Mixing renting and pot could pose a problem

Rental vacancies are tight, at just 1 percent here in Central Oregon. But for those looking to grow and-or smoke pot in their rental unit, that number appears closer to zero.

“I wouldn’t even allow them to smoke cigarettes in it,” Stacey Staben, a Bend resident, said Tuesday.

For most property owners, smoking is already a no-no, but now medical marijuana and recreational pot are on the list too.

“It can waft a little bit, when the wind is in my direction,” Bend resident Raymond Finley said of his neighbors.

Plus Property Management told NewsChannel 21 it does not allow any use of marijuana on or in their properties. Second-hand smoke is a concern, but once the smoke clears, there are other damages property managers are worried about.

“The costs for remediating a marijuana grow can be tens of thousands of dollars,” said Kevin Restine of Plus Property Management.

Restine said the water use alone can cause mold that looks like “black cottage cheese” on the walls.

Property owners said they have seen dirt ground into the carpet, marijuana smoke that clung to paint and more.

Owners also have concerns because it is still illegal on the federal level. Restine says if he allows someone to grow on his property, the federal government could lawfully seize it.

“I don’t know of anyone locally that has embraced marijuana use in their properties,” Restine said.

However, people ask whether it’s allowed all the time.

“Oftentimes, they are frustrated by that,” Restine said.

If caught breaching a lease agreement, management can terminate the tenants lease for smoking or growing pot on their property.