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What Should You Do If Your Tenant is A Drug Dealer?

Landlord Advice

Real estate business can be quite challenging especially if you are into the leasing or renting category. Even though there are so many issues that one can face when dealing with tenants this special piece is much more dedicated to the serious issue of drug dealers. Probably you are just a new guy into the renting business and without vast information you can have a really hard time dealing with such cases. For starters, it is very important that you screen all your tenants before you can even let them occupy your rentals.

What laws exists and the possible legal action you might face in relation to drug dealer tenants

First and foremost, as a landlord who wants to stay in business you should acknowledge the severity of such implications. You are probably aware of how dangerous such activities can be to your other tenants and neighbours, and for that reason you will need to be very cautious. Obviously, there are laws pertaining to such cases might be slightly different in regards to the state or city that your premise is located. For the purpose of being informed, here are some of the penalties you might face for tenants dealing drugs.

· Hefty fines for allowing an illegal act to continue to occur in your premise

· Criminal penalties because you knowingly allowed an illegal activity to continue

· Your property might be confiscated by your government (extreme scenarios)

In addition to the criminal penalties that you may face, other negative consequences may include:

· A drop in your property value which will make it hard for you to find keep tenants

· You could get sued by other tenants or neighbours especially if they get annoyed or injured by the drug dealing. You can face suit on the ground that your rental property constitutes a society nuisance that threatens the safety of the public and morals.

Now that you have a clear understanding of the repercussions that you may face if your tenant is a drug dealer, the next big question is how you can handle such a serious scenario to protect yourself as the landlord and of course your rental property.

How can you limit letting out your property to drug dealers?

To be able to avoid such complications in the future, you need to keep away drug dealers from your rentals.

As earlier stated, you will need to screen all your tenants prior to letting them occupy your property. Doing a thorough background check on every individual is of great importance.

Even after you have thoroughly screened your tenants, you need to serve them with the tenant’s policy and regulations. On this document you should clearly state that such illegal activities will not be allowed and anyone suspected of such will be face serious consequences.

If by chance you suspect or here complains from other people that a particular tenant of yours is dealing with drugs, you should take the matter seriously and confirm the reports. If what you suspect is true then you need to take drastic action.

How should you handle a drug dealer tenant on your property?

Drug dealing is a serious crime and thus it can be very dangerous so you need to be extra careful when dealing with such tenants.

First you will need to evacuate the tenant from the property with immediate effect. Draft a clear notice that will let the tenant understand your cause of action and you can mention that you have notified the police of his/her illegal activities. If you have problems getting the tenant out of your premises, then you will need to find help from the police.

You should also note that you really need to be sure of such claims to avoid suits from the tenant for damages. It is wise to find enough evidence before you take any serious action.

To finalize, property management can be very challenging especially if you are new to this business, if not careful enough your investment can go down the drains and might have a difficult time trying to get back on your feet. Always take precautions so that you may not need to face such problems in the future. You can always consult with an experienced real estate lawyer for more information on a serious issue relating to a drug dealer tenant.