All Forum Posts by: Mike Roberts

 You've clearly not visited Newberg, Oregon. As I mentioned above, I lived there for 30 years. Most people there smoke pot...especially people who rent. It's a big, big, big deal there. That was before it was legal. The chances that the next tenant is going to smoke pot all the same is very, very, very high. And maybe they won't bother to go outside. There are a LOT of people who smoke pot you would never think of - old ladies, professionals, stoners, doctors, lawyers, realtors, the guy at McDonalds, and everybody in between.

"You don't have to live with this"...the horrors, the horrors! What is it that he is living with again? It's not like this is his roommate smoking in the same house as him.

 So far I have not heard anything from the OP that suggests he has even asked the mom or the kid to stop doing this besides writing it in a lease that they probably barely looked at. Yes, sometimes people need to be reminded of the rules. It is not the end of the world. You don't have to crucify them for it. And don't try to say that you did absolutely everything your mom ever asked you to do...

Maybe he just has to go ask this kid and they kid will say "oh, sorry, I didn't know I was bothering you" and then stop. Has he tried? People who smoke pot are usually calm and easy to get along with...many are just assuming this kid is some kind of monster who refuses to follow rules and he's gonna get momma evicted. There is no information here that indicates this.

So many clueless people here...

First of all, we have to clarify, again: Marijuana smoke CANNOT damage your building. It is not possible. There is no such thing as marijuana smoke "remediation". If it is your opinion that it damages people, great. If it is your opinion that it should be illegal, great. Does not change the fact that it CANNOT damage a building, even if you sit in there puffing away 24/7. It is not tobacco, every substance creates a different kind of smoke. Every house is going to have a different kind of smell left by the previous tenant even if they never smoke. People stink. This is why houses need to be cleaned. Just because it vaguely smells like pot the day they leave, does not mean it will smell like that tomorrow. Open the friggin window!

Some of you are trying to compare this to candles. How many have a "no candles" policy in the lease and enforce actually it? This is a good comparison, because marijuana smoke will make a house smell the same way a scented candle does - for a few hours and then you never know it happened.

It sounds like what this is coming down to is "he didn't follow the rules, get 'em!!!" and you just want to be the alpha male for no reason. You enjoy the power of being a landlord or you would not have asked this question. Just because you think you are the boss does not mean evictions are any better for you than they are for the tenant. The truth is, it will cost you money. And in Newberg, Oregon (I lived there for 30 years BTW) almost every tenant is going to smoke pot. I betcha $20 mom tokes too. It sounds like the OP really needs to take a toke...

IF he was causing damage I would evict them in a heartbeat. IF the neighbor was complaining I would evict them in a heartbeat. Just because he didn't follow the letter of a stupid rule? Quit trying to be a dictator. No tenant will ever like you. This is like a cop pulling you over for going 60mph in a 55mph zone. If that cop gives you a ticket for that he is an *** on a power trip, and it will likely be thrown out in court.

Have you even bothered to simply ask this kid, "hey, I see where you are smoking, could you please go do that over there?" This kind of nonsense is why people tend to hate landlords even if they have never met them. Nit picking is not a smart business move.

 I guess some people can't read between the lines. Let me be very blunt: If I don't like your kids, they won't live in my house.  If I find you rude/obnoxious when we speak, you won't live in my house. If you are a bad racial stereo type, you won't live in my house. If you are just generally weird, dirty, creepy, whatever I decide, you will not live in my house. I cannot post this in my advertisement. Yes, some of this may not be 100% legal, but I seriously, seriously doubt everybody here actually gives every single person the same exact treatment. I don't care if you are a protected class, if you are a bad person, you're not living in my house. I'd rather it sit empty. Conversely, I DO NOT have a hard limit for credit scores and income, and I think that is a dumb way to choose people. Each individual needs to be considered individually as a whole person, not just numbers.

Just because somebody has some number points in a system somewhere does not automatically make them a good tenant, and that is really the only criteria I can post in my ad. The thing about smokers was supposed to be a polite example. I am simply asking how you more politely refuse service to somebody you do not want to deal with. I could just be a complete *** and say "sorry, your qualifications are not strong enough, I'm going to wait for more tenants to apply", but I probably won't.

I am not going to deny anybody simply because they are a "protected class", but just because they are protected, doesn't mean they can't be bad tenants also. It has nothing to do with their race/religion/sex/whatever.

LOL! Do you understand marijuana is legal in Oregon and many other states after a popular vote of the people? I'm willing to bet these "problems" you think you had really had nothing to do with weed. Renovate her apartment? For what? You obviously do not know how marijuana works. It is NOT like tobacco smoke. This is irrelevant of your opinion of using the drug or it's legality. It simply does not cause any damage to a building. If you want to think it's the worst drug in the world, you can, but, it still remains that it does not cause building damage.

In this particular instance, I can't see any problem what so ever with what the OP posted. What is he upset about? There is no indication of any property damage, illegal activity, or complaints. He's smoking weed on the porch. It's no different than drinking a beer there.

 And that is exactly what I am talking about. A credit score and income check have absolutely no bearing on how well a person takes care of things. If I get the hint that you don't take good care of things, I don't care if you have the best credit score possible and make more money than me. Another good example is a person's car, if you look at their car and it is dirty, stinky, and full of garbage, chances are their house isn't much different...but I can't tell somebody they don't qualify because their car is a dump.

There simply is no "screening criteria" that can ensure a person will take good care of something. You have to meet them, feel them out, read a person. People skills. Not just text on a document. This is one of the reasons I would never hire a property manager.

I have a friend that makes a lot of money, and I assume has a good credit score. He is also incredibly hard on things, like his own home and truck. I like him as a friend but I would never let him live in my house.

I know I can easily advertise that I want X credit score and X income, etc...

That does not change the fact that some people who make six figures, and have an 850 credit score are unpleasant for one reason or another. Of course if I have a direct reason like "your credit score is too low" I will use it, but I can't say "your breath stinks, you didn't bother to take a shower before you showed up, and your kids are monsters".

If this was a more popular area I could simply say "I chose another applicant", but around here it's just too obvious if that isn't true.

 I could not agree more! Is this kid causing ANYBODY any problems? Is anybody complaining? Is he doing anything illegal? He's outside, who cares. This is a totally different thing than tobacco smoke, legalities and opinions aside, this will NOT damage your property.

You're missing the point. I am not trying to be friends. Some people just seem bad, it's that simple. Some people are obviously messy and unorganized. Some people have really bad children. There are lots of potential reasons. Ever been to rural North Carolina? Some people are just...too rural.

Let me give you an example:
People who smoke. I don't think this is a legally protected class, and I would never allow it in the house, but if I have a choice, I don't want you smoking outside either. They still stink when they come inside. I'm not going to say "you are not accepted because you smoke cigarettes".

With rentals, I think it is best to have as few utilities as possible, and avoid gas entirely if you can. Gas is always going to have a higher fire risk, along with possible CO issues. In something that small, I doubt there would be much difference in cost for the tenant between electricity and gas.