I am moving into an apartment in a few weeks for college. My dad told me he talked to the landlord and she said that at random times the police and their drug dogs search the complex. He told me they sweep through the hallways with the dogs. If they pick up a scent in one of the rooms, the landlord unlocks the door and they bust in and scan for drugs.
I’m no law expert or anything, but isn’t that a violation of the patron’s rights?
Also, I didn’t hear this directly from the landlord so my father may just be bluffing to scare me away from messing with any drugs and what not while I’m away from home.
How old are you? Is there any reason that you Dad would be doing this to scare you? My guess is that he is. I’ve never heard of an apartment doing this, nor would I imagine that any landlord would want to do this with out reason.
Check the law, too. In some cases in some states, a dog’s signal for drugs is every bit as as good as a search warrant. If that’s so in your situation, nothing in your lease will protect you.
I’ve never heard of an apartment doing this, but I can imagine if they write it in the lease, there is nothing illegal about it. Sure, there are reasons someone might want to do this, but I would guess it could be handled by normal means of tenant conduct.
Why are you allowing your father to communicate to your landlord instead of doing it yourself? Go talk to your landlord and ask her if she told this to your father. Read the lease yourself and see what it says about this. (How did you get the apartment if you didn’t sign the lease yourself? Even if your father had to co-sign it, you surely had to sign it too. Or are you saying that your father did all the negotiating of the lease, paid the rent himself, and signed the lease by himself?) If you’re old enough to get an apartment by yourself, you’re old enough to do your own negotiating for a lease.
Why are you allowing your father to communicate to your landlord instead of doing it yourself? Go talk to your landlord and ask her if she told this to your father. Read the lease yourself and see what it says about this. (How did you get the apartment if you didn’t sign the lease yourself? Even if your father had to co-sign it, you surely had to sign it too. Or are you saying that your father did all the negotiating of the lease, paid the rent himself, and signed the lease by himself?) If you’re old enough to get an apartment by yourself, you’re old enough to do your own negotiating for a lease.
I read the lease and it said nothing about drug dogs or even drugs for that matter. The only reason why he talked to her is because I knew he was going to be in the area of my apartment (I live about an hour away) for his job, and I asked him to go pick up the keys for my roommates and I. I really think he is bluffing. Btw, I’m 18.
NOWHERE does it say that this is done at the behest of the landlord; even if it were, it’s a police complaint and doesn’t have to be in the lease. The use of drug-sniffing dogs in the airspace surrounding your apartment is permissible, and the reaction of the dog is probable cause for a search, and the landlord has the right to co-operate in this search.
What I read is that the police are in the habit of searching this area; whether your dad or your landlord made this up cannot be determined from the facts, but it’s definitely possible.
If it’s true that the dogs can roam the hallways of the apartment buildings. Would the same instance be true if it were to take place in the parking lot of the apartment? I mean could they gain access to the cars if the dogs smelled something? I just don’t get how that could be legal. I would like more explanation, no offense <b>NAMETAG</b>, but I just want to verify the info you gave me.
“at random times” – the cops don’t have the right to do this without express permission from the landlord. So it WOULDN’T be random, it would be at the request of the landlord.
I just don’t see the cops doing this; they have enough to do with real crime. Unless this is a VERY SLEEPY little town, in which case they probably don’t have dug dogs.
I don’t really see the landlord doing this. If something’s found, the property might get tied up as evidence, the landlord would probably have to start eviction proceedings, etc. I just don’t see any profit in it.
More probably it’s the kind of thing the landlord would do if the smell of pot got out into the hallway.
What does your lease say about access by the landlord? My landlord has to give me 24 hour notice except in emergency (fire, busted water main, etc.).
It’s also possible the landlord was bullshitting your dad, “Oh, don’t worry, we keep an eye on the kids here…”
No, it’s probable cause for a search warrant, without which the police may not constitutionally enter your home (absent exigent circumstances, of course).