Landlords Want to Prohibit Tenants from Growing Marijuana

An increase number of landlords want to prohibit their tenants from growing marijuana plants in multi-family, condominiums and other rental units. Under the proposed Cannabis Act which was introduced in the House of Commons only last week people over the age of 18 would be able to grow up to 4 plants at home provided they are not taller than 100 centimetres.

The Canadian Federation of Apartments Associations believes people should only be able to grow marijuana in single-family homes that they own. Landlords feel growing marijuana could result in many issues for the building including mould problems caused by humidity, odours from the plants, overtaxed electrical system due to tenants using growth lamps to keep their plants growing in the winter months.

There's still a lot of scenarios and things to be worked out in this Cannabis Act and this bill is still not passed. It will likely be worked on and modified over the coming weeks and months. The Government of Canada is looking to make marijuana legal by July 2018. Ottawa landlords and tenants will need to stand by to see how this legislation will affect their operations.

Roch St-Georges is a real estate broker and owner of multi-family properties. Call Roch St-Georges to discuss your real estate investment needs. 613-889-7732