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myself. It was the smartest move I ever made as a landlord.

Sometimes tenants would test me and call in a minor complaint, maybe a leaky faucet. I would tell them sure, I can fix it, but that means your rent goes up first chance I get. They stopped calling unless the water heater blew.

I was reminded of this dark period when I learned the state was suing two Sacramento landlords for evicting a tenant who used Section 8 housing vouchers to pay her rent. It’s illegal to kick out someone because they use vouchers. I’m glad the state stepped up with enforcement.

I never rented to a Section 8 tenant, but vouchers wouldn’t have troubled me. My big lesson was everybody who stays for several years ends up wrecking the place. The trick is to require a hefty security deposit. Looking back, the least destructive and most agreeable tenant I had was the drug dealer.

Speaking strictly as a former landlord, I hated to lose him.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n