Quinte landlords concerned over marijuana use in rentals

By Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

BELLEVILLE – Some local landlords don’t want marijuana used in their rentals and are asking the government to take their concerns into consideration as it prepares for the legalization of the drug this summer.

The Ontario Landlords Association raised a number of issues in regards to how marijuana legalization could impact landlords. Issues with growing marijuana plants, insurance and mortgage, mold, smoke and maintenance problems could lead to “financial disaster” and hurt “both good tenants and good landlords,” the website says.

People’s opinions on social media are divided.

Excellent point. I’m a renter and smoke cigarettes and cannabis, neither have ever been consumed inside. I also have kids, dog, wife, to consider, even if I could smoke inside I still wouldn’t.

— Rudy (@Rudy187) January 23, 2018

I am an Ontario landlord and I can tell you right now that no amount of pot smoke has ever damaged my property.
This is another case of a small group of people who are uneducated when it comes to marijuana and it’s uses.
Cigarette smoke is 100000x worse for property damage.

— AlienTuna (@AlienTuna) January 23, 2018

Robert Gentile, president of Quinte Region Landlords Association, told QNet News in an email that they were “still sorting out the best way to handle this issue” and that he wasn’t in the position to “give answers on the fly over the phone or in person.”

Gentile said that the association supports the use of marijuana for medical uses. However, most landlords don’t support smoking inside the apartment because smoke can bother other tenants and get into walls and carpeting which will result in extra cleaning expenses.

If a tenant causes damage to the property or if the marijuana smell disturbs others, the landlord has a right to evict a tenant according to The Residential Tenancies Act.

When the legislation comes into effect, people will be able to grow up to four marijuana plants. Landlords are also concerned about heat lamps that are required for growing marijuana as it can increase hydro bills for the landlord. Exceeding the number of plants can also lead to mold, Gentile said.

“This is one more in a long list of government measures which has a punitive impact on landlords and discourages the creation of new rental housing stock,” Gentile wrote. “The rental housing shortage crisis in Quinte and across Ontario will only get worse until landlords concerns are addressed by all levels of government.”