Does a landlord need to evict a registered sex offender if neighbors complain?

Question: Several months ago, we moved out of our house and then rented it to a young man. His monthly rent payments have been paid on time, and he keeps the house immaculate. We recently received an email from one of our former neighbors saying that our tenant is a Level Two registered sex offender, and all of our former neighbors want us to kick him out. Do we have to evict him because he is on the sex offender registry? Do we have any liability if he causes someone harm in the neighborhood?

Answer: A landlord is not required to rent to a registered sex offender, and there is no prohibition against a landlord renting to a registered sex offender. In other words, a landlord can choose to rent, or not to rent to a registered sex offender and should have no liability if their tenant commits a sex crime.

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