Marijuana growing in my rental

Marijuana growing in my rental

Bellevue, WA · Member since 2008 · 40 posts · 0 votes

Hello. I rent a house with a separate garage to a single mom and her 12 year old son. She pays on time, has been in for a few months.

I recently had a contractor rake up all the leaves and do a nice spruce up of the property. Today I went to have a look, then noticed she put a new lock on the garage door. She has the windows all covered but I peaked through on one side and see clearly a single marijuana plant with a proper grow light and a fan. I have been in this garage about 8 weeks ago and it was cluttered with a ton of her junk. I don't think she has room to turn this into a mega grow operation. Power bills do not indicate heavy electric either.

I decided to enter the house to inspect for plants in the house. She was not home, I went in anyway. She keeps the house orderly and clean. Her son's bedroom looks like a typical 12 year old. There is nothing inside the home that concerns me.

I am not sure what to do. I have a concern that the wiring in the garage can not support even a fan and grow light 24/7, it is a fire hazard. Aside from that, I need access to the garage in case of emergency so I need a key to the door. And there is the problem of it being illegal.

I am inclined to serve notice that she has broken the lease and to move out, but then we have lawyer fees. And she pays well and keeps the house clean.

Another part of me wants to have a face-to-face personal conversation and tell her that she can keep one plant there as long as she removes it while I have an electrician wire the new outlet that I had already planned for that garage (there is a "home run" on its own circuit going to the garage but it's not yet hooked up as an outlet).

Tell me what you would do please. Thanks!

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SFR Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
15y

So I guess accepting the rent payments in pot is out of the question? :mrgreen:

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  • Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    13y

    Hmmm. Lots of uptight folks on here. My advice; If she offers you brownies don't eat them... unless you plan on going to the movies. Then you might want to take one to go.

    Oh, and stay the heck out of your tenants house without prior notice. While growing a single pot plant might be illegal in your state (don't know what your laws are), entering without notice is certainly illegal.

    Fun story; a friend of mine in Japan (American guy) was growing a pot plant behind his house. He came home from work one day and the plant had been ripped out and was gone. There was a note on a stick stuck in the ground. He opened it, and in badly written English it said "Obey the law." I thought that was quite funny.

  • Investor · Spokane, WA · Member since 2013 · 117 posts · 64 votes
    13y

    Smelled one of my tenants smoking pot, just after WA legalized the darn stuff. Simply reminded her that "smoking of any sort is not allowed in your unit", and she apologized and stopped. Depending on the type of relationship you have with your tenant, face-to-face goes a long way. Anyway. It's been a long time since the original post, how about an update?

    More concerning is entering the tenant's unit without notice..

  • Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    13y

    The original post said "I have a concern that the wiring in the garage can not support even a fan and grow light 24/7, it is a fire hazard."

    Regarding comments like "More concerning is entering the tenant's unit without notice and you have COMPLETELY VIOLATED your tenants rights! I say hogwash. Washington state law says in 59.18.150 - Landlord's right of entry, "(5) The landlord may enter the dwelling unit without consent of the tenant in case of emergency or abandonment." The OP had clearly stated the concern with wiring, and further, had justification to enter the house to inspect the potential for dangerous conditions.

    Having had a property burn to the ground due to tenant behavior (alleged neglegence, per insurance company), maybe I see things differently.

  • Palm Beach Gardens, FL · Member since 2013 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    13y

    If the wiring was that bad, then why is she living there? She could burn it down in her sleep.

    No, no just an excuse to see what someone else is doing.

  • Rental Property Investor · Oak Park, MI · Member since 2013 · 222 posts · 35 votes
    13y

    Is this a "M" State

  • Investor · Lawrenceville, GA · Member since 2013 · 123 posts · 7 votes
    13y

    I'm worried that you will be having a visitor soon from law enforcement. Remember, this is a media outlet and as they say in the oval office "It always gets out of the room". If you have concerns please take action quickly, now, by going into the house without notice is a concern. I hope you have it in your contract that you can do this if not whatever you think is going on will be a non issue for you in court because it might be thrown out. Be careful my Bigger Pockets brother.

  • Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2011 · 209 posts · 56 votes
    13y

    Most of the people here instantly jumped to conclusions about this woman and want her out on the street. It seems like the OP and a few others are the only ones looking at the entire scope here. Washington State is a medical marijuana state. What she is doing could be entirely legal. I would advise the OP to consult with an attorney to actually find out what she is doing is legal or not. If certain licenses are required then I would ask the renter to present these. There is also the question of what does his lease actually say. Is it no drugs on the property at all no matter if its legal or not or is it drugs are OK as long as you have your medical card, ect. There are still too many unknowns for you guys to tell this landlord to throw this woman out on the street.

  • Real Estate Agent · Port Orange, FL · Member since 2014 · 26 posts · 6 votes
    12y

    With the passage of I-502 in the 2012 Washington State election, marijuana is legal for recreational use. The only law she is breaking, assuming she doesn't have her license to grow, is growing one plant in the home. Talk to her, tell her per state law it is illegal for her to grow within the home. Its a new law, maybe she doesn't know that? If she's a good tenant like you have said, hopefully talking to her about it will alleviate the problem. Goodluck

    Not sure how I came across this in the "recent posts" section, just noticed the dates

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