Montreal landlords to crack down on marijuana use by tenants

Christopher Curtis, 

A lobby group representing Montreal landlords wants to crack down on tenants who smoke pot in their apartments.

In a statement released Friday, the Association des propriétaires d’appartements du grand Montréal (APAGM) encouraged landlords to add a new clause to the leases they sign with tenants: one that forbids them from lighting a joint in their dwelling.

This clause might seem redundant given recreational marijuana use is a criminal offence in Canada. But the APAGM is concerned a plan by the federal government to legalize marijuana could cause headaches for landlords.

“Second-hand smoke in apartment buildings is already a problem for owners, cannabis legalization would only throw oil on the fire,” the statement read. “Aware of the explosive nature of the situation, the APAGM attempted to get the support of politicians, but for now our demands have gone unheeded.”

The lobby group’s website includes lease agreements modified to include marijuana prohibitions. They justify the clause by citing article 1854 of the Civil Code of Quebec, which stipulates landlords must provide their renters with a peaceful living environment.

It’s unclear how these leases would affect the thousands of Quebec patients with a medical license to smoke cannabis. Medicinal marijuana is an increasingly common treatment for chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and certain cancer symptoms.

Court decisions have also ruled barring access to medical cannabis is a violation of a person’s legal rights.