Bad Apple in my First Rental Property..

[Stephanie Cederdahl]

I am going through a difficult situation with my first rental property. My tenant was a bad apple... dealing drugs in the property. This lead to the swat team raiding the property and arresting my tenant. I evicted the tenant as soon as this happened and he is currently moving out. This guy had no criminal history, good credit and a stable job for 10+ years. We did a complete background check. I had also been in the property recently and saw nothing suspicious. So it was shocking to learn this was going on...

The issue I'm having is with the neighbors. This rental property is in a nice suburban family-focused neighborhood. The neighbors are outraged by what happened and want me to sell the property. There has been a lively discussion on the nextdoor app about how a rental property doesn't belong in this neighborhood (prices in this neighborhood are in the 200-300's). There have been some hateful people who want to attack me for owning a rental in this neighborhood. 

Now that my tenant is moving out, I am faced with the decision to continue renting the property or to sell. I have been making good cash flow on this property. But I worry if I rent the property to another tenant, the neighborhood will treat the tenant poorly and continue to attack me for owning a rental property in this neighborhood.

Has anyone experienced such negativity for owning a rental property in a 'nice' neighborhood? If so, how did you deal with it?? 

[Bill B.]

How would they respond if swat raided a homeowners property? Would they demand that every house in the neighborhood be a rental? Somehow, I doubt it. I also bet you aren’t the only rental in the neighborhood, their are very few owner only neighborhoods in America. 

2 primary houses ago, the house diagonal across the street from us was raided by swat. Everyone was excited for about a week and then it just a story to tell others. What percent of the neighbors do you think even use the next door ap? 10% 5%? Unless they want to buy your property tell them to pound sand.