I found a place (through a friend of a friend) that is willing to rent their kitchen to me for a very reasonable price. He already has an established carry out food restaurant and is willing to add my desserts to his menu in addition to using his kitchen for larger scale projects. The arrangement seems ideal, especially since I am just starting out and do not really have a large clientele base yet. EXCEPT... the place is nowhere near as clean as I would like. He has some major sanitation issues that I spotted in the first minutes of being in his kitchen. I know, most of your are yelling at me...why the hell are you still considering it?? But would it be worth my efforts to clean the place up? My concern with that is, I am nobody's free maid. I do not want to be there cleaning up after his messes and not get my own work done. Does anybody have any advice on how I should navigate this situation? 

AHi KirasCakery! If I was you I would completely leave it alone,it sounds like he is thinking that you will be able to clean up after him and yourself. Like you said clearing his mess when will you have time for yourself? Don't start out in a mess because you could end up in one. I hope you find somewhere more suitable for you xx

I've worked in other peoples kitchens my whole life. You can't change them. If you attempt to clean things up, you'll be expected to. It's a no win situation.

If you want this situation to work, your going to have to deal with a dirty kitchen and pray for the day you have your own kitchen. Keep you mouth shut and just learn from it.

AYou could tell him that you would be willing to rent the kitchen once he has cleaned it up, at least to a minimally acceptable standard. If he does this, your contract should include a clause either stating that your rent will only be payable if the kitchen remains sanitary, and/or that you will receive a credit towards rent payment (greater than 1:1) for any time you spend cleaning up other people's messes.

...............and if you implied to him that his kitchen wasn't clean enough, what kind of reaction do you think your going to get from him? People don't really like to be insulted no matter how nicely you phrase things.

I've always cleaned up after other people in the kitchens I've worked at, that's normal in all professional kitchens. Sometime, people become offended by someone else make any adjustments even if it betters their own kitchen. I've moved over peoples products in a professional kitchen so they wouldn't accidently get harmed by me or others and gotten back comments from the person like, "what, was it in YOUR way?"...in an angry tone.