I was wondering if anyone else knows someone like this?

I have a friend who rents 2 rooms out of his personal home to help pay the mortgage. One of the rooms has a stable tenant but there are endless problems renting the other room, even though it was refurbished. Slow payers, people who lose their jobs and leave.

It was vacant for awhile and no one was interested. Finally he received a call from a 20 year old's aunt asking if the 20 year old to rent.

When he told me this I warned him about third parties who call instead of the prospect, that it often means trouble. But he rented to this person because he needed the money.

Now this 20 year old has moved in and within a week's time entered the other roommate's room without permission and went through his stuff, and has guests over to smoke "blunts" in the backyard, and, the worst may be involved with drug dealing (not confirmed yet but it sounds like it).

I am worried for my friend, that he could have trouble from the police with this one. I've told him to do background checks on these people before renting (maybe not a credit report but at least eviction/criminal) but I don't think he's doing these.

A lot of people want to just get along, and want everyone to win.

It takes experience to realize no, we can't all just get along, and no, sometimes everyone can't win.

Deanna, I think that's a big part of the problem. My friend has some stuff in his past (financial problems, and a couple arrests a long time ago), so I think he feels he has to give people a "second chance" because he's made mistakes.

I've tried to explain to him that you usually get burned in this business when you give people chances. Especially when it comes to strangers.

This is one of the few areas where ontario landllrds are treated sensibly. If the landlord has to share a kitchen or bathroom with the tenant, then the ontario rental laws do NOT apply.

The landlord can actually pack up the renters belongings and put them to the curb.

Thanks Andrew, I'm going to look into that.

Eww... that 20 year old drug dealer could get tenants rights.. then your friend would have to evict him.

You said you warned him. You can see how much weight they put in your opinion. I only say this, bc I have a few friends that seek input from myself and wise people yet never utilize it. Sounds a bit like your friend the ll.

Best bet, give the drug dealer a few hundred to leave or dump a ton of money into evicting someone you're living with..

J, I have a few people here that ask me stuff and never listen. It kind of bothers me because typically I know the quickest and best answer for some of the stupid questions they ask, but they still don't listen. It also wastes my time.

Sometimes if they catch me in an off mood, I'll give them nonsense as an answer. After a while, if they're not going to listen, I don't care what they do.

If they'll listen, I've always been happy to help.

Times like this I've had to do things which would not fly in court.

The problem is the friend, as you know, it isn't in the tenant. Once this tenant is gone another will take his place.

Written criteria are a big help. They need to be written as stated above.

When we hear good advice given from you it simply doesn't sink in.

Nice people make great landlords also. They eventually find great tenants and they quietly live well. It is all around us we just don't read about it because it is very uneventful.

Smokowna is right. Actually, nice people make BETTER landlords. We are nice people. We care about our properties, about providing nice ones so that nice people will want to live there. We allow people to have their beloved pets because good pet owners are good people. We respond quickly to maintenance requests because who wants to live in a broken place?

You are a nice person for caring so much about your friends biz, but unfortunately some people don't listen. They have to experience the fallout for themselves. Just be supportive when that happens.

As for advice to him, just advise him to document everything. If he's living with these two, calling the police could cause it to escalate quickly and without a good solution as police can't arrest without good reason or make someone move out. I'd call auntie and make her aware that dear nephew is getting a lease violation and the next step will affect her directly. Too bad this isn't a month to month.

I'd offer the better tenant a great lock for his door with a deadbolt. Might make him feel better about it.

Maybe he can install a hidden security camera in the common areas such as halls between bedrooms, kitchen and living room. Let them know via a written document that it's there.

GKARL on this forum is running a rooming house. Kind of like your friend. There may be different statutes for that in your state.

Thanks. Unfortunately this is not the first time something like this has happened. There were some people who were there for a couple of years, always several months behind on rent and trying to catch up. Finally he told them to go but they left damage behind and stole some thing from the house when they left.

I'm going to suggest that he at least do a criminal check on tenants before renting to them in the future. Just for the fact that there are a lot of dangerous people out there. Who needs them living with you in your own home?

NE,

I agree with your point about giving advice to those who don't listen.

J,

The term NICE is so vague. As I advise LLs in trouble for being NICE it usually reveals itself as NAIVE or PUSHOVER.

All I can do is tell them if they ask.

BRAD

Agreed Brad, everyone..."nice" is not really the best word for it...it's a combination of things.