All Forum Posts by: Teresa Knepper

I guess part of my question is keeping their deposit. They are pushing for us to give it to them because it is more than the rent they owe. However with the smoking we feel like we should be able to keep it and realize we will not get anything else really from them.

So I have a 2 part question.  We have evicted some tenants due to them not paying their rent.  We sent them a 3 day to pay or quit and they moved.  However, we were in the facility (dealing with a so called mice problem by them) a couple days prior and noticed that they had cigarette butts in their rooms in huge ash trays and all smoke detectors had been removed and obviously it smelled like smoke.  My husband did take photos of this.  They are claiming that these are ashtrays that they brought inside because they were moving stuff.  So first, how much do we need to prove that there was smoking in the home because we do want to charge for damages? Secondly, since they were evicted and they moved is the lease now void and they owe nothing beyond what they lived there for?

Sorry this may seem like silly questions, but this is our first eviction and actually tenants.

Thanks!

thanks everyone for your responses. We were thinking the exact same thing and a hotel seemed absolutely insane! We are just always trying to cover our you know whats. I didn't know if the exterminator would cover me to show an effort that we tried to resolve the issue or if we can just do traps. I think we'll start there and see what happens 

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone new in Montana if it was the landlords responsibility to deal with mice.  I have a tenant that just notified me today that they have caught 2 mice and supposedly have seen baby mice today.  They are asking for an exterminator and for us to put them in a hotel.  If it is our responsibility, does it ever fall on them due to cleanliness?