Problem Tenant on long-term lease in Swampscott

[Patrick McKinney]

Hi All - 

I have a problem tenant in Swampscott Massachusetts. She is currently halfway through a 1-year lease, and after a relatively quiet 1.5 years this tenant has become a problem, being a nuisance to both the neighbors and the other tenants that I have in my multi-family building. Both my tenant and her daughter have started to intimidate the neighbors and the tenants in my building, making them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. They make loud noises, are up very late into the night, and sometimes harass those neighbors/tenants. The property has a shared driveway and they have been accused of "messing" with the other tenants and neighbors cars. There has also been suspected drug dealing activity out of the unit. I manage remotely so some of this I hear second-hand, but I've now installed cameras to increase my chances of catching this activity on video. The cops have been called 4-5 times in the last 6 weeks, but unfortunately nothing has come out of that except for a few reports of "disturbances".

I know MA very tenant-friendly so it seems my only option is to ride out the existing lease and be sure to over communicate my non-renewal of the lease. Due to the frequency of these issues I'm worried this is going to scare my other tenants away, and continue to upset my neighbors, so I would strongly prefer to take action sooner. 

Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with something similar? I know I could offer cash for keys, but I'm worried when I offer that, they will realize how little leverage I have until the lease expires. 

Thanks,

Pat 

[Nicholas L.]

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