EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSING ILLEGAL DRUG USE IN RENTALS

<p> Here are two RealTown articles that discuss the topic of tenant drug use. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/questions-and-answers-for-landlords-crime-drugs-and-gangs">http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/questions-and-answers-for-landlords-crime-drugs-and-gangs</a> </p> <p> <a href="http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/what-do-we-do-when-the-tenant-is-dealing-drugs">http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/what-do-we-do-when-the-tenant-is-dealing-drugs</a> </p>

<p> WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF DISTRUCTIVE ILLEGAL DRUG USE ACTIVITIES IN RENTAL PROPERTIES? </p> <p> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </p> <p> Just back from a multiday DC Area REIA Investor training seminar, where I raised the issue of combating effectively illegal &#39;drug activities&#39; in rental housing communities. </p> <p> Not included is &#39;personal use&#39; by an individual tenant who pays their rent and bothers no-one, or in most instances where serious domestic abuse of a spouse, lover or partner is not involved. </p> <p> ------------------------------------------ </p> <p> The best answer offered to the group involves what is known as K-9 TRAINING OPERATIONS THAT ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS LIKE TO PERIODICALLY CARRY OUT. </p> <p> These require &#39;cooperating neighbor[s],&#39; in the building where &#39;drug activity&#39; is ongoing, as well as a cooperating landlord. </p> <p> The landlord, manager, or &#39;pissed off group&#39; contacts the local police or sheriff&#39;s department and privately explains [preferably in person], BUT NOT ON A CELL PHONE OR PARTY LANDLINE, what the issue is. </p> <p> The local PD or Sherrif&#39;s Dept then arranges for4 &#39;K-9 TRAINING&#39; to be conducted in a cooperating neighbors apartment. It is important that the dog[s] be quite noisy in the common areas, i.e., the hallway and while in the singlular or multiple cooperating neighbor&#39;s apartments. </p> <p> It is quite helpful if the dogs detect the scent of &#39;drug activity&#39; outside of the &#39;problem unit in the hallway, sufficient to allow the OFFICER to knock on the door and point out to the occupants that the dogs appear to have detected &quot;N A R C O T I C S&quot; in thed unit AND WOULD IT BE OK IN THE INTEREST OF BUILDING AND NEIGHBOR SAFETY if the officers and dogs &#39;check the matter out further?&#39; [Consent search request] which will ususlly be denied, BUT DRUG ACTIVITY will usually expodentially drop immediately. If it doesn&#39;t, another K-9 TRAINING SESSION is in order and the folks running &#39;ye old crack house or shooting galery&#39; will likely get lost quickly. NO LANDLORD-TENANT ISSUES THIS WAY. </p> <p> </p>