To keep their deposit!!

[LivFG]

DH and I have a couple of properties we rent out. We have been renting to a young couple who always seemed like good tenants. We gave them notice a couple of months ago as we are going to start renting on AirBnB instead as DH thinks we will get more money (don't get me started).

Anyway, they moved out on Saturday and everything seemed fine. Today I went to get everything cleaned and I found (what I think to be) weed residue next to the sink. I'm Furious. I feel completely violated and uncomfortable being inside the property. I'm sick with worry that they have been using illegal drugs in my home and what the legal ramifications could be!!

Obviously we have their deposit. I was planning to refund it this week. After my discovery today, I now feel incredibly reluctant to make any sort of refund. The idea of supporting/funding their lifestyle makes me very uncomfortable. And they never would have been given permission to abuse my property in this way.

DH seems to think none of this is a problem and seems to completely miss the point - it isn't about cleaning it up - it's about the abuse of our trust.

AIBU?

You’re not getting it are you OP?

YOU have behaved illegally! Your tenants probably haven’t but you DEFINITELY have

I can’t wait till your B&B gets going and you find drug use is a common thing… you’re going to have a breakdown after 2 months

Also you absolutely were trying to steal their money.

You didn’t protect their deposit then you tried to retain it because you had a weird suspicion they smoked weed

Thats theft.

The only one moralising illegal behaviour is YOU

what ramifications???? you need mental help. It's you that had done something illegal by not protecting the deposit

This literally may be one of the most ridiculous thing's I have ever read. You are ASSUMING these tenants were smoking weed in your property with absolutely no proof. The police would laugh at you. You are also seriously degrading their character based on an assumption. You should be absolutely ashamed of your own behaviour as a landlord.

Op, you are very concerned with ensuring illegal behaviour is given appropriate consequences, what I am very interested in is, what is the appropriate outcome to you and your husbands illegal behaviour?

As landlords you have very important tasks to undertake, such as protecting your tenants deposits- which you havent done.
to ensure gas safety certificates- which i presume you have not done as youve been asked several times.
to ensure electrical safety certificates- also presuming that you have not done because its another thing you have failed to reply to.

These legal obligations that you have failed to meet, are far more likely to have serious, life altering consequence to the victims of these failures than a bit of weed.

But yes, lets focus on that, if its even what you think.

As someone who actually found drugs in their tenants property on check-out I promise you there were no ramifications for me except they searched the house (which was empty anyway)

exactly.

I really, really hope that the tenants look up if their deposit was protected then claim the 3x back, and also report them for endangering their safety for not having a gas safety cert and no electrical safety cert.

You'd be surprised what people do in airbnb rentals. I happen to know someone who rents via airbnb and the stories I have heard are horrific.
Weed will be the least of your problems!
Nobody is twisting your story, you are doing it because you know you are BU.

Things haven't been twisted against you, people have rightly criticised you for your appalling behaviour.

You are bad landlords and have done way more harm to your tenants by, not protecting their deposit, kicking them out of their home so you can make more money via short term holiday rentals during a housing crisis, looking for reasons to steal their money, than they may have done by smoking a bit of weed in their own home.

I am genuinely horrified by you attitude and complete lack of self-reflection.

I do feel sorry for the former tenants.

Evicted just so an unscrupulous landlord can make more money. It's really hard to find properties for long term lets in many areas of the country

Landlords converting from long term to Airbnb has exasperated this situation.

I can only hope they have found a good property that is managed by a professional.

Op, do you accept that you acted illegally?

OP you sound incredibly naïve.

I don't think renting properties is for you.

Nothings been twisted here, op. If this is for real, you and your husband are not only criminals for failing to secure the deposits your tenants have paid, but you are both morally bankrupt for turfing out your tenants, purely for your own greed. Hope that clears things up!

This sort of thing happens all the time on Police Interceptors (why yes, I do watch it too much) and personal use at home? cannabis warning, probably. That's if the police could even be bothered, which they probably wouldn't be if nothing else illegal is going on in the property.

OP - I'm anti-drugs but your reaction is so over the top as to be unbelievable.

I love the way that your moral permits theft

I'm so glad the ex-tenants can get three times the deposit back. The OPand her husband are like a caricature of a slum landlord
I wish it were not so believable

Disgusting isn't it.

I lived next door to an Air BnB that converted the house into as many rooms as possible and advertised it as being next to bars so I'm sure you can imagine the types of people it attracted. I had a mental breakdown but thankfully I was able to get it shut down after the council threatened them with court. I can't imagine OP and her husband will give a shit about the neighbours they're inflicting this on though as they clearly only care about money.

Don't worry OP I'm sure all the money you'll make at others' expense will help you sleep at night after your terrifying drug ordeal.

If they haven't damaged your property you have no valid justification for keeping their deposit. Give it back.

What you didn't get their deposit in a scheme. There is just no excuse. I'm a LL and you deserve for them to take you to court.

OP, just out of curiosity how do you definitely know it was weed? Have you dabbled in the past?

If you didn't put tenant deposit into an approved scheme you are breaking the law.

I think it's more entitlement than naivety, to be honest.

She smoked it😂

You seem to have missed the fact that whilst it is let- it's 'their ' home.

If they want to smoke weed, so long as they are not dealing or don't leave the place smelling of it - then it is their right to do so, especially if you didn't have a formal contract that said 'no smoking in the house'

You need to return their deposit in full if there are no damages - and think twice about Airbnb - where you may or may not make a bit more- but get far worse.

Think yourselves lucky if they don't come after you for 3x the deposit- I would if you withheld any

I would whether they withheld any or not. I'd consider it an idiot tax on clueless landlords and free money for me.