Tenant smoking weed - options?

btbmcd

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I let a property to a group of tenants last September - students who signed a contract until end of May. The group have dwindled away and on meeting one of the recent leavers I asked why they left. She complained that one of the others in the house spent the day smoking weed, and had friends over all the time to join in the craic (excuse the pun).

I've been trying to contact the tenant in question but they are not responding - possibly away for Easter break. However when I called to the property a few days ago another tenant let me in and there in one of the reception rooms was the equipment and evidence of the activity. I do not suspect for a minute that the tenant in the house is involved.

The offending tenant still refuses to return calls / emails. At this stage I want him out rather than have him and his cronies stoned all day in my property. Is a call to the guards an option? I'm out of pocket due to unpaid bills etc etc but at this stage my bigger concern is for the property.
 
I'm out of pocket due to unpaid bills etc etc but at this stage my bigger concern is for the property.


What unpaid bills? What is your concern for the property. Weed is fairly harmless but it is illegal. But they could just as easily be taking legal alcohol and doing more damage, or taking nothing doesn't prevent one from having nightmare tenants. It's now April, surely the term is up next month?
 
Hi Bronte, the guys only part paid utility bills (as in the past I had left them in my name because the utility companies always demand a big deposit from students - it's never been an issue before but lesson learned on my behalf now).

Having a guys hanging around the house smoking weed with his buddies is not what I want especially as I have no idea who these people are.
 
I think you're being a bit naive here tbh. Students smoking weed ... whatever next! As Bronte said, I think there is more likelihood of property damage with alcohol. I think at this stage you would be better off waiting for the term to end and the students move out.
 
You're probably right CB - I'm not a complete prude, but I do know that at least 2 of the people who moved out said they just couldn't hack it because this guy made the house a mess and with his fellow "smackheads" around the house all day it was too uncomfortable.
 
"smackheads"? Weed and smack are quite different things (one is spamspamspam the other is usually heroin) Are you using the term or was that the description the other tenants gave you? Were they specific as to the problem tenant's drug use? Both would be controlled substances but they don't tend to be placed in the same bracket by most people. What equipment and evidence of activity did you note?

As these are students, was there any involvement in the contract by the parent(s) of this person? As guarantor? Perhaps contacting them with regards to the unpaid bills might get a response.
 
"smackheads"? Weed and smack are quite different things (one is spamspamspam the other is usually heroin) Are you using the term or was that the description the other tenants gave you? Were they specific as to the problem tenant's drug use? Both would be controlled substances but they don't tend to be placed in the same bracket by most people. What equipment and evidence of activity did you note?

As these are students, was there any involvement in the contract by the parent(s) of this person? As guarantor? Perhaps contacting them with regards to the unpaid bills might get a response.

That was the term used by one of the others that left - to be honest I don't believe there's heroin involved. What I have seen (and photographed) is one of those funnel type flasks, a roll of tin foil and some butts of roll ups (I'm not an expert in this but I suspect it's spamspamspam). Parents did not sign contracts but a parent of the key suspect in this has been in touch with me in the past, I suspect they probably know that there is a problem but not sure if they will engage.
 
I'm no expert but tin foil is not usually associated with spamspamspam use. I'd be concerned re heroin use if I had seen this around the place. Having bills in own name is a definite no no. Did you have a deposit held ? Smack head also refers to heroin, perhaps it's time to have a chat at the local Garda station.
 
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I'm no expert but tin foil is not usually associated with spamspamspam use.

I friend of mine who was too broke to afford to buy one (and yet managed to always find the money to buy beer and spamspamspam, go figure) used a tinfoil roll with a hole cut out and the whole thing covered in tinfoil somehow as a pipe for smoking the spamspamspam. Could be something like that. Either way, given unpaid bills and causing the landlord to lose other tenants, it looks like this tenant has outstayed his welcome. Since he won't respond to your calls or texts, how about sending a letter to him at his parents or something like that?
 
In fairness i think the tin foil is probably more likely to be use at the end of a pipe / flask. Leaving the bills in my name is something I have done in good faith for years without it being a problem, I worked on the basis that treating people fairly well and building some kind of relationship avoided these kind of issues - but lesson learned now. I called the parent yesterday and left a voicemail that the son wasn't responding to emails / calls and I needed to make contact urgently but guess what?.......... no response ;-)
 
If they are using illegal drugs I would have them out on their ears. I don't buy all this "sure it is no harm" bull. We either respect the law of the land or there will be anarchy.
 
