Graffiti is a form of vandalism that damages property, causes public safety issues and can result in liability. It negatively impacts local neighbourhoods by making public spaces appear unsafe. More often than not, graffiti is also used as a means to mark territories.

Its presence can often spark further crime, harming the local community. Property prices could also fall. To prevent this, visible graffiti should be removed as soon as possible.

Owner's consent: It is only illegal to graffiti, paint, write, or otherwise mark property if the property owner did not consent to it. If your defense attorney can demonstrate that the graffiti, painting, writing, etching or like “damage” was done with the permission of the property owner, the charge cannot stand.

Graffiti is art, but it can also be vandalism, when it is created on a space without the permission of whoever owns the space. Like fanfiction, however, graffiti has been given a little more respect in recent years. Some communities will set aside spaces for graffiti, or even commission an artist to decorate the space.