Tenant Smoking Marijuana In Apartment

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Tenant Smoking Marijuana In Apartment

Enyi Ajoku
Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes

I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

 I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

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James Wise
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes
7y
Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:

I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

 I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

 My man I suspect you are going to be in for a rough rough ride. These aren't the 1st tenants of yours who smoke weed & they certainly won't be the last. If the Police determine that illegal drug activity is going on at the property they will typically let you know. The city will actually force you to evict tenants who've been proven to be doing that type of stuff & as a landlord it would be required by law for you to act.

Outside of that though you aren't a cop or detective. Don't get involved in that nonsense. Stop snooping through their Facebook pages. Your job is to collect rent. Collect the rent. Nothing more & nothing less. Otherwise you'll be evicting people every 3 weeks & you'll be running around doing a bunch of nonsense that doesn't pay your bills. Rent pays your bills. Collect the rent. 

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  • Joe B.
    Real Estate Agent · Wilmington, NC · Member since 2017 · 59 posts · 16 votes
    7y

    Im househacking a place with 3 college girls across the street who all smoke. Ive been seeing one, and ironically enough when they have parties theres a lot more but weed in there.. Im rather new to the whole real estate thing. Id give them an innocent warning first. 

    0Reply
  • Tracy Horn
    Lender · Colorado, Missouri & Alabama · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 16 votes
    7y

    @Enyi Ajoku

    I recommend some landlord education to protect yourself, your investments and your tenants. Knowledge is power!

    2Reply
  • Deanna O.
    Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 314 votes
    7y

    You get the tenant behavior you put up with. 

    If you are OK with a smoking/druggie property, do nothing but collect the rent. If these activities are NOT acceptable you need to give these tenants notice.. Hopefully a simple 30 day "no reason given" notice is an option in your area (do NOT give a reason  - if you say it's because they were smoking & selling drugs they will only argue endlessly and deny it. "I don't want to rent to you" is a non-arguable statement. Text only, so you have a record of what you and they said). 

    If they only have several months on their lease & aren't too obnoxious you might give them written notice you will not be renewing their lease. Maybe offer that they will be allowed leave early without penalty. Make it clear that if the house is left in good shape they will get their deposit back (but if it's in bad shape or rent is due that will be deducted). 

    1Reply
  • Alvin Sylvain
    Los Angeles · Member since 2018 · 466 posts · 471 votes
    7y
    @James Wise Unfortunately, as I understand the law (which could easily be wrong) your job is more than just collect rent. If there is illegal activity in your rental, especially drugs, being forced to evict tenants could be the least of your worries. The govt may actually confiscate the dwelling from you under Civil Forfeiture and RICO laws, and not pay you a nickel for your trouble. You can sue to get it back, but who knows how long that will take or how much it will cost.
    1Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:
    Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:

    I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

     I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

    So, with all due respect, you have not yet figured out how to be a landlord/property manager. Maybe after the entire building is set ablaze, instead of just the shed, you might get around to evicting the arsonist living in your property. Maybe after attending the funeral of the 10 year old kid who lives in the building, you might decide to not live in perpetual fear and prejudice and take some action.

    This business is NOT for everyone. If you do not know how to be assertive, you need to learn how to be so like yesterday. OMG - you think dope smoking is the issue at hand here...dude. The problem is you.

     With all due respect you do not my story or how i run my business so you don't have any right to run your mouth. 

    0Reply
  • Dan H.Pro Member
    Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
    7y

    @James Wise has units in all class of areas and many units to manage.  From his comments he seems to manage them as though they are C- units and below.

    We do not tolerate smoking on our properties.   It is in the lease as is the penalty for smoking.  Why?  Because remediating the smoke smell is costly.  Because some of our units are close to neighboring units and we do not want the smoke to affect neighboring tenants.  Because, in general, non-smoking tenants are a higher class tenant.  Because I do not like the smell of the smoking.   Simply because I do not want smokers in my units and smoking is not a protected class (recently I had a tenant who was surprised by this (because smoking is legal) and thought I could not discriminate on the basis of her being a smoker - I told her to go talk to an attorney).