Another point to consider... if the individual is providing their "smackhead" friends with drugs when they come over the gardaí could be knocking on the door looking to arrest them for supply. I think you need to query the tenants who have left to try and establish exactly what is being used and whether your tenant is supplying drugs. I would also be inclined to agree with Time and suggest you move against them. Given that it is coming up to exam times it must be quite a problem for the other tenants to feel they need to leave.
 
In my innocence I don't think it's a supply issue, the problem with moving against this person is that it'll probably end up at a PRTB hearing which I may lose out on because in the contract it doesn't mention that you can't smoke weed all and I have to give 28 days notice etc etc.
 
I let a property to a group of tenants last September - students who signed a contract until end of May

You only have this problem for a few more weeks......

Try vetting students more, students studying intensive courses are less likely to have the inclination or time for smoking weed all day - no pass BA candidates need apply.
 
In my innocence I don't think it's a supply issue, the problem with moving against this person is that it'll probably end up at a PRTB hearing which I may lose out on because in the contract it doesn't mention that you can't smoke weed all and I have to give 28 days notice etc etc.

I don't believe smoking or taking illegal substances has to be in the lease for you to have grounds to evict them. You could easily just report them to the Gardai, you took pictures of the stuff you mentioned. Still don't tink on the 24th April it's worth it though.
 
I let a property to a group of tenants last September - students who signed a contract until end of May. The group have dwindled away and on meeting one of the recent leavers....

Sorry go back to the start. The property should rents as one unit to an individual. How are people leaving? Are they being replaced, is one person paying the full rent?
 
When the first person left they were replaced but after that I was at a loss of the reduced rent.....my own kids were students a couple of years ago, I have a fair idea what they get up to. I've let to students for years with very few problems on the basis that you get a good deposit, you treat them fairly and it should be good for both parties.

However thanks to the PRTB - NEVER AGAIN. When people started to leave they all quoted PRTB "once I give you 28 days notice I'm entitled to my deposit back blah blah....". This, even tough they all knew the signed a contract to end of May.

I'm kind of looking forward to early August listening to the whineline and all the mothers ringing into Joe about the way their little darlings can't get accommodation for love nor money and about the exhorbitant rents in Dublin.

Hopefully some of them will get onto the PRTB about how they are driving availability down by telling students that it doesn't matter what kind of a contract you sign - you can just walk away at 28 days notice.....
 
Well you caused your own downfall there. Rent to one person. Get the deposit from one person. Anyone breaks the contract they lose the deposit. One moves out, they all move out. If they they find someone else for the room the contract starts over.

Illegal activity breaks the contract/lease assuming its on the contract/lease.

Of course you might consider if you don't report it, and you don't issue notice about it, can a claim be made against the LL.

http://www.irishlandlord.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1704

[broken link removed]

Maybe a word to the references, asking to reconfirm the references, without saying why, might get the references to ask some awkward questions of these students.
 
Thanks AlbacoreA - some interesting stuff there.

They all signed the lease but when you say "Anyone breaks the contract they lose the deposit" Each person who moved out quoted the exact same text provided by the PRTB.... I hereby give you 28 days notice and will be due my deposit back

When you say "one moves out, they all move out." Apparently that is not the advice they were given by the PRTB - once they were paying their share of the rent they could not be evicted

"Illegal activity breaks the contract/lease assuming its on the contract/lease". I doubt if many leases specify that smoking cannibas will result in eviction?

It just strikes me that the PRTB has turned into a monster and like Threshold which started off with good intentions to improve standards they are both now telling tenants that they can pretty much do as they like (walk away regardless with 28 days notice etc etc.). I know several people who have houses let and while rents have gone up quite a lot in the last couple of years it's just not worth the hassle because invariably one out of every 4/5 tenants will be bolshy and start quoting / threatening PRTB or Dublin City Council.

The really ironic thing here, when I advertised the house I had >100 interested parties. I said I would show it on an afternoon during the week to see how many were really interested. At least 50 people showed up (in different parties) and one brought an Aunt who was a neighbour who literally pleaded with me to give it to them and she would make sure there was no messing....aaaaaggghhh
 
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