Landlord Training Program Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property

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LANDLORD TRAINING PROGRAM

• Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property
• A Community-Oriented Property Management Approach
• Sponsored by
• Partners in Prevention
• Presenters
• Sgt. Doug Coulter Officer Chad Sullivan
• Developed originally by Campbell DeLong
  Resources, Inc.
• With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice

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• 3 Components to a Healthy Neighborhood
• Landlords
• Police
• Tenants/Neighbors

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BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM

• Community efforts to fight drug houses
• Support from
• Crime Prevention
• Narcotics
• Community Policing Teams
• Haz Mat Team ( Meth Labs, ect..)
• U.S. Department of Justice funding for original
  program
• Original developer Campbell DeLong Resources,
  Inc.

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BACKGROUND (Contd)

• Assistance from many
• Property Management Associations
• Code Enforcement Agencies
• Public Housing Authorities
• Legal Aid Attorneys
• Other Public and Private Attorneys
• Eviction Judges
• Many landlords, Property Managers, and Screening
  Companies
• For specific legal advice, see an attorney

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PROGRAM GOALS

• Release the power of the community to help
  ourselves.
• Training in landlord skills, not police work.
• More than displacement.
• Learn what can be done right now.
• Provide overview/refer to support avenues.

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PROGRAM CONTENT

• PREPARING THE PROPERTY ( CPTED )
• APPLICANT SCREENING
• RENTAL AGREEMENTS
• ONGOING MANAGEMENT
• PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESIDENTS
• WARNING SIGNS OF DRUG ACTIVITY
• THE ROLE OF THE POLICE
• CRISIS RESOLUTION

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LANDLORD RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide a clean, sanitary, and safe unit at the
  outset.
• Make sure unit remains habitable.
• Respect tenants right to private enjoyment of
  the premises.
• Avoid retaliation against tenant.
• Avoid illegal discrimination.
• Comply with rental agreement, landlord/tenant
  law.
• Enforce terms of rental agreement,
  landlord/tenant law.

Landlord Training ProgramKeeping Illegal
Activity Out of Rental Property
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TENANT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Basic housekeeping prevent safety/sanitation
  hazards.
• No damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Pay rent.
• Comply with rental agreement and landlord/tenant
  law.
• Enforce terms of rental agreement and
  landlord/tenant law.

Landlord Training ProgramKeeping Illegal
Activity Out of Rental Property
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A Sample Time Line
One Year
Landlord Training ProgramKeeping Illegal
Activity Out of Rental Property
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CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL
DESIGN(CPTED)

• CPTED defined
• A field of knowledge developed in response to
  research demonstrating that the architecture of
  some buildings deters crime while others
  encourage it.
• Natural Surveillance- ability to look in/out of
  property
• Access Control- controlling entry/exit points
• Territoriality- impression that someone cares
  about the propertry
• Activity Support- increasing the presence of law
  biding citizens can decrease opportunities for
  criminals.

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APPLICANT SCREENING

• BASICS
• Takes efforts no magic numbers or one step.
• Encourage self selection. Show that you are
  active, committed.
• Follow through with thorough screening. Many
  dont.
• Establish written criteria and communicate them.
• Apply your procedure equally.

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EXAMPLES OF SCREENING CRITERIA

• INTRODUCTION Sets the tone.
• CRITERIA
• A complete application.
• Rental history verifiable from unbiased sources.
• Sufficient verifiable income.
• Two pieces of I.D. must be shown.

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SCREENING CRITERIA (Contd)

• Rental denied for
• False information - Lies
• Convictions for drug activity CCAP/ Police
  Records
• Some types of court judgments
• Poor credit check
• Poor reference from previous landlord(s)
• There is a X application deposit (or screening
  fee)
• We will accept the first qualified applicant

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Landlords as Community Partners

• Most effective way to deal with drug activity on
  rental property is a coordinated effort between
• Police
• Landlords
• Neighbors
• Encourage neighbors to take more responsibilty
  for preventing crime in their neighborhood
• Improve the way police address problems with drug
  activity in residential neighborhoods.
• LANDLORDS can learn how to keep illegal activity
  out/off their property nad make a commitment to
  removing or stopping it the second it occurs.