    All of our STR units are on month to month lease. If I had this tenant, I would raise their rent above market rent and let them provide me notice that they are vacating.

    What I would not do is knowing let a tenant break the lease.  Especially if they are selling drugs (even minor drugs like weed) to kids.  I run credit and criminal check of our tenants (all adults staying in our units are tenants) and would eliminate someone convicted of selling illegal drugs.  Why would I let such a person stay in my unit?

    I try to provide our tenants clean, safe housing.   I would get someone I suspect is dealing weed to minors to give me notice.  Market rent is $1500 but because you are a scum bag your rent is $2k.  Don't like it?  Good leave.  $2K not enough to get you to leave?  How about $2500?  You get the point.

    I have not found it hard to get rid of tenants that I find undesirable.

    Good luck

    2Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Marcia Maynard:
    Originally posted by @Matthew Olszak:
    Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:

    I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

     I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

     So did the fire department tell you that the fire was set by someone smoking in the shed? If not, your note about them smoking (anything) on the property is about as relevant as the brand of cereal that they feed their children in the morning. There is always that one neighbor who is a problem - they have too much time on their hands, bored sitting around home on disability or retirement, and always trying to rile up problems for lack of any other activity in their lives.

    As such, when a neighbor calls me about "fighting couples" or "drug dealing" or "too many people coming through late at night", I then ask them, "So you called the cops, right?". Response is almost always, "Well, no, but I wanted to give you a heads up". Same thing with nosy tenants. If there is something illegal going on, give me a police report and I can take action based on that (and at my discretion). Otherwise, my company isn't a police department and I'm not going to interrupt my PAYING tenants based on a HUNCH from an unrelated 3rd party.

    My advice - investigate the shed fire, determine if the tenant is at fault based on the HARD FACTS. If no firm determination can be made, you have to eat that cost. The drug dealing - tell the reporting neighbors to call the cops. Its their job to investigate, and you can then act based upon the results of their professional investigation.

    The fire department notified the owner of the duplex about the fire.

    The owner contacted the tenants on both sides of the duplex and inquired about what happened.

    One tenant from the first unit (Mr C) told the owner there were kids on the property and a neighbor (not clear which neighbor) called the police about it. A fire broke out and the police and fire department responded.

    One tenant from the second unit (Miss B - the woman with the 10 year old daughter) told the owner that the three tenants in the first unit (Mr A, Mr B, Mr C) smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

    The tenants in both units of this duplex have a right to peaceful enjoyment of their home. They are all PAYING tenants. They have all agreed to the terms of the rental agreement. Neither the tenants from the first unit nor the second unit contacted the owner about the fire. The owner reached out to the tenants of both units to collect more information. It's in the best interest of the owner to followup on the information he received from both Mr C and Miss B.  He certainly needs to find out more about what is happening at his property and investigate the matter of the fire. In the course of following up on what he was told (the impressions of both Mr C and Miss B) he finds evidence of lease violations, then he must respond appropriately and issue proper legal notices. It appears from the most recent post from the owner, he is doing that.

    @Michael Olszack...   This has nothing to do with the type of neighbors you talk about in your post. As a residential rental property owner myself, who manages 17 units of our own, I've found neighbors can be quite helpful in alerting me to problems at our properties or in the neighborhood. I don't negatively stereotype neighbors. Instead, I reach out to neighbors and give them our contact information. I ask them to contact me if any problems arise at our property.  I'd much rather get a heads up about a perceived problem, than deal with the fall out after things have gotten out of hand. A few times when neighbors have called me, I've been able to get to the property and witness the disturbance and take care of the matter without police involvement.  We've developed a reputation for being good neighbors and community players. When it's warranted for the police to respond, they readily do. I believe we have a civic duty to effectively manage our properties and reduce the number of calls to 911.

