@Pawel Cwierz call me a cook all you want but i think it is just fear that is taught from an early age.

Who knows what other ‘scams’ they might be cooking up for me.Set minimum standards for income, rent, security deposits, and integrity (felonies). 

Some localities have anti 3x laws ( Cook county Illinois?

You would be surprised how many people sue their landlords  because of the 3, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8 second hand smokers affect their health and anyone that touches the door knobs.

Pending how bad the staining - i.e. how long the smoker was resident.  

(They have the deferred maintenance you'd expect after a fixed income senior lived in them for several years, plus smokers, pets)So how do I turn 5 straggling houses into a proper real estate portfolio and well-managed rental business? 

Do you need to virtually stage your land with tents, a fire, marshmallows being cooked on the fire...  

Are they just "smokers" or drug addicts?

Or, consider leaving Cook county.

We simply all respected the space when someone else was cooking.