Police warn Welsh landlords over surge in cannabis farms

Police have warned Welsh landlords to be alert to the warning signs of cannabis farms amid a rise.

Dyfed-Powys Police has launched a dedicated operation targeting organised crime gangs setting up cannabis farms across Wales.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is urging landlords to carry out regular inspections and look out for tell-tale signs that a property is being used as a cannabis farm.

Landlords need to be alert

A week-long police crackdown uncovered six suspected cannabis farms in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys, with officers seizing cannabis worth more than £860,000 and charging six people.

In a post on the NRLA website, Detective Chief Inspector Rich Lewis said several of the properties raided were terraced rental homes in or near town centres.

He said: “We are continually assessing intelligence around where these factories are being set up, and who is involved in establishing and maintaining them, taking swift action when we have enough evidence to strike.”

The NRLA is urging landlords to be alert to warning signs that a property could be being used as a cannabis farm.

These include blacked-out or permanently covered windows, a persistent sweet or skunk-like smell, condensation on windows even in mild weather, unusually high electricity usage, and frequent visitors arriving at unsociable hours.

Payouts are limited to £5k-£10k

As previously reported by Property118, Jason McClean, a director at The Home Insurer said landlords need to check if cannabis farms are covered by their insurance.

He claims more insurers are excluding cannabis farms on insurance and sometimes payouts are restricted between £5,000-£10,000.

He said: “More and more insurers are excluding cover for cannabis farms in the policy wording/insurance product information documents as a general exclusion.

“It’s hard to tell if a tenant is going to be malicious, however, and a good letting agent will be your first line of defence. Clean credit checks, good references and gut feeling from the agents will help you.”

He added: “After that, you need to ensure agents are visiting at regular intervals – normally this is three or six months – or as required by your insurance policy.

“Short terms between visits will limit any possible damage building up and reduce any claims costs; vital when payouts are normally limited to £5,000 or £10,000.”