     You are completely correct.  These are the steps i have been taking. I was over there to talk to the neighbors and i got exactly the same information i got from Miss B. 

    0Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y

    @Marcia Maynard

    1. These questions are very helpful as they will put me on track on how i should handle my situation. From the information i gathered. These kids presence on the property is basically because the lads living in the apartment.

    2. I am going to get more information on this

    3. I am already writing up a notice to cure which i will be handing to the them asap

    4 and 5. I think my lease is firm/strong but i am going to be doing more inspection of the property

    Thank You for your comments

    2Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @James Wise:
    Originally posted by @Dave DeMarco:

    Just collect rent? Really? Did I miss something in this post? 

    These people are selling drugs out of your property AND just burned down a shed on the property and the advise you get is just collect rent. And there is a 10 year old living there with them...Yeah, just keep collecting rent. What else could possibly go wrong? 

    It has not been proven that these tenants sell drugs. It also hasn't been proven that these tenants burned down the shed. You can't evict paying tenants in this country because you have a feeling that they are doing something. They have rights. The legal system doesn't work that way. If you don't want to take my word for it here you'll have to take the judges word for it after setting some of your money on fire.

     You're correct its i dont have proof that they sell drugs or burnt the shed but i have a tenant and neighbors who say collaborate each others after talking to them separately.

    James, i just want to add that i am not a nosy landlord. I collect rent and make sure i attend to any issues that my tenants report and that may be the only time i go over to the apartment and in most cases i have my handyman sort them out. So they may not see my after the agreement has been signed. I think this something i am going to change to having monthly inspections. Thank You for your comments

    0Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Matthew Olszak:
    Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:

    I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

     I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

     So did the fire department tell you that the fire was set by someone smoking in the shed? If not, your note about them smoking (anything) on the property is about as relevant as the brand of cereal that they feed their children in the morning. There is always that one neighbor who is a problem - they have too much time on their hands, bored sitting around home on disability or retirement, and always trying to rile up problems for lack of any other activity in their lives.

    As such, when a neighbor calls me about "fighting couples" or "drug dealing" or "too many people coming through late at night", I then ask them, "So you called the cops, right?". Response is almost always, "Well, no, but I wanted to give you a heads up". Same thing with nosy tenants. If there is something illegal going on, give me a police report and I can take action based on that (and at my discretion). Otherwise, my company isn't a police department and I'm not going to interrupt my PAYING tenants based on a HUNCH from an unrelated 3rd party.

    My advice - investigate the shed fire, determine if the tenant is at fault based on the HARD FACTS. If no firm determination can be made, you have to eat that cost. The drug dealing - tell the reporting neighbors to call the cops. Its their job to investigate, and you can then act based upon the results of their professional investigation.

     Its in the best interest of the Landlord to investigate any and all complaints. But i am doing my investigation

    0Reply
  • Henri Meli
    Investor · Morrisville, NC · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 673 votes
    7y

    I like your approach as well @Dan H.. Always remember, it is your asset. It is your investment. You do whatever it takes within the law to get ride of high risk tenants. 

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Lender · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2017 · 658 posts · 626 votes
    7y

    In my neck of the woods, news reports of structure fires often say "the state fire marshal is investigating." The enquiring minds of law enforcement want to know if the fire was caused by arson, lightening, wiring, or something else. Somewhere there has to be a report on the cause of the fire that your insurance company will want to review before paying any claim. 

    0Reply
  • Bruce Lynn
    Real Estate Broker · Coppell, TX · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    Talk to them.....why does everyone jump to eviction.  I like James Wise comments.  Collect the rent.  

