Tenant illegal act or crime conducted on your rented property is a good ground for eviction. It’s also a good ground for you to be criminally prosecuted if proven that you have neglected your duty as a landlord and have tolerated crimes to go on inside your property.
Say for example you have rented your residential property to tenants who have been good payers ever since they moved in. Sometimes they pay the rental fee three to five months in advance. They have no pets. They have not yet disturbed the peace and well being or the neighbors. Their stay has not caused any damages to your property. One day, news broke out linking your tenants as suspects to a crime, specifically a drug crime. What should you do?
Did you know that you are criminally liable for any crime that goes on your property? It is your responsibility to protect the neighborhood from the criminal actions by your tenants. You will especially be held liable for criminal acts that involved drugs inside your rented property.
To avoid repercussions, you must do the following:
- Like a critical employer, you must be a critical landlord. Interview your candidates for tenancy thoroughly. If you can afford it, have the police run a check on them to at least know what kind of people they are.
- Do not accept cash as rental payment.
- Always keep a keen eye out for any suspicious activity.
- Provisions on drug dealing and other criminal activity should be underlined in the contract.
- If you have clear evidence of drug activity within and around your property, evict the tenant right away. Do not offer second chances or 3 day quit or cure notice. Issue an unconditional quit notice instead.
