In Ontario, Ontario REALTORS® (OREA) has released a document supporting the reintroduction of a grow-op registry bill. Late last year, OREA commissioned a study that confirmed 93% of Ontario residents do want to know if the home they’re about to buy was used as a grow-op, and 88% support a province-wide registry.
“The prevalence of these homes in Ontario is quite frankly alarming, and REALTORS® want to be able to warn their clients as early in the purchasing process as possible,” an official with OREA says. Disclosure of these facts is now a legal obligation but the registry would be a new step.
A recent story in the Montreal Gazette, however, raises the question of whether the rules on disclosure of former grow-op homes are perhaps too stringent.
The piece looks at the case of homeowners who have listed their home at more than $67,000 less than its market evaluation and still can’t get a bite from prospective buyers due to its history as a former grow-op. The owners have put in thousands of dollars worth of remediation work but still, no one seems willing to take the risk.
The current rules, at least in principle, tend to favour the buyer, particularly in Quebec (the other provinces which require homeowners and brokers to disclose the former grow-op status to potential buyers are B.C. and Ontario). Some real estate brokers in Quebec say the rules are sometimes unfair to properties that have been fully remediated.
Wouldn’t you want to know?
The Risks
Mold is the biggest risk with marijuana grow-ops. Marijuana cultivation requires humid conditions under hot grow lamps. The humidity seeps into the walls, even floors and ceilings, and condensation is chronic around windows. In short, the conditions for mold infestation are ideal.
Other common health risks include:
- Poisonous gas and chemicals
- Biological contaminants
- Poor indoor air quality
- Formation of damaging mold and fungus
- Mould and mildew from intense condensation
- Greater chance of fires occurring
Indoor Environmental Assessments & Testing
Indoor environmental assessments and testing helps detect former Grow Ops.
Before buying your home, or if you suspect it has been used as a ‘drug house’, consider hiring a professional indoor environmental assessment & testing company to do a mold, yeast, bacteria – and other toxic substances – inspection. These contaminates are often associated with grow-ops and meth labs and are health risks.
- Know what you are getting into. For Grow-Op & Drug House Testing Services in Toronto, Contact Moldinspections.ca
Get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.
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