Illegal Drug Manufacturing Operations: Growing Liability For Property Owners/Managers

Originally published in Blakes Bulletin on Real Estate Leasing, November 2007

As the threat of clandestine drug operations continues to escalate across Canada, property owners and managers face significant challenges in the form of property damage as well as liability imposed from provincial legislatures and local governments. The lure of a highly lucrative enterprise means that unscrupulous tenants will continue to destroy your property in order to profit.

Occurring both in residential and commercial rental properties, illegal drug manufacturing operations pose serious risk of property damage, safety hazards and decreased property values. Structural damage, severe fire risks from altered hydro connections, HVAC contamination and health risks from toxic mould and noxious chemicals create a dangerous and costly problem. While the rate of cultivation incidents in British Columbia is