    I might also suggest you go to JP court and watch some evictions.   Around here the the JP might ask you.... are they paying rent?  Are they paying on time?  If the answer is yes, they might tell you "you're a landlord"  stuff happens.  Be happy they are paying rent.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:
    Originally posted by @Enyi Ajoku:

    I have 3 young lads who are renting one of my apartments (a 2 unit multifamily) I will use names as Mr A, Mr B and Mr C. Mr A  is signatory to the lease but on the lease is states that MR B and Mr C will also be living in the apartment. On the lease it states no smoking on the property. On Thursday i got a call from the fire department that the shed on the property was destroyed by fire. The information i got from Mr C was that there were kids on the property and neighbors called the police on them and after the time he got back he saw police and the fire department trying to quench a fire. I immediately called the other tenant (Miss B and a 10yr old daughter) and the information i got from her was that these gentlemen smoke and sell marijuana to those kids.

     I also was able to get pictures from Mr B social media account smoking on the enclosed porch of the apartment, which i saved to my phone. My question is can i use these images in eviction court or any court as evidence. Thank You and happy holidays 

    So, with all due respect, you have not yet figured out how to be a landlord/property manager. Maybe after the entire building is set ablaze, instead of just the shed, you might get around to evicting the arsonist living in your property. Maybe after attending the funeral of the 10 year old kid who lives in the building, you might decide to not live in perpetual fear and prejudice and take some action.

    This business is NOT for everyone. If you do not know how to be assertive, you need to learn how to be so like yesterday. OMG - you think dope smoking is the issue at hand here...dude. The problem is you.

     With all due respect you do not my story or how i run my business so you don't have any right to run your mouth. 

    I have every right to run my mouth, the same as you. Not only that, after reading many posts, someone needs to be the adult in the room. I know a lot about your business as you have come to this public forum and have freely shared your business with billions of people. I offer none and make no apologies to any who place profit and personal gain/loss in front of human life. If these sorts of investors become offended that I call out their ignorance, greed and/or carelessness - good. Think it over guru. None of us get through without making a ton of mistakes. Do you come here for praise or do you come here for knowledge and possibly advice? Do you only seek words and ideas you already know and agree with? If so, why bother? Maybe you owe an apology to all of us who took the time to respond in a meaningful way to your post, when the value you place on such efforts is nothing more than a running of the mouth?

    What would you say if someone advised you to replace an electrical system by yourself and without a permit, learning as you go from youtube? Would it then be ok for me to point out that saving a few dollars is the wrong way to look at the situation?  Or would you find offense in that too? Are you the sort of person who thinks war is a great way to control the world population or do you actually value each and every human life? Are these questions not fair? Is this not relevant to property management? Or, is this the sort of talk you classify as "running the mouth"?

    Never, never, never will I side with a viewpoint that does not put the safety of tenants first and worse, ignores a blatant and potentially fatal problem. Get rid of your tenants who think setting fires is fun like yesterday. As far as dope smokers, I'll let you in on a little secret, plenty of your tenants are doing drugs in your units without your knowledge, and somehow your property, and the civilizations of the world, still stand.

    FHA has something called the 3 "S's" when it comes to property appraisal, Safety, Soundness & Security. Safety is, or ought to be, self-evident. Soundness has to do with the structural integrity of the property. Security is the marketability of the property (has nothing to do with locks on the doors). Each of these must meet certain standards before FHA will insure a loan. The point is, we ought to all be paying attention to that which really matters all the time, and that which matters only marginally well, only marginally.

    Peace.

    0Reply
  • Brandon Schlichter
    Real Estate Agent · Circleville, OH · Member since 2008 · 633 posts · 488 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Stephen A Binion:

    @Enyi Ajoku

    I had a tenant with an 18 year old son. I was working in the duplex unit next door and the kid had a dozen 5 minute visitors.

    Now back in the day I knew folks I could visit for five minutes. They were selling weed. I’m not stupid.

    I sat down the street and recorded it on camera. I showed the video to his dad. His dad put a stop to the idiocy.

    Smoking weed, mind your own business. Selling weed? That is your business. A landlord in Chillicothe Ohio lost her house as a public nuisance due to her tenant selling drugs out of her house.

     Where was this that a landlord lost her house for selling drugs?

