California Meth Lab
Have you ever watched the award-winning TV series Breaking Bad? The series is about a former teacher who sets up a meth lab and become a powerful drug dealer. But running a meth lab from a home is no longer only a hollywood fantasy. In fact, in some parts of California like Mendocino County Meth labs have overwhelmed the police and the district attorney’s office who have to prosecute these crimes.
Meth labs are often set up in rental homes. So as a Silicon Valley landlord you have to be vigilant to monitor the activity of your tenants and make certain that your home is converted into a Meth Lab. Specially since the chemicals used in meth labs are highly flammable and explosive. And meth residue is extremely toxic and considered hazardous waste.
In fact, if your home has been used as a Meth Lab, you are responsible for the clean up which could be a huge cost specially if your tenants have been dumping these toxic material into the ground. And if that was not scary enough, some jurisdictions can prosecute you since they can claim that you as the landlord have been receiving the rewards from a criminal enterprise by collecting rent.
Tenant screening is the best prevention method we can recomemnd since right tenants wil not convert San Jose, Campbell, Saratoga or Los Gator rental property into a meth lab. So be certain to
- Develop sold tenant screening practice or hire a property management company.
- Call previous landlords to inquire about the applicaants you are considering as tenants. Confirm they are indeed landlords and not just friends of your applicant posing as their landlord.
- Avoid applicants who are offering to pay cash for rent.
- Verify employment references including income by getting a full credit report.
- Include in regular inspections with 24 hour notice in your Silicon Valley rental lease agreement
- Meet the neighbors and ask them to contact you if they spot any unusal activity on your Silicon Valley rental property.
Routine inspections are a great deterant in your Silicon Valley tenants being tempted to develop a meth lab at your rental property. So, insist on it.