The Town of Wolfville is being pulled in different directions trying to keep the peace between two segments of its population — permanent residents and the off-campus students of Acadia University.

The issue has made it to town hall where council is thinking about the idea of cracking down on landlords who can't keep control of their rowdy tenants.

Joe Rafih sees both sides. He owns two of the most popular bars in town and he is also a landlord with several students in at least three properties.

He says he doesn't mind if some students get a little loud on the weekend.

It's not a bad problem to have. - Joe Rafih

"It's not a bad problem to have,” he said.

The mayor of Wolfville, Jeff Cantwell, and some councillors, say landlords like Rafih ought to be fined if their tenants routinely ignore noise and liquor laws.

"I guess it just comes to a point where we as community leaders, somebody has to take charge of a situation if you see it deteriorating or eroding,” he said.

Rafih has a problem with that, asking why he should be fined if someone else breaks the law.

"In my leases it says 'no parties,' but they push the limits,” he said. “And you go to look the other way four or five times a year. Homecoming, St Patty's Day where you have a concentration of young people."

After what some residents of Wolfville say was a very loud and rowdy homecoming celebration a few weekends ago, police visited some of the homes where students live to explain the laws around alcohol and noise. Police also called their landlords.

The mayor of Wolfville, Jeff Cantwell, and some councillors, say landlords like Rafih ought to be fined if their tenants routinely ignore noise and liquor laws. (CBC)

Cantwell says the big problem are those landlords who don't live in Wolfville and have no idea what's going on at their properties. He says the absentee landlords will start to pay attention if they have to start paying for their tenants misbehaviour.

“I think it puts more of the actual management of the property in the hands of the property owner as opposed to a reactive management by town or town officials,” Cantwell said.

Rafih is calling on the permanent residents to be more tolerant.

"We have no guns on the street. We have no knives,” he said. “We have no crime. Nobody's getting killed. So our problems are very, very small compared to these big cities."

Wolfville town council is still working on its long awaited nuisance bylaw and Cantwell hopes his proposal will be part of it.