Other than the cigarettes, there is nothing unusual about East Indian nationals coming across the Mexican border.

We smelled cigarette and weed smoke on the first night despite our clear no smoking indoors/no illegal drugs rule, and our messages asking them to please refrain from smoking indoors had gone unanswered. 

Yes, just like removing cigarette smell.

Not the end ha they were all chain smokers and the cats peed everywhere, I sanded, kilzed and painted everything, but it still smells like cat and cigarettes and that's been several years ago.

This was for cigarette smoke smell and the walls were plaster lathe or I would have just replaced.

Cigarettes and poison ivy may both be legal however you can prevent them from be on your property. 

Damage such as holes in wall, cigarette burns in the carpet - were these damages that were done with malicious intents?

It might be different if they'd rent a smoking unit, but they are too good to live with the stink and burns from the previous tenant.Of course, smokers lie, so I still get the occassional smoker, but my contract specifically says that the tenants will pay for any smoke or burn damage from cigarettes, candles, incense, or any other flame or burning, up to and including full cost of replacing the carpets and re-painting the interior.At least when the tenants lie and sneak smoking, they are more careful, because they know I will kick them out if i catch them.

Hi BP,Quick question for multifamily owners.We have had several tenants in a 4 unit building complain about noise (video games and small children yelling) mainly on the weekends and late at night as well as cigarette smoke smell when neighbors turn heat on. 

The one I am thinking of involved a resident dying  because another resident was drunk and his lit cigarette was disposed of such that it set the place on fire.