Pubdate: Fri, 27 Apr 2001
Source: Langley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.langleyadvance.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248
Author: Jordan Bateman

CITY PASSES LANDLORD RULES

Langley City will make life tough for landlords who turn a blind eye to 
their tenants' illegal activities.

Langley City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to impose stiff penalties on 
landlords who do not report illegal activity to the police.

Only Coun. Jack Arnold opposed the bylaw, which will return to Council for 
final consideration and adoption on May 14.

Under the new rules, landlords who either don't report or don't discover 
illegal activities in the homes they rent out will be subject to large fees 
before they can rent the property out again.

Such activities, said Langley RCMP Cst. Derek Gravelle, could include 
crystal meth labs, marijuana grow operations, stolen goods stockpiles, and 
prostitute "tricks pads."

"This gives us the tools in the community to deal with errant landlords," 
said Gravelle.

The bylaw only applies to residential premises, but a commercial offshoot 
will come to Council soon.

If an illegal act is found in a house and the landlord reports it, the 
owner will be spared several fees.

But if an illegal act is discovered by police and landlords don't catch it, 
the City's building inspector will inform the owner that the building 
cannot be occupied again until it has been inspected by police, health 
officials, fire officials, electrical inspectors, and the building 
inspector a second time.

The cost for all of those inspections could reach $1,200, not to mention 
the cost of the repairs needed.

"If a landlord is diligent and reports a grow op, he won't be hit with 
additional charges," said Coun. Terry Smith. "It's designed to go after the 
landlord who really doesn't care."

A workshop is planned for early June where landlords will be given 
information and tools on how to gather information on tenants.

Township staff are preparing a similar bylaw, which is expected to go to 
Council in May. Council received its first briefing from police on Monday.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom