Every year, Ottawa police bust 50 to 60 marijuana grow operations in homes all around the city. But the shady histories of these homes have often remained hidden from new buyers because of a lack of information available to real estate agents.
However, starting in February, the Ottawa Police Service will make information about former grow ops and crystal meth labs in the Ottawa region available to the public.
The registry will include addresses, the types of drugs found and the charges laid. The information will be available online for three months after the bust.
Real estate agents say this registry will be a big benefit for home buyers. Cleaning up a grow op can cost between $50,000 and $100,000 and the mould and toxic chemicals left behind can make some sick. High humidity levels can even make some buildings structurally unsound and changes to the electrical systems can create fire hazards. Police departments in at least four Ontario cities already publish grow-op information.
While real estate agents are compelled to tell clients they could be purchasing a former drug den, many brokers say they often don't know a home's history.
"Now as a realtor, I'll be able to tell my clients that this property has been used that way and they can make their own decision about whether they want to move forward and with that property," Rick Snell, chairman of the real estate board's government relations committee explains to CTV.
"It protects consumers, especially young families who would be living in a home unknowingly with mould growing behind the walls or in the attic."
With a report from CTV's Kanina Holmes
