Under no circumstance is any illegal activity allowed at an Alcove home
Illegal activity, of any and all kind, is forbidden in an Alcove home. If Alcove is made aware of a housemate taking part in illegal activities, as confirmed by police report, conviction, or other documentation from law enforcement, local courts, and other legal authorities, Alcove will immediately begin the process to have the offending party vacate the property. Here's what you should know to protect yourself and understand the options afforded to you.
What's In Your Lease:
Lease Addendum: House Rules - ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
No illegal activity of any kind will be permitted on the premise. If any Roommate, guests or other person under the Roommate’s control is found to be engaging in illegal activity, that Roommate will be subject to termination of this Agreement and immediate eviction proceedings. Note: In the State of North Carolina and Georgia, this includes the recreational use of Cannabis, on or near the premise. A single violation of this term shall be good cause for termination of the lease agreement and eviction proceedings.
Lease Terms: 5(b)
Unless otherwise agreed upon, the Occupant shall not use the Premises for any unlawful or immoral purposes or occupy them in such a way as to constitute a nuisance
Step 1: Directly Address the Person you Suspect of Illegal Activity
Before involving any authorities directly address a person you suspect of illegal activity. Explain that you can't have anything illegal happening in the home because you will be the one who gets in trouble.
If they are a guest, you can ask the person you suspect of illegal activities to leave. Guests and anyone not on an Alcove lease are obligated to leave your property when you ask, or it will be trespassing. You can consider recording yourself on camera asking everyone to stop or leave your property.
Step 2: Call the Police
Call the police and explain the situation and request their help in resolving and remedying the illegal activity. Regardless of the outcome for the offending party, the police will be able to provide you with a police report for your records should you want to move forward with next steps from the courts and Alcove.
Step 3: Request a Civil No Contact Order from the Courts
If you are facing verbal, physical or sexual abuse from a housemate, landlord, guest, neighbor, or acquaintance, you should file for a Civil No-Contact Order, commonly referred to as a restraining order. There are no filing fees for requesting a protective order, and you are not required to have an attorney. However, the process of obtaining a protective order does require you to fill out legal documents in as much detail as possible. You will also need to attend a court hearing, where you will have to show that the defendant (or the person you are filing the order against) has committed acts that warrant the protective order. More information can be found here. If signed by a judge, send copies of the order to Alcove and we will have a team member come out and change the locks and access code.
Option 4: Request an Inspection from Alcove
Contact the Tenant Support Team by emailing support@alcoverooms.com to request an inspection. If an Alcove team member is witness of illegal activities or drugs we can move forward with a Lease Violation and Notice to Quit. Should the offending party not comply, Alcove will attempt to move forward with a formal eviction through the courts.
It is important to note the following:
- Alcove does not promise or ensure anonymity of those escalating the concerns. We will not directly name the requestor, but given the nature of co-living anonymity cannot be promised
- Alcove is required to provide advance notice to housemates before entering the property. This does give the offending party time to hide or remove the illegal items before the inspection occurs.
- Any inspection will need to be scheduled in advance and will occur during work hours (~9AM to ~6PMEST).
- The formal eviction process can take up to 3 months from start to finish. It is illegal for Alcove or any party of block entry and force eviction without signed approval from local authorities and the sheriffs office.
For more information or specific questions, please email support@alcoverooms.com.