Ive recently just closed on a triplex and officially been an owner for about a week. I am inheriting tenants in 2 of the 3 units. In one of the units I have a (63 year old) retired senior citizen and his son (45 years old). I have met them and they are very nice people but they are in the home basically all day everyday CONSTANTLY smoking. I brought it up once and asked them nicely to please smoke outside. It is even in their current lease that I am honoring from the previous landlord that states smoking indoors is prohibited. However they do not listen and continue to smoke inside the home. Their lease is up in September and I am contemplating not resigning them. They have been living there for 3 years now under a guarantor which makes me believe they are decent tenants and pay their rent on time. I would love to resign them, but I'm thinking the damage caused by smoking is something I should take seriously.
What are your thoughts?
Do you have tenants that smoke?
Is there a way I can keep them and smoke proof the house?
Smoking Tenants
byu/Alternative-Gur-6226 inrealestateinvesting
Posted by Alternative-Gur-6226
8 Comments
I lease violation them and file evict in 30 days but if you want your place to get destroyed feel free to let them turn ur appt into a chimmney
They are in violation of their lease. You can get them out asap. But be ready for the very difficult job of removing smoke smell.
Honestly, if it doesn’t infringe upon other units, I’d probably just let it go and raise their rent. Re-sign them and forget about it.
It depends if you can see this unit making more money with better tenants and a refresh. If so, remember they’re in violation of the lease terms and you can give them notice while you put the rehab plan in motion. If you *do* evict, remember to deduct extra funds because you’ll have to Kilz the walls & ceiling and if you replace the floor, I’d Kilz the subfloor as well. Kilz2 actual masks odors better than Kilz. It took 2 coats to knock out the ashtray smell but when it’s done, the next tenants won’t smell anything.
Depending on your location if you have winter, September would not be ideal for a vacancy. I’d start getting tough in the spring and let them know they’re not getting renewed and to get out ASAP and you’ll let them out of the lease.
You’ll know real quick if they’ll leave willingly or if you have to evict and you can start eviction whenever for violating.
You can also charge them hard for cleaning and paint.
If they’ve been in there 3 years smoking indoors daily, that unit will be a full gut rehab. Trust me when I say you will never get the stench of cigarette smoke out. Whatever you decide, and I’m not saying non-renewal isn’t the answer, be prepared for that.
If your lease requires them to carry liability insurance and the lease states no smoking inside the premises, you might consider any recourse you have to file a claim while they still live inside the unit.
The damage is already done most likely and it’s going to take painting the walls and ceilings and cleaning EVERYTHING to get the smell out. After their lease ends in September, can you switch to month to month and then update the unit in the spring? That’s IF it’s below market rate.
I’d offer the lease at a 25 % market premium. Make it a 7 month lease so you can get enough cash to refurbish the unit.
I had this problem on a unit I owned and another buddy of mine had a rental down the street from me. All you can do is wait till they move out. Damage is done. Gut the place. It takes three or four coats of kilz after you’ve scrubbed the walls to get the nicotine off, trash, the cabinets, trash the appliances and start fresh.