    I do 60% of my business in Chillicothe and haven't heard of a landlord losing their place over it. I have for a homeowner who's child was making meth and got caught multiple times cooking, but not a landlord.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7y

    So, let me put it another way. If a shed burnt down on my property, I would be all over that property, all tenants, any neighbors who might offer information, police, fire and anyone who might have some knowledge to get to the bottom of what happened. If I found out kids that were invited by my tenants had come to the property, then were left unsupervised by the tenants that invited them, went ahead and burned down a shed, I would evict the tenants for gross negligence and see if I could prosecute the neighborhood kids for arson. Selling dope to the kids is just the final icing on the **** cake and really the catalyst for why the kids were hanging out in the first place.

    Month to Month. Fools go live elsewhere.

    0Reply
  • Enyi Ajoku
    OP
    Rochester, NY · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 19 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    So, let me put it another way. If a shed burnt down on my property, I would be all over that property, all tenants, any neighbors who might offer information, police, fire and anyone who might have some knowledge to get to the bottom of what happened. If I found out kids that were invited by my tenants had come to the property, then were left unsupervised by the tenants that invited them, went ahead and burned down a shed, I would evict the tenants for gross negligence and see if I could prosecute the neighborhood kids for arson. Selling dope to the kids is just the final icing on the **** cake and really the catalyst for why the kids were hanging out in the first place.

    Month to Month. Fools go live elsewhere.

    Finally you've actually said something that actually makes some sense and i thank you for that. Yes, there are neighbors who say and saw high school kids come to the property but i dont have actual proof that they are responsible, at the moment the fire department is investigating.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Lender · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2017 · 658 posts · 626 votes
    7y

    I had friends who were evicted once because one of their visiting friends got high on something and smashed over a dozen windows. My friends had nothing to do with the rampage, but they were guilty by association (in the eyes of the landlord).

    0Reply
  • James Wise
    Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Alvin Sylvain:
    @James Wise Unfortunately, as I understand the law (which could easily be wrong) your job is more than just collect rent. If there is illegal activity in your rental, especially drugs, being forced to evict tenants could be the least of your worries. The govt may actually confiscate the dwelling from you under Civil Forfeiture and RICO laws, and not pay you a nickel for your trouble. You can sue to get it back, but who knows how long that will take or how much it will cost.

     Not exactly. That is a gross misinterpretation of things you've heard 2nd hand. The government doesn't just come in one day out of the blue & take away your home because of your tenant's activities. There are many many steps & events that would occur well before that. The 1st thing that happens to a Landlord when the tenants are causing trouble is the city declares the property a public nuisance.

    When the property is declared a public nuisance the landlord is fined every time the police need to show up to the home & or the landlord is told to evict the tenants. A landlord would need to be a knowing accomplice to a crime or completely disregard working with the city for an extremely long period of time after the property was declared a public nuisance before anything near the ballpark of a home being confiscated from a private owner would take place.

    If there are any landlords out there who've had their homes declared public nuisances I would recommend you move to evict the tenant in that situation. That is the type of proof one needs to remove problem tenants. Most of what has been discussed in this thread is nothing more than hearsay that doesn't play well in the actual courtroom. I see lots of people discussing theory but not many discussing actual real life practice. I have been involved in many of these situations, 100's of evictions & have had several properties declared a public nuisance. The real life practice of property management is so much more complicated then "It's your house, evict them."

    3Reply
  • Irina Belkofer
    Real Estate Broker · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2017 · 719 posts · 658 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    I had friends who were evicted once because one of their visiting friends got high on something and smashed over a dozen windows. My friends had nothing to do with the rampage, but they were guilty by association (in the eyes of the landlord).

     This is totally fault of your friends because they had visitors who vandilised the property (and maybe neighbors).

    Every lease has a statement that actions of the Tenants friends and/or family is equal their actions. Tenant must take care of the friends actions - or Tenants insurance in that case.

