How to avoid cannabis factories

How to avoid cannabis factories

8:54 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago 9

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Cannabis factories

As promised, following my last article, I wanted to give you some tips on how to avoid cannabis factories.

A cannabis factory is simply changing part or all of a home to grow cannabis plants. Plants are kept in potting tubs, set out in rows, requiring lots of artificial sunlight to grow. Given that one plant can provide around £2-300 of cannabis every 3 months, the earnings potential are massive. A small operation of 50 plants can generate returns of £40-60k per annum!

To provide for heat and lighting, the criminals will make improvised electrical systems creating lots of holes in plasterwork. Because so much heat is generated, they will also make improvised air ducts – basically knocking big holes in your ceiling. The electricity is not a problem, they simply bypass the mains, thus creating a fire hazard.

When fleeing from a site, they will take their kit with them leaving a ruined house behind. Their parting shot usually being taking the boiler, electric cables, radiators and piping to sell for scrap.

When you get one of these properties back, you’re looking at damage of anywhere between £10-20K.

However, prevention is very easy.

Cannabis growers want 2 things;

1. Anonymity
2. Privacy

Prevention is always better than cure, so to avoid the problem on day 1, get proof of ID, address ID and visit the tenant in their existing home. Also get a home owning guarantor. With these simple steps, the criminals will move on to the next softer target.

If you have tenants, carry out an inspection and let them know in advance that you’ll be doing this. We carry out our first inspection after 5 weeks. That is far too soon for a crop to be cultivated so a grower will know that it’s not worth the hassle.

If you do inspect – watch out for blacked out windows. This is done to mask the evidence of heat lamps left on 24 hours a day.

Also be very wary of a tenant who offers to pay 6 months rent in advance by cash. This may seem like a dream applicant. They’re simply working on the basis that you’ll not visit them during this period allowing time for 2 crops to be grown.

And finally – make sure that your insurance cover includes malicious damage. Otherwise you’re likely to find that you will not be covered in the event of a claim.

Best wishes,

Glenn Ackroyd


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Comments

9:43 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

wow really this is the advise given, be more nosy on your tenants? i think the insurance point of view is worthwhile but , really having a landlord that shows up regularly to harass you is more then just unwanted but a total breach of the idea of renting a place to be a stable environment in anyone's life. maybe ive just had some bad landlords in my life. it's hard to say definitively but ive appreciated landlords ive had that were there when called and not there unless you failed payment , just to keep the guise up that you are in control of whats going on and can call it where you live is good for both mental health and the children raised in what can be considered a stable environment. seems to me like the boss thats constantly threatening your job security just for progress's sake stressing getting fired every day of your life is just not productive overall

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

9:48 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

I disagree Patrick. When I move my tenants in and explain that I will visit them after a month or so to do a snagging list they are generally very pleased. If they are not keen on the idea I get suspicious and choose to let to another tenant. What is it they have to hide from me I would wonder. I'd want my landlord to offer to make sure everything is OK. If the landlord popped around every month that would be creepy I agree and I don't do that. All I'm interested in is providing a good service and making sure that my properties are kept to a good standard. If my tenants respect the property, pay the rent and respect the neighbours then I provide them with peaceful enjoyment once I know they are settled in.

10:21 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

yes like i said my personal point of view is tempered by having some truly outrageous landlords in my life. my current landlord is awesome aside from he talks for hours when you do meet him regardless on weather you have to use the restroom or not lol. im all for keeping a good standard of living for your tenants and popping in every now in then to make sure everything is ok is good manners if not good business practice . but like ive said i've seen some , well more then some of the far side of this ive actucal had 3 landlord refuse to fix potable water requirements just to change tenants to family member or sabotage the water supply to do similar. i mean it's mostly inconceivable to suggest but ive personaly be apart of it more then a few times unfortunately

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

10:44 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

Interesting feedback Patrick. Obviously I check out all of my tenants and I'm always impressed when they check me out before renting one of my properties too. What sort of questions will you now ask your next landlord to check them out as a result of your previous experiences?