Emil Martesen
After more than three decades, what’s left behind turns out to be anything but ordinary.
When a tenant moves out after several decades, expectations are usually modest.
Wear and tear, ageing interiors and the need for extensive renovation are far more the norm than the exception.
That is precisely why a landlord in the US state of Maine was taken completely by surprise when a woman who had lived in the same flat since 1992 recently moved out, leaving behind a home in remarkably good condition.
A home marked by continuity
Syed Zafar bought the property in May 2024. When he first stepped inside the flat, he entered a home that had been occupied by the same tenant for more than three decades.
For Zafar, who was himself born in 1993, the experience was particularly striking.
“I was genuinely amazed. It doesn’t look like a place someone has lived in for 32 years. The condition is remarkable, considering both its age and the level of use,” he told Newsweek.
Exceptionally well preserved
Despite several of the household appliances being older than the landlord himself, both the carpets and the floors appeared almost flawless.
There were few, if any, obvious signs of wear. The overall impression was of a tenant who had taken unusually good care of the property over a very long period of time.
Zafar describes it as something he has rarely – if ever – encountered before.
“It’s extremely unusual to find a flat where someone has lived for that long and kept it in such good condition,” he says.
Click to display external content from tiktok,
– You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Far above the average
The length of the tenancy stands out sharply when compared with national figures.
According to a survey by ResidentRated, the average tenant in the United States stays in the same rental property for around 27.5 months.
Even in the north-eastern US, where tenants tend to stay the longest, the average is just under 33 months. Remaining in the same flat for 32 years is therefore highly exceptional.
What comes next for the flat
The property will now undergo a major renovation and modernisation before being put back on the rental market.
At the same time, the landlord says he hopes the next tenant will feel just as at home – and stay just as long.
Zafar’s discovery has also attracted widespread attention on social media after he shared a video of the flat on TikTok. Reactions have been marked by astonishment and admiration for how well the home has been maintained over the years.
