Real Estate Weekly

Internet Edition   Vol. 15  Week of Apr 6 - Apr 12, 2007
	'Mister Baker' checks a Surrey apartment building for evidence of drug labs and grow-ops. The black lab has been instrumental in finding three grow-ops, and landlords see the service as an effective deterrent. Photos: Canadian K9 Detection Security & Investigations Ltd.
Lab helps landlords sniff out drug dens Landlords across Greater Vancouver are turning to a trained narcotics dog, 'Mr. Baker' to sniff out suspected grow-ops and meth labs in their property.  "Under the Residential Tenancy Act, owners and managers are mandated to regularly inspect their property," notes David Goodman, a Vancouver Realtor and landlord, who adds, "The onus has been placed squarely on our shoulders to keep criminal activity from being allowed to thrive on our properties."  Mr. Baker, a highly trained black lab, is owned and managed by Canadian K9 Detection Security & Investigations Ltd., a fully licensed security agency that is one of the largest in Western Canada.  While its clients often involve airports, insurance companies and transport agencies, the residential rental property service is growing steadily, As Goodman notes, "Marijuana growing operations and methamphetamine labs are scarring our properties, unsettling our good tenants and raising our insurance rates. Drug trafficking and even petty drug dealing brings a negative element not only to our properties, but also to the surrounding neighborhood."  At the request of a landlord, Canadian K9 will have Mr. Baker check all the common areas of a building for evidence of drug use or drug manufacturing, often on a regular basis. Tenants in the building are given notice of Mr. Baker's arrival and signs are posted on the property. Often this is enough of a deterrent. "In one building, six tenants moved out when they were told Mr. Baker was coming in," said Margaret Donley, a partner in Canadian K-9.  Donley said neighbors often thank them for helping clean up the community. Police estimate there are thousands of marijuana grow-ops and illegal other drug labs across Greater Vancouver.  Real Estate Boards now require that vendors disclose whether there property has ever been used as a marijuana grow operation or to manufacture illegal drugs as part of vendor disclosure statements. Realtor volunteers with Realty Watch also keep an eye open for evidence of drug manufacturing and provide police with the information.  Canadian K9 charges $100 per hour (two-hour minimum) to have Mr. Baker inspect a building. For a growing number of landlords, it is an effective and inexpensive response to the problem of drug activity. < BACK