Binky
05-15-2005, 10:06 AM
A tenants' rights activist is warning a proposed bylaw aimed at combating the spread of marijuana grow operations could be misused by unscrupulous landlords.
Richmond council hopes to adopt a bylaw by July that would require landlords to inspect their rental properties once every three months to check for grow ops and drug labs.
"If the landlord is just coming by to do an inspection to determine the condition of the unit, that's fine. But if they're doing the three month inspection and going through the tenant's personal belongings and harassing or holding this ability to inspect over the tenant's head to invade their privacy, then I think tenants would have a problem with that," said Linda Mix, former co-ordinator of the Tenants' Rights Action Coalition.
The proposed bylaw allows the city to collect costs associated with busting a drug house from property owners if regular inspections are not done.
Mix said landlords already have the right to conduct monthly inspections under the Residential Tenancy Act if they suspect an illegal activity is taking place.
"That's already in the law. It's something when I was with the Tenants' Rights Coalition we did not approve of. We thought it infringes on the tenants' right to privacy," said Mix, who stepped down from her post in March.
Coun. Bill McNulty said the intent of the bylaw is to help the RCMP control the spread of grow ops, not to cause undue harassment to tenants.
"Obviously tenants have rights as well," he said. "I think we need to define what we mean by an inspection. We're looking for an inspection to see that your plants on your window sill are domestic garden plants. We're not looking to see if you have purple walls in the bathroom."
Mix, however, applauded the city for trying to prevent grow ops, and said the bylaw would at least place more responsibility on landlords to ensure their properties are well maintained and repairs are done quickly.
Despite no enforcement mechanism in the bylaw for the inspections, the thought of paying thousands of dollars in policing costs might serve as a deterrent for landlords to be more vigilant before renting their properties out, said Mix.
"A landlord needs to do a proper screening of tenants to make sure that they're legitimate tenants-that they are going to live there and they're not going to use the unit for anything else but a place to live."
She also applauded the bylaw's wording that requires landlords to have properties used as drug houses restored, professionally cleaned and inspected by the city before they're re-occupied.
"What we've found in the past is when unsuspecting tenants move into former grow ops, they find that they've got drive-by visitors that they didn't expect to have and the place can be a safety hazard."
2005 Richmond Public Library
Contact: news@richmondreview.com
Website: http://www.richmondreview.com/
Richmond council hopes to adopt a bylaw by July that would require landlords to inspect their rental properties once every three months to check for grow ops and drug labs.
"If the landlord is just coming by to do an inspection to determine the condition of the unit, that's fine. But if they're doing the three month inspection and going through the tenant's personal belongings and harassing or holding this ability to inspect over the tenant's head to invade their privacy, then I think tenants would have a problem with that," said Linda Mix, former co-ordinator of the Tenants' Rights Action Coalition.
The proposed bylaw allows the city to collect costs associated with busting a drug house from property owners if regular inspections are not done.
Mix said landlords already have the right to conduct monthly inspections under the Residential Tenancy Act if they suspect an illegal activity is taking place.
"That's already in the law. It's something when I was with the Tenants' Rights Coalition we did not approve of. We thought it infringes on the tenants' right to privacy," said Mix, who stepped down from her post in March.
Coun. Bill McNulty said the intent of the bylaw is to help the RCMP control the spread of grow ops, not to cause undue harassment to tenants.
"Obviously tenants have rights as well," he said. "I think we need to define what we mean by an inspection. We're looking for an inspection to see that your plants on your window sill are domestic garden plants. We're not looking to see if you have purple walls in the bathroom."
Mix, however, applauded the city for trying to prevent grow ops, and said the bylaw would at least place more responsibility on landlords to ensure their properties are well maintained and repairs are done quickly.
Despite no enforcement mechanism in the bylaw for the inspections, the thought of paying thousands of dollars in policing costs might serve as a deterrent for landlords to be more vigilant before renting their properties out, said Mix.
"A landlord needs to do a proper screening of tenants to make sure that they're legitimate tenants-that they are going to live there and they're not going to use the unit for anything else but a place to live."
She also applauded the bylaw's wording that requires landlords to have properties used as drug houses restored, professionally cleaned and inspected by the city before they're re-occupied.
"What we've found in the past is when unsuspecting tenants move into former grow ops, they find that they've got drive-by visitors that they didn't expect to have and the place can be a safety hazard."
2005 Richmond Public Library
Contact: news@richmondreview.com
Website: http://www.richmondreview.com/