tenant accusing me of stealing in her room

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goaway

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Hi a tenant renting a room in our basement,she just move in last feb 3 three days later,she ask if she can put her on lock in her room,i told her no because the room has it own lock.the next day she txt me and told me someone took the remote control,pen and earring,i told her she was in her room the whole night,and then next day she will tell me her stuff is missing. I sensed something not right about her,so i talk to her that since she is in month to month contract that i will not renew her contract for next month and that she need to move out on march 3,i gave her a written move out notice.the next day she start accusing that someone stole her earbuds,deposit slip,bank account statement. I'm afraid she will continue accusing us of things in the 4 weeks that she is still here ,what can i do about this situation. Thank you
 
Likely nothing. Stay out of her room and if there are other roommates involved, make certain they also do not go into her room.

If there ARE other roommates involved, how do you know they AREN'T going into her room and taking some of her things?

Gail
 
goaway said:
Hi a tenant renting a room in our basement,she just move in last feb 3 three days later,she ask if she can put her on lock in her room,i told her no because the room has it own lock.the next day she txt me and told me someone took the remote control,pen and earring,i told her she was in her room the whole night,and then next day she will tell me her stuff is missing. I sensed something not right about her,so i talk to her that since she is in month to month contract that i will not renew her contract for next month and that she need to move out on march 3,i gave her a written move out notice.the next day she start accusing that someone stole her earbuds,deposit slip,bank account statement. I'm afraid she will continue accusing us of things in the 4 weeks that she is still here ,what can i do about this situation. Thank you
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If your tenant moved in on 03 FEB, and you gave her notice that you desired not to allow her to have another month, you're likely to get sued.

In nearly all cases, written notice is required for a landlord or a tenant to terminate a tenancy, even month-to-month oral tenancies. Usually, the lease will specify the notice that is required. The periods of notice listed below are the minimum periods required by law and the tenant may not waive his right to receive the prescribed minimum. However, either landlord or tenant, or both, may agree to give a longer notice period than that required by law except that a written lease may not require that the notice period given by the tenant is longer than the notice period given by the landlord.

NOTE: The day of delivery is not counted as part of the notice time. If the notice is sent by mail, it should be mailed early enough to be delivered in time; the courts generally presume delivery 3 days after mailing.

The length of notice from landlord to tenant to terminate the tenancy as required by state law is as follows:

In the case of weekly tenancies, notice must be given in writing at least one week before the end of week when tenant is to leave;
In the case of tenancies by the month, notice must be given in writing at least one month before the end of month when tenant is to leave;
In the case of tenancies from year to year, including tobacco farm tenancies, notice in writing must be given at least three months before the end of the current year of the tenancy. (All other farm tenancies require six months' notice before the end of the lease year.)
In tenancies for a definite term (no provision for renewal), notice in writing must be given at least one month before the end of the term;
In tenancies at will (no fixed term), one month's notice must be given in writing.

Your situation is identified in red or blue (BOLDED) above.

You need to provide the notice to your tenant in writing and such notice MUST be 30 days on the month to month (at will) rental arrangement in which the two of you are engaged!

If you gave her notice today, it would extend beyond the March 3rd, which begins a new 30 day period. Note, too, the NOTICE is required to be given in writing!

I suggest you rethink the matter, give her proper notice, otherwise you might be PAYING her, because what you're doing is considered an ILLEGAL EVICTION!

http://www.landlordology.com/maryland-landlord-tenant-laws/

If your rental location is in Baltimore County, the laws are slightly different:

http://www.peoples-law.org/special-laws-rules-baltimore-city
 
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You can't stop someone from making an accusation. I would avoid going near her room for the next 3 weeks until she moves out.
 