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Cost and Benifits

• Landlords and property managers who apply the
  active property management principals presented
  in the manual, and the presentation, have seen
  improvements in the quality of their rental
  business.
• Will result in significant benefits to each of
  the three interest groups
• Police
• Landlords
• Neighbors
• Whole communities become safer, residents can
  enjoy better housing and landlords can enjoy
  greater business success.

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SIGNS OF DRUG DEALING

• NEIGHBORS MAY OBSERVE
• Heavy traffic, can be cyclical
• Weeknight activity at very late hours
• Visitors are acquaintances
• People bring valuables, leaving empty handed
• Odd car behavior park around corner, long waits
• Lookouts
• Packets traded for cash, usage, needles, other
  paraphernalia

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DEALING (contd)

• LANDLORDS MAY OBSERVE
• Failure to pay utility bills or rent
• Failure to maintain unit
• Damage to the unit

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GENERAL SIGNS

• Added fortifications outside or inside
• Blacked-out windows
• Firearms esp. assault type or others modified
  for concealment
• Cash lack of visible means of support
• A willingness to pay well in advance, esp. if in
  cash
• Very small Ziplock bags, balloons
• Sophisticated weigh scales
• Tin foil, baking soda, electrical cords

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GROW OPERATIONS

• NEIGHBORS MAY OBSERVE
• Wiring that has been tampered with
• Powerful lights on all night in attic or basement
• LANDLORDS MAY OBSERVE
• High humidity, peeling paint, mildewed walls
  carpet
• Sudden jump in utility bills
• Rewiring or bypassed circuitry
• Internal fortifications

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METH LABS

• NEIGHBORS MAY OBSERVE
• Unpleasant chemical/ammonia smell
• Chemical drums or other containers, labels
  painted over
• Individuals taking smoke breaks
• Low traffic during cooking hours

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LANDLORDS MAY OBSERVE

• Many containers of ephedrine-based medicines
• A maroon colored residue on aluminum
• Makeshift chemistry equipment flasks, beakers,
  and tubing
• Bottles or jugs used extensively for secondary
  purposes
• Odor of ether, chloroform, other solvents
• Garbage containing paraphernalia

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WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A LAB

• Leave
• Check your health wash up
• Alert local law enforcement
• Check local law for clean-up requirements

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THE ROLE OF POLICE

• Arrest, by itself, has no bearing on tenancy
  rights.
• Criminal arrest civil eviction unrelated.
• Police do not evict. They make criminal arrests.
• Eviction is a civil suit. Only landlords can
  evict.
• Preponderance of evidence vs. beyond
  reasonable doubt.
• Law enforcement involved only after court
  judgment.
• Civil concerns and Police/criminal concerns may
  conflict.

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POLICE (Contd)

• In-person contact works best.
• It takes some work to get information
• Find district/patrol officer
• In-person contact with Narcotics or Gang officers
• Speak to neighbors
• Call other specialists directly

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Eviction Options WI

• 5 day pay or quit
• 5 day domestic (new)
• 5 day drug/gang nuisance
• 14 no cure
• 28 day
• 30 day for leases longer that one year.
• Mutual agreement

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TRESPASS EXCLUSION (OR Law)

• Helps control problem behavior
• Of guests, not tenants.
• In the common areas, not in rented units.
• Basic steps
• Lease Enabling Provision in all rental
  agreements.
• Establish exclusion criteria.
• Contact local police for more help.

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Feedback

• Trained 75 landlords.
• 90 of attendees reported that the course gave
  them information that they
• did not already know.
• 93 of attendees reported that the course
  provided practical information.
• 92 of attendees reported that the training will
  help them to keep illegal
• activity out of rental property.
• 90 of attendees felt that the training would
  help them deal with a drug
• house situation if that should occur on their
  property.
• 91 of attendees felt that the training was
  worthwhile.
• 95 of attendees reported that they would
  definitely or probably make
• changes to their property as a result of this
  training.

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• Sergeant Doug Coulter
• Rock County Sheriffs Office
• 608-757-7941
• coulter_at_co.rock.wi.us
• Officer Chad Sullivan
• Janesville PD
• 608-755-3134
• sullivanc_at_ci.janesville.wi.us