My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California.
So we just received an email with some pretty severe wording about the smell of Marijuana smoke coming from our building through the vents into the building next door.
We run a music recording studio where bands rent practice space. It turns out that, despite what the contract we signed with them says, they decided it would be cool to light up anyway because 'hey, it's cool, right?'
So after banishing them from the room and whatnot I am told over the phone by a representative of the property management company that he wants me to respond to the email basically saying that I reminded my partners/co-owners that this behavior is not tolerated. Basically saying "yeah, we did it and we won't do it again."
The issue I have is that in the many places I have worked I've never once seen a store held liable for liberties taken by it's customers. Someone decides to haul off and attack someone in the grocery store or open a bottle of alcohol in a library and it's not permitted, for example, would not lead to the blame being placed on the establishment unless the establishment promotes the behavior or steps in.
Basically I think the property owners are fishing for a way to hold us directly responsible for the behavior of the customer.
I guess my question is there has to be some leeway or expectation that customers will be idiots and that businesses need room to handle such things. I would hate to think that I could get evicted or arrested because a customer decided to case and rob the building and I'm responsible because it's my customer.
What are the rules on this? I can never guarantee that all of my customers will never be idiots ever again. Particularly in an area where there are a lot of transients who try to find many reasons to enter the building and who often exhibit less than savory behavior.

