If you were a landlord:

[Dominus]

Would you or could you forbid the use of pot on the premises? I am looking at a home in a college town that has an upper and lower unit. The lower has 3 bedrooms and a bath and the upper has 2 bedrooms and a bath. The rent collected on the upper would cover the mortgage with some change ($100-150) left over. So the wife and I could live rent free.

With my lack of people skills I fear that I might be a little overbearing about the use of pot or even booze and loud parties. Then my wife id hard of hearing and cranks up the tv. I don't care if people get high but I hate the smell of pot and cigarettes.

Tell me your thoughts.

If you play your cards right, being a landlord isn't that bad. Unfortunately, most people don't have the personality or the patience to play the game itself. Hence, being a landlord isn't for everyone. My husband was burnt out after just a year of doing this. And yet, I'm thriving ever since I took over his part. Not saying I'm better. I just happen to have the personality to deal with this.

Here are a few advises.

Give them a new toilet regardless of if the current one works or not. A nice one with a duo flushing system elongated toilet costs $99 at menards. Get that. Also gives you the opportunity to put a new wax seal under there so it will be another 20-30 years before you have to deal with it again. The toilet is probably the most neglected amenity in a rental even though it is so important to day to day living. Everybody likes to use a nice toilet that flushes strongly.

And while you're at it, give them a new bathroom vanity. A nice 30 inch one costs $79 at menards.

Give them a dishwasher if you can fit one in. Everybody likes having one. Trust me. When I list my places, the thing that people brings up the most is the dishwasher. It is something that most landlords don't want to be bothered with but tenants love having one.

Make them apply on zillow. Zillow will do a background and credit check for $29.

Interview them one on one. You can tell pretty quickly the fake polite ones from the real polite ones. Here is a trick on how you can get them to act naturally. Don't be formal during your meet with them. Talk like how you normally talk and wear casual clothing. This will get them to relax and they will show their true selves pretty quickly.

I have created fillable pdf lease that includes everything under the sun if you want a copy. It's been checked by a lawyer. It is 99% common sense stuff and there is no weird rule in there. Let me know and I'll pm you a link to my onedrive to download it.

 

[Dominus]

^ Here is what I have regarding smoking in my lease.

 

[Alnitak]

Would you or could you forbid the use of pot on the premises? I am looking at a home in a college town that has an upper and lower unit. The lower has 3 bedrooms and a bath and the upper has 2 bedrooms and a bath. The rent collected on the upper would cover the mortgage with some change ($100-150) left over. So the wife and I could live rent free.

With my lack of people skills I fear that I might be a little overbearing about the use of pot or even booze and loud parties. Then my wife id hard of hearing and cranks up the tv. I don't care if people get high but I hate the smell of pot and cigarettes.

Tell me your thoughts.

You should research the laws about what you can enforce in terms of smoke/noise. Some people might have a legitimate medical right to smoke marijuana.

I would do as the others have said and enlist the aid of a lawyer. The cost of legal services may be less than the minefield you're about to walk out on.

 

[Nealm1]

It would be against the rules to do anything illegal in a place I rented out. This is academic as my preference is to own but not rent out - tenants can be a real hassle.

- - - Updated - - -

The city/area you're interested in probably has a law firm that specializes in residential landlord-tenant issues.

I think you should think twice about being a landlord, and dealing with tenants. Sometimes very easy, sometimes very hard. You will be on constant call, plus need to deal with late payments or no payments at all, damage to units, evictions, etc., etc.

Couldn't agree more lol

 

[Alistair]

You should research the laws about what you can enforce in terms of smoke/noise. Some people might have a legitimate medical right to smoke marijuana.

I would do as the others have said and enlist the aid of a lawyer. The cost of legal services may be less than the minefield you're about to walk out on.

It might also get you into trouble if you ask them if they use medical marijuana. There's all kinds of "fair housing" requirements.

2 different ladies I know got cats even though their lease didn't allow them. They just went to the doctor and got actual papers for them being emotional support animals. Nothing the landlord could do about it.

 

[Kahaih]

People who use " medical marijuana" can't just spark one up anywhere anytime they feel like it.

 

[Zeno Lorea]

Why do we even bother to reply to a topic if the OP doesn't return to show he has read our comments?

 

[ShadowCat]

No smoking period that shit NEVER comes out of ANYTHING!!

 

[jjonn3]

I would make it a policy of No Smoking anywhere on the property - and be very clear that that includes marijuana and vaping - a lot of people do not consider pot to be smoking and will even use it in non-smoking hotel rooms.

State specifically that this is a non smoking facility which includes tobacco, marijuana and vaping.

 

[Dominus]

Easy. Make it clear that your fire insurance forbids any sort of smoking on the property.

Landlord here of many units. Don't need to give them any reason. Smoking inside the house is not a right. Just tell them no smoking inside the enclosed structure, period.

 

[peeonme]

It might also get you into trouble if you ask them if they use medical marijuana. There's all kinds of "fair housing" requirements.

2 different ladies I know got cats even though their lease didn't allow them. They just went to the doctor and got actual papers for them being emotional support animals. Nothing the landlord could do about it.

I know of a person with a pitbull, she tried the same approach and finally lost. It took several years in court battles before she had to re home the dog. The park I live in forbids several breeds of dogs, pit bulls are on the list and people tell the park that they are boxers or some other breed.

 

[Latimer]

It might also get you into trouble if you ask them if they use medical marijuana. There's all kinds of "fair housing" requirements.

2 different ladies I know got cats even though their lease didn't allow them. They just went to the doctor and got actual papers for them being emotional support animals. Nothing the landlord could do about it.

It's a racket. My partner and I have a tenant who lived 30-70 at his place and his girlfriend's place. He has claimed her 2 Yorkies as his emotional support animals, got a shrink he found online to attest to his need to have them live with him, along with a lawyer to notify us he was doing so. The other tenants on the property have dogs, but they had them when they leased their apartments and pay extra rent and increased security deposits, and agreed at the time to certain provisions in their leases regarding the dogs. This guy's lawyer has informed us that his client isn't required to do any of this as per HUD and state law. HUD??? Why I asked my partner--himself a lawyer--why is HUD involved? My partner said it's "hazy", which is often his response regarding legal matters.

Final note: according to the local Covid-19 emergency regulations, tenants are allowed to house friends and their animals during the emergency period, with no limit as the number of either.

 

[medic1]

Only if they agreed to share...............