CITY TARGETS LANDLORDS IN POT GROW-OP CRACKDOWN

City brass and RCMP have this advice for landlords: be vigilant about who
you rent to.

Or you could face hefty repair bills for damages from illegal marijuana
grow operations.

A new get-tough policy puts the onus on landlords to ensure their
properties aren't being used illegally.

Now when authorities find a marijuana grow-op, they automatically shut off
the water, disconnect the hydro and put a notice on the property title
stating it has been used for non-conforming (agricultural) purposes.

The owner can't rent the property out again until he can prove it is safe
for occupancy.

"This gives me confidence that the grow show problem in Nanaimo is going to
be dealt with," says Supt. Bud Bechdholt, of the Nanaimo RCMP detachment.
Last year RCMP searched 69 grow-ops in Nanaimo, seizing an average of 132
marijuana plants from each property.

And the incidence of residential fires has roughly doubled in recent years,
thanks to illegally-wired or dangerously overheated 1,000-watt lamps used
to grow high-grade marijuana, says Fire Chief Ron Lambert.

Mayor Gary Korpan encourages residents to report suspicious activities. And
Bechdholt advises landlords to be wary of who they rent to.

"Have a visiting provision in your lease and be into that house on a
regular basis to ensure it's not being used for that particular use,"
Bechdholt says.

Such a clause wouldn't be allowed under the Landlord and Tenancy Act,
points out Al Kemp, executive officer of the Rental Owners Managers
Association. "This is not a crime that is the responsibility of landlords,"
Kemp says. "To say we're going to push this all onto the back of the
landlords, I have a problem with that."

Kemp says landlords are the victims from grow-ops and adding to his costs
only hurts tenants.

"Additional costs of refurbishing their properties can only be recounted
one way, and that's through increased rents."

If Kemp dislikes the city of Nanaimo's policy, he can be thankful it's not
the same as that adopted in Surrey. Landlords there get hit with the full
costs of removal of a grow-op, including police and firefighter time.
Nanaimo's policy is to deter, rather than punish, says Andy Laidlaw, city
community services manager.

The city recently produced a brochure containing tips for landlords to
prevent grow operations in their properties.