Two very different calls this week had one thing in common: tenants leaving landlords with big headaches.
Around noon, a landlord asked police to check on a rental property he suspected might have squatters. When officers arrived, they found the apartment in deplorable condition, appearing to have been trashed. The landlord said he hadn’t even realized his tenant had moved out until she listed a new address with her probation officer.
Later, police were called to the Four Keys Inn after an employee couldn’t get into Room 108. The guest hadn’t paid for four days, and the hotel’s key no longer worked. After knocking and announcing themselves, officers made entry but found no one inside. To make matters worse, the lock had been changed without the hotel’s consent. Management replaced the lock and re-secured the room.
Police say incidents like these are part of the larger problem of housing instability in Portsmouth. From abandoned rentals to motel rooms turned into makeshift residences, landlords and property managers are often caught in the middle — footing the bill for damages, unpaid rent, and unauthorized alterations.
Officials encourage property owners to keep regular checks on their rentals and work closely with probation, housing authorities, and law enforcement to avoid being blindsided by bad tenants. For businesses like the Four Keys, the lesson is the same: when payments stop and doors won’t open, trouble usually isn’t far behind.
