what's kept. We work room by room so she always has a clear place to sleep, sit and eat.
Do you clear flooded or moldy basements?
Yes. We remove wet and moldy belongings, clean and sanitize, and deodorize. Repairs to walls, foundations or sump pumps aren't our work, but your project manager can connect you with trusted local professionals.
Do you donate things instead of throwing them all away?
Yes. Usable furniture and household goods go to local thrift stores and charities, and metal, cardboard and electronics are recycled where possible. Personal items and papers always go back to the family first.