A 3/1 townhouse I own in Baltimore was trashed by a Section 8 tenant who moved out at the end of 2016. I spent more than I expected getting it back in shape. Then had difficulty renting it for several months, for various reasons, some of them my fault. 

Finally brought in a property manager, who immediately placed a tenant, one of his workers, who for some time has wanted to move out of the efficiency he occupied with wife and child. 

So far so good. I liked that the tenant would have a work relationship with the property manager, so would have an extra reason to not mess up the unit. They were set to move in first week of August. 

BUT--the tenant, named Cesar, immediately brought in 2 relatives and their 2 children after he signed the lease for only himself and his wife and child. That makes 7 people—the legal limit for a 3 bedroom house. Had he revealed his plans up front, and had his relatives signed the lease with him, maybe I'd feel differently. But he chose to do it in this sneaky way instead, thereby losing my trust.

Last week he also held a big family party with a lot of yelling and noise that caused a disturbance in the neighborhood (a neighbor called me to complain). I have built good relationships with the neighbors, many of whom are elder homeowners, who watch my property protectively. BTW, it was the neighbor who revealed that there were a great many more people in the house than I'd bargained for. 

Finally, the property manager screened them and I didn't get involved (foolishly, it turns out). But what I've learned subsequently makes me think the family is in the country illegally. Cesar's ID is a provisional driver’s license. His wife’s ID is her driver’s license from Guatemala. 

Now, if they had shown better judgment, their legal status wouldn’t bother me. But the way things are these days, if someone calls the police, say, for a noise violation, they could wind up deported! This is not farfetched under this administration, such things are happening in the community daily. So if they don't have the sense to act responsibly and protect themselves in this insane environment, they put my investment in jeopardy.

Also I have no idea about his relatives—their legal status, their jobs, their income, their credit, their criminal records--the manager has yet to screen them. I also worry about the wear and tear of seven people in the unit even if technically it does not exceed the legal number.

Property manager thinks I should let them stay, all 7 of them, but negotiate a higher rent and a 2-year lease. He thinks we can do quarterly inspections to ensure they are taking care of the unit, and make the tenant responsible for getting them fixed. 

I truly don’t know what to do. Should I let the unit be empty again after all those months? Let this family stay, even if I don't trust them? 

I'm sure I'm missing something obvious in this situation. Please tell me what it is! 

Many thanks,

Nancy Roth

Washington, DC