HOW TO DEAL WITH LAW-BREAKING TENANTS

It’s important to trust your tenants. But if you have evidence that that renters are involved in illegal activities such as selling drugs, then you need to take steps to end their tenancy as soon as possible.

This is especially important if you are a landlord in the state of Texas.  Even if you didn’t know that any criminal activity was going, you can still be held liable should anyone be injured as a result of illegal activities. It’s absolutely critical, therefore, that you get help from such authorities as the police or your neighborhood association to help you mount a case against law-breaking tenants.

Your rental agreement should include a paragraph that clearly states that drug use and/or other criminal activities will not be tolerated on your property. Let renters know that you will terminate the lease and evict them immediately if you have evidence that anything illegal is taking place. If a tenant makes allegations against a neighbor, check it out: you can’t afford not to.

You should also make sure to run thorough background checks on all prospects. However, be aware that if you have more than four units on your rental property, state and local fair housing laws do protect former drug abusers. The only way you can refuse rental to such an individual is if he or she was convicted of selling or manufacturing drugs.

At Herman Boswell, we know how critical it is to stay on top of what happens on rental properties. We also know that effective tenant management takes skill as well as one thing most landlords never seem to have enough of: time. That’s why we have a team of dedicated specialists to help you take care of all your property management needs in the Arlington area. When only the help of trusted real estate experts will do, contact us!