BOSTON — Should landlords be able to pot at rental properties? It’s one of many questions being asked as the state processes the rules and regulations around legalized marijuana.
A number of renters told Boston 25 News the smell of marijuana, like the smell of cigarettes, permeates the building and causes problems, especially if there are children around.
“How do you explain to a 5-year-old, a 6-year-old you know, hey that's marijuana. You know. They can smell it as they're going up,” Alejandra Velazquez said. "I understand everybody has their right, you know, they passed a law to smoke marijuana... but especially some people should be cautious about children around."
Others say there is a large gray area.
“Some people smoke it I think it's for medical purposes, right? So it's a difficult question,” Mary Amedomey said.
Real estate attorney Kenneth Krems said one of the major concerns for landlords is that the lingering smell and semi-public consumption.
"People are smoking marijuana in apartments or in common areas," he told Boston 25 News.
Kremms said many of his clients have specifically prohibited smoking marijuana in leases, but violators can be difficult to track.
"If there's smoke in the hallway it could be coming from this apartment, that apartment, that apartment, across the hall," he said.