A Tenant In Recovery
Hey all...
I am trying to rent out my second story two bedroom apartment, and I got an inquiry from a girl, around 17 years old, who really likes the place. She started telling me about her job. She's an art teacher and she also works with drug and alcohol clients part time. When I told her that I used to do that, she must have felt comfortable enough to tell me that she is also in recovery, and she will be needing to find out where the closest AA and NA meetings are. She seemed like a good tenant, but that recovery thing kind of scares me because I know how recovering addicts can get. If they are truly in recovery, they are the most honest people out there, but if they relapse, watch out world! They lie and steal for drugs!
She is also a smoker, and we do not allow smoking in our apartment. When I told her that, she seemed fine with going outside to smoke. I don't know. It's just kind of scary.
Any suggestions or similiar experiences?
Jean Marie
Check to see if she is old enough to be held to a binding contract; she might not be.
Also, what type of income does she have: she is quite young to be a real teacher.
I'm sorry. I meant to say she's TWENTY seven, not seventeen. (27) My bad.
WHAT A TYPO!
JeanMarie
i have a fear of anyone in rec. i know they need a second chance but i don't like that chance being at my expense. its been my exp., and i have dealt with may, that for the most part they relapse........km
when they are sober they are the nicest people that you will ever meet but when they are stoned they are the devil......km
Yeah, I am all about giving people chances too, but it's a risk that's for sure. So how do you NOT rent to them? What can I tell her, as to not offend of course, but to let her know that the apartment is not available to her?
JeanMarie
If you've already decided that you don't want to rent to her, just tell her that she can't have it because she smokes. Smokers are not a protected class, and there's no way you'd be able to control what she did in the apartment when the from door is closed. Since you have a rule that forbids smoking, this is a valid reason for refusing to rent to her.
But if you're still thinking about it, consider this. I have AA or NA, though I have had to force a couple employees into detox. Anyway, from my very limited understanding of the matter, I believe that if she's at the stage where she is able to work with others who are recovering, then she's pretty far along. Anyone who becomes an alcoholic or an addict , stays that way for life. But being trusted to work with others who are in recovery says a great deal about how far she's gone in the recovery process. Ask about where she works with people in recovery and then check on her there. The people running the center won't tell you her drug related history, but they should be able to give you a character reference.
Good luck, to both of you.
If I was feeling positive about her:
I would follow through with my normal processing and take a good look at what her credit report says,
what her employment history and employer says,
and what her previous landlord says, then I would decide what to do next. There are still too many unknown variables. Also, I understand many landlords run police files, right?
Maybe it has been years and she has had a good job for over 5 yrs. and recovering for 5 yrs. and helping for 3 yrs. She might be a stellar prospect. [ Edited by ceinvests on Date 11/23/2004 ]
True True. These are all very good points. Thanks everyone, I will have to really give it some more thought.