Ive been a landlord for 20 odd years... and usually ive managed to get new tenants quite easily..

I've got one space open right now and it seems all the applicants have very long lists of criminal activity..

anywhere from one person was arrested for possession of marijuana...

to one who has about 10 different criminal trials, including falsifying government records, theft of over $500, etc... and she has two lawsuits from her last two landlords for non-payments...


so.. where do you draw the line? yeah we're not gonna go with the last one... but...

back in 2016-2018 i had a full on cartel member use my house as a stash house. I did not catch on until the last month or so. he was the best renter i ever had.


not saying that you should store meth at your house, but sometimes peopl with awful previous...or current backgrounds can be GREAT renters. Read the applications and make a personal judgement. ultimately you'll be dealing with this person.

This is an easy one. You accept the right tenant that is qualified and has the best chance of being a quality renter. Or you let it sit vacant until that person shows up and in this Market that should be less than 30 days. Never put one of these clowns in you property. At least that's how we have run our rentals.

We've taken in tenants with some previous pot issues with no problems. The credit reports concern us more.

That is definitely a pickle. I have been fortunate enough to have the same tenants for three years now. I assume they will be graduating soon and I will be in the same boat as you.

I would most likely let a low level marijuana possession charge go, with a conversation before signing the rental agreement. My rental contract also states that the tenants are prohibited from possessing any illegal substances or engaging in any illegal activities on the premises. This, of course, is not going to stop the tenants, but offers some protection to you as the landlord.

Any other criminal history would be a case by case basis. Charge, time since charge, current employment, etc. I am a firm believer that people can turn their lives around. Being in construction I have worked with individuals that have extensive criminal history, did their time, and I now highly trust.