The written notice you gave the tenant the next day should be sufficient, but the Lear would end 30 days from the date of service, not on March 3rd.
If the tenant does not move out on time be prepared to begin an eviction.
 
tenant accusing us of stealing from her

I did give her a written notice of move out i gave her exactly 30 days so her move out day will be on march 3 but since it won't be excatly 30 days she txt me that she will be moving out on march 8 which i agree.the next day she is accusing again that someone poked her air bed and stole her earbuds, deposit slip and banck account statements. I talk to a policer officer about my situation and the officer advise me to call landlord tenant affairs, which i would do is just that is night so i have to wait next day to make a call, next morning at 6:30am the tenant called for police to report the missing items in her room,and she wants to filled for some kind of protection.after she talk to the officer. The officer talk to me and i told the officer all things that she's been accusing us, the officer gave me the advice.and after i talk to the officer told him everything,the officer notice that the tenant keep walking back and forth in the kitchen so many times that we actually have to stop talking so that she won't hear anything.after the officer left she came to me and now saying that her pain medication is missingand her boots. Today i called the landlord tenant affairs and they also gave me the advice,i ask them if i can installed a security camera throughout the inside of the house in the common areas, so i will have somekind of protection, i will write a notice and will give her that. But if their is any more ways that i can resolved this issue.
 
goaway said:
I did give her a written notice of move out i gave her exactly 30 days so her move out day will be on march 3 but since it won't be excatly 30 days she txt me that she will be moving out on march 8 which i agree.the next day she is accusing again that someone poked her air bed and stole her earbuds, deposit slip and banck account statements. I talk to a policer officer about my situation and the officer advise me to call landlord tenant affairs, which i would do is just that is night so i have to wait next day to make a call, next morning at 6:30am the tenant called for police to report the missing items in her room,and she wants to filled for some kind of protection.after she talk to the officer. The officer talk to me and i told the officer all things that she's been accusing us, the officer gave me the advice.and after i talk to the officer told him everything,the officer notice that the tenant keep walking back and forth in the kitchen so many times that we actually have to stop talking so that she won't hear anything.after the officer left she came to me and now saying that her pain medication is missingand her boots. Today i called the landlord tenant affairs and they also gave me the advice,i ask them if i can installed a security camera throughout the inside of the house in the common areas, so i will have somekind of protection, i will write a notice and will give her that. But if their is any more ways that i can resolved this issue.
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You appear to have done everything legally.

You can offer her rent money back, if she agrees in WRITING to leave within the next 24, 48 hours!
To sweeten the pot, you could kick in an EXTRA $100.
Your call, madam.

This person seems troubled, very troubled.
No telling what can happen, if she sticks around another 30 days.
Money can sometimes talk, make the bull feces walk.
I suspect she'll continue to make up lies, see dragons in the closet, monsters on the stairs, and demons at the kitchen table.
What you describe could be mental illness, or illegal drug abuse, or a combination of the two.

If I were in your place, assuming she takes the deal, I'd even help her get out by driving her away.

In the future, you might want to take 72 hours or so, to do a better check on people you allow in your home.
If she harms one of your other tenants, things could get worse.
 
army judge said:
You appear to have done everything legally.

You can offer her rent money back, if she agrees in WRITING to leave within the next 24, 48 hours!
To sweeten the pot, you could kick in an EXTRA $100.
Your call, madam.

This person seems troubled, very troubled.
No telling what can happen, if she sticks around another 30 days.
Money can sometimes talk, make the bull feces walk.
I suspect she'll continue to make up lies, see dragons in the closet, monsters on the stairs, and demons at the kitchen table.
What you describe could be mental illness, or illegal drug abuse, or a combination of the two.

If I were in your place, assuming she takes the deal, I'd even help her get out by driving her away.

In the future, you might want to take 72 hours or so, to do a better check on people you allow in your home.
If she harms one of your other tenants, things could get worse.
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when she move in she ask if she can put her own lock in the door, i told her no will it be a good idea if i let her put her own lock in the door.
 
If she starts trying to shoot down a random air balloon, it might be because she wants the Wizard to stay in OZ and face the music.

(sorry, saw a cartoon online about that)
 
Let her put a lock on her door if it will make you feel better due to the accusations she has been making.
 
Frankly, I thought her request for a lock on her door with other roommates in the place wasn't an unreasonable request in the first place.

Gail
 
She stated that there was already a lock on the door. If you drill holes into the door, door frame replacement would be 100-150. If the lock that is already on the door is only lockable when they are in the room. You can replace it with a key lock... So she can lock it upon departure. .. you can pick this type of lock up for 15.00 ..
 
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