LANDLORDS in the City of North Vancouver may no longer be on the hook for the cost of city inspections if their rental properties have been found to be housing marijuana grow-ops or drug labs.
Council amended its controlled substances bylaw Monday night to eliminate the fees landlords must pay to have an inspector comb through a home used for drug production to make sure it is safe for people to live in.
Houses used for grow-ops often have unsafe rewiring, black mould from increased humidity and poor ventilation, chemicals dumped into the drainage systems and illegal structural modifications.
Coun. Craig Keating pushed for change saying the bylaw, as is, is unfair.
"What we are doing with the bylaw is punishing a landlord who is in fact already victimized by a tenant," he said, adding that requiring landlords to check their rental properties for evidence of drug production would be too onerous for both landlords and tenants.
Coun. Guy Heywood countered that rental properties are, in fact, businesses, and business owners have a responsibility to make sure they are operating legally without being subsidized by the public.
The city has only issued the fine twice since creating the bylaw in 2004.
Councillors Don Bell, Pam Bookham and Heywood voted against the motion.
