Tenants possibly smoking in my house???

My wife went round to see friends who live a few doors down from our house that we rent out to this young couple.

When we met this young couple they told us they didnt smoke and were quiet etc.

my wifes friend has told her that they have been having parties most weekend and also she is pretty sure they are smoking too.

She also told my wife that they are sometimes abusive to other neighbours.

now we stipulated non smokers when looking for potential tennats via the estate agent so is it down to them to check or what??

must say though they have paid their rent on time since moving in(3 months now)

If they have been smoking in the house you will be able to tell at the end and take from their deposit the cost of cleaning / redecoration.

If you kick them out how long will the place be empty until you get more tenets? Lose a couple of months rent and you will have lost more than redecoration costs maybe?

could be the estate agents didn’t check or could be the tenets lied

How would your friends know anyway? Or are they smoking outside?

good tenants that pay up are worth having IMO

daughter of our friend is friends with girl who rents our house.

I know what you are saying tj but we had just paid out to get the house spotless ready for renting,new carpets etc

Smoke wrecks a house, we can still smell smoke in our house and it’s been 3 years and a complete re-decoration since the smoking owners (including all new floors/carpets and all rooms painted, seems to have seeped into the woodwork!). would take one hell of a deposit to make me keep them.

Grim habit.

Sounds like it is about time for a 3 month inspection/check everything is ok chat.

must say though they have paid their rent on time since moving in(3 months now)

That is the minimum you’d expect from tenant, surely?

yep it is captjon.

wife is going to pop into letting agent tomorrow and just express our concerns

deposit was just short of a grand, i dont think that would sort out the smell would it??

Pfft. Unless there’s damage being caused or substantiated complaints are made by neighbours, then just leave it be.

I rent, and I told the EA that I was a non smoker, as I have done every rented place I’ve lived in. Every place to rent specifies ‘non smokers only’ (cheaper owner insurance, no?). So I lied to get a place to live. As far as I’m concerned, I do what I want in my own home, I’m paying for it. If I damage it, I pay to fix it. I really don’t care what the LL thinks; it’s not his home, it’s mine.

At the end of the day, if you don’t want people doing certain things in your property, then don’t rent it out, Simple.

Otherwise, unless they genuinely are causing a problem, then just allow it.

What your wife’s friend says may in fact be malicious tittle-tattle. At least respect your tenants by asking their side of the story.

My LL leaves me well alone. Which is how I want it. Can’t stand meddling LLs who think they can impose their rules in my home.

Smoke wrecks a house, we can still smell smoke in our house and it’s been 3 years and a complete re-decoration since the smoking owners (including all new floors/carpets and all rooms painted, seems to have seeped into the woodwork!)

You obviously din’t clean it properly before you decorated. Either that or the smell is something else entirely.

At the end of the day, if you don’t want people doing certain things in your property, then don’t rent it out, Simple.

Totally agree.
Too many landlords forget that they have PEOPLE living in their property not just tenants who give them money.

Not suggesting this applies to the OP but too often greed gets in the way of compassion and understanding.

but we had just paid out to get the house spotless ready for renting,new carpets etc

Why would you do that? 😕

I’ve got a place that I rent out. I’ve specified non-smokers, and have had tenants who smoked lots – fresh paint and air-freshener covers it up well enough. If these are your first tenants, I advise you to not worry so much. You’ll discover loads of wear and tear after they’ve moved out and not be able to do anything about it: it’s like the first scratch on a new bike – you’re gutted for a day or two, but don’t care about the subsequent ones.

At the end of the day, it’s not your home (well, it is, but you don’t live there) it’s someone else’s that you just happen to own.

Whilst i largely agree with you Elfin that does seem a little confrontational, to be fair if the neighbours have seen them smoking then they are obviously doing it outside and not in the house. If i were to rent my house i wouldn’t want people smoking inside it but couldn’t give a toss what they do in the garden.

And regarding the abusive behavior, that could be subjective, what one person finds abusive is fairly innocuous to another.

so what you are saying is that even though i stipulated i wanted non smoking tennants which is what this couple claimed to be, i just have to accept the fact they lied and just let them carry …………

your right they do rent the house from me but its my house at the end of the day.

so what you are saying is that even though i stipulated i wanted non smoking tennants which is what this couple claimed to be, i just have to accept the fact they lied and just let them carry …………

your right they do rent the house from me but its my house at the end of the day.

I don’t think you are cut out for landlording

why is that gwaelod, because i dont like people who lie?

your right they do rent the house from me but its my house at the end of the day.

It’s their home, though. Not yours.

You need to be realistic. They need somewhere to live. You (presumably) need the income from renting. S’always gonna be a compromise.

Every single LL out there stipulates ‘non smokers’. You have to accept that people will lie to serve their own ends. That’s life. Had I or indeed your tenants said we were smokers, then we’d struggle to find anywhere to live. We have to lie in order to have a roof above.

As I said; unless they are actually causing damage or breaking the law, then leave them be. Trust me, you could have much, much worse tenants.

Renton – what do you propose to do about it?

When you decide to rent a place out, you need to lose the emotional connection and treat it as a business venture.

You obviously din’t clean it properly before you decorated. Either that or the smell is something else entirely.

I didn’t do it, it was done by the previous owners who had professionals do it, but I suspect smokers can’t smell left-over-smoke-smell anyway due to their trashed sense of smell. By lying about not smoking you’re effectively invalidating your own contract and they’ve every right to boot you out and I’d have no issues with that. It’s a rented property, it’s not yours, you’re just paying to use it. You’re paying to use it without smoking in it. You could equally argue that it’s your home and you can damage whatever the hell you like as it’s your home – stupid argument.