    Not only they rightfully evicted but they owe the damages to landlord and the neighbors as well. 

    They are guilty because they let these friend into their house. BTW, if they own the house - they would pay for these broken windows and other damages

    2Reply
  • Account Closed
    Lender · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2017 · 658 posts · 626 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Irina Belkofer:
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    I had friends who were evicted once because one of their visiting friends got high on something and smashed over a dozen windows. My friends had nothing to do with the rampage, but they were guilty by association (in the eyes of the landlord).

     This is totally fault of your friends because they had visitors who vandilised the property (and maybe neighbors).

    Every lease has a statement that actions of the Tenants friends and/or family is equal their actions. Tenant must take care of the friends actions - or Tenants insurance in that case.

    Not only they rightfully evicted but they owe the damages to landlord and the neighbors as well. 

    They are guilty because they let these friend into their house. BTW, if they own the house - they would pay for these broken windows and other damages

    I agree with this conclusion. My friends were actually the live-in managers of a small apartment complex. I don't know if they were billed for the damage, but they likely couldn't have afforded it if they were. The other residents experienced the window damage and heard and saw the police show up to deal with the matter. I don't know if the rampage made the local news, but I heard the scene was a spectacle.

    It's important to set tenant expectations (as other posters have pointed out). For example, I was at a networking event where the guest speaker was the owner and live-in manager of a decent-size apartment complex. She joked her own children needed psychiatric help because she made sure they were role models of ideal behavior. She needed the clout when the children of her tenants acted up.

    From the OP's posts, I conclude the shed fire was likely caused by some of the children there smoking and selling weed. Regardless of the rental agreement, my conclusion is their parents need to go. Otherwise, the wrong message gets sent. The other people who live there know what is going on and are probably wondering what the landlord is going to do about it.

    0Reply
  • Stephen A Binion
    Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 33 posts · 18 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Brandon Schlichter:
    Originally posted by @Stephen A Binion:

    @Enyi Ajoku

    I had a tenant with an 18 year old son. I was working in the duplex unit next door and the kid had a dozen 5 minute visitors.

    Now back in the day I knew folks I could visit for five minutes. They were selling weed. I’m not stupid.

    I sat down the street and recorded it on camera. I showed the video to his dad. His dad put a stop to the idiocy.

    Smoking weed, mind your own business. Selling weed? That is your business. A landlord in Chillicothe Ohio lost her house as a public nuisance due to her tenant selling drugs out of her house.

     Where was this that a landlord lost her house for selling drugs?

    I do 60% of my business in Chillicothe and haven't heard of a landlord losing their place over it. I have for a homeowner who's child was making meth and got caught multiple times cooking, but not a landlord.

     She was being interviewed on tv.  The city had filed to take her house.  I am unaware of the outcome.  

    0Reply
  • Marc Winter
    Real Estate Broker · Northeast PA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    7y

    Interesting question and thread responses. 

    Let me share some personal experience in our local NEPA market:

    Years ago, we found tenants dealing out of their apartment (building we manage).  We notified them we were aware of the extra traffic and suspected drug-related activity.  We notified the drug enforcement agency in the area, and they told us "if we come out and find drugs, your property will be condemned by the city."  Nice, right?  Well, at least we were covered against the "you knew or should have known" argument in court.

    Ok, so fast forward to present--multiple calls to the local police by other tenants and neighbors about a tenant smoking MJ.  Police response?  "We already know about it."  Nothing was done.  Why?  Because the police were spread so thin on overdose calls and dealing of opioids and heroin that they don't even bother with weed anymore.

    So, what's a mother to do?  We notify offending tenant that they are in violation of their lease (no smoking on property and zero tolerance for drug use/activity). If they continue their actions, we serve legal notice and file for eviction. 

    NOTE:  make it a requirement that all tenants have renter's insurance, and name you as a party of interest.  In case of fire or other damage, your insurance will subrogate to the renter's policy and thereby should a claim should affect your rates.

    3Reply
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