Skip to content

Let's keep in touch

Subscribe to our newsletter for timely insights and actionable tips on your real estate journey.

By signing up, you indicate that you agree to the BiggerPockets Terms & Conditions
Followed Discussions Followed Categories Followed People Followed Locations
General Landlording & Rental Properties
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

Updated almost 7 years ago on . Most recent reply

User Stats

14
Posts
1
Votes
Douglas Stewart
  • Los Angeles
1
Votes |
14
Posts

Evicting a Smoker (CA)

Douglas Stewart
  • Los Angeles
Posted

Back in the days before I heard of BP, I bought a condo rental in CA (did everything wrong, didn't even run numbers, by pure luck it cash flows).  I needed a tenant right away so I stupidly rented it to a smoker.  She said she only smokes 2-3 per day and would do it on the porch with the doors closed (yeah right).  We put this language in the lease agreement (minimal smoking on the porch with doors closed).  Fast forward 6 years and she's been a good tenant, but the condo is starting to smell more and more like smoke, not terribly bad, but enough to notice and enough to affect renting it to someone else when she moves out.  She doesn't seem to want to go anywhere, so I guess I have three questions: 1. can I evict this person for breaking the lease (we're on month-to-month now)?  2. would you evict her? Is the smoke damage already done, and I'll just deal with it when she moves out?  3.  How difficult is it to completely remove the smoke smell?  I assume there are some good professional services that do this, but wondering how good are they.

Big thank you to everyone here!!!

Most Popular Reply

User Stats

6,023
Posts
9,409
Votes
Dennis M.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Erie, pa
9,409
Votes |
6,023
Posts
Dennis M.
  • Rental Property Investor
  • Erie, pa
Replied

@Douglas Stewart

If she pays keep her . When she leaves paint with kilz paint and use a ozone generator machine for several days . You’ll be fine

Loading replies...