When you decide to rent a place out, you need to lose the emotional connection and treat it as a business venture.

Seems to me from his initial post that it’s entirely honest business venture – he’s concerned about damage and annoying the neighbours – both perfectly sensible business decisions any landlord should be interested in.

i understand what you are saying, the thing is that yes its their home at the moment but in a few years time we will be going back to it so we will always have a little bit of an emotional attachment to the house.

what am i going to do………. probably nothing

edit.. coffeking has a valid point though

Too many landlords forget that they have PEOPLE living in their property not just tenants who give them money.

Not suggesting this applies to the OP but too often greed gets in the way of compassion and understanding.

Likewise there are too many landlords who ignore the views of the neighbours and don’t care a jot for the property so long as it’s inhabitable. The point is a) PEOPLE shouldn’t lie and b) cause damage and c) be abusive [assuming it’s the truth].

Maybe he’d be happy to accept a smoker but would want more rent?

Nuke ’em from orbit. Its the only way..

I am worried about them abusing the neighbours, when we lived there we got on with all of them and used to have bbq’s out the front with all of them.

now they are getting abused by either the people living in the house or by people visiting the house

edit.. its not just one neighbour we have heard these rumours off either.

so what you are saying is that even though i stipulated i wanted non smoking tennants which is what this couple claimed to be, i just have to accept the fact they lied and just let them carry

Perhaps they took up smoking after moving in ?

Perhaps they had given up smoking but you, and their awkward neighbours, made them nervous and they started again ?

I blame you.

Every single LL out there stipulates ‘non smokers’. You have to accept that people will lie to serve their own ends. That’s life. Had I or indeed your tenants said we were smokers, then we’d struggle to find anywhere to live. We have to lie in order to have a roof above.

If the tenancy agreement states non-smokers & they lied then they are liable to whatever penalty is stated in that Agreement. You brake the rules of the Agreement then you are liable. Its that simple. No ifs, no buts (ba boom tish!) thats the way it is. End of thread as they say..

thanks ernie

Abusing the neighbours is IMO a more serious issue

My mrs smokes and we rent cottages 2-3 times a year and nearly all of them are non smoking but as she does not smoke inside the cottages what is the harm in telling them we do not smoke? It’s easier to do that than explain she smokes but would not smoke in the cottage (would she even be believed ?)

You could equally argue that it’s your home and you can damage whatever the hell you like as it’s your home – stupid argument.

I wasn’t doing that though, was I?

A few cigs isn’t going to do any more ‘damage’ than burning the toast once in a while. A forty a day habit might, but that’s extreme and pretty bloody rare.

As I said; I’ll do what I like in my own home. Thank you.

By lying about not smoking you’re effectively invalidating your own contract and they’ve every right to boot you out and I’d have no issues with that. It’s a rented property, it’s not yours, you’re just paying to use it. You’re paying to use it without smoking in it

Have a read of what I’ve writed up there, then have a think about it. Stick your head into the Real World for a moment.

People lie. It’s the way of the World. It’s always bin that way, and will never change.

now they are getting abused by either the people living in the house or by people visiting the house

This is a problem worth investigating and sorting out.
The smoking, in my opinion, is not.

of course if a big proportion of landlords hadn’t lied to fraudulently obtain mortgages from banks over the last 10 years then tenants would be able to afford to be buy houses, banks and economies wouldn’t be shot to bits and thousands of people wouldn’t be losing their jobs.

I’m assuming all the sanctimonious lot never ever drive above the NSL, or use the internet for ‘personal use’ on company time, etc etc etc… 😉

People lie. It’s the way of the World. It’s always bin that way, and will never change.

I can accept that, no biggie.

BUT if you get caught then you have to pay the piper. Its always bin that, and will never change.. 😉

gwaelod ….. ive got permission from my mortgage company to let my house out so you cant throw that one at me.

A few cigs isn’t going to do any more ‘damage’ than burning the toast once in a while. A forty a day habit might, but that’s extreme and pretty bloody rare.

As I said; I’ll do what I like in my own home. Thank you.

If you want to do what you want in your own home, buy one? If not, play by the requests of the people you’re paying to use their property. No-one has a “few cigs” – they either smoke or they don’t. If you were to burn the toaster out daily then sure you could compare it, otherwise your comparison is pointless.

Have a read of what I’ve writed up there, then have a think about it. Stick your head into the Real World for a moment.

People lie. It’s the way of the World. It’s always bin that way, and will never change.

I’ve read it, and I’m in the real world thanks – I’m just not a complete lying arse who’d say anything to get what I want and then renege on it. I’m just not the sort of person who gives his word and then goes back on it. I know other people are and I would duly kick them to touch for being so.

i wish there was a thanks button on here !!

I’ve read it, and I’m in the real world thanks – I’m just not a complete lying arse who’d say anything to get what I want and then renege on it. I’m just not the sort of person who gives his word and then goes back on it. I know other people are and I would duly kick them to touch for being so.

Dare I mention the word respect here in this scenario? Im with CK having been a LL & a tenant. In both instances Ive been respectful – but if you break the Agreement (as either) then its your lookout. Theres a reason why such things are legally binding & breaking them has such severe ramifications. Its to protect both parties..Its all about respect..Some obviously have less than others.. 🙄

I’m just not a complete lying arse who’d say anything to get what I want and then renege on it. I’m just not the sort of person who gives his word and then goes back on it. I know other people are and I would duly kick them to touch for being so.

Wow! You must be a saint among men.

We’re talking about smoking here, not serial murder. Jeez.

surely its the principle of lying though

What is the principle of lying that is true for every lie?

I rent my house and after 6 months have finally got rid of the smell of fags left by the previous tenant,so it can be hard to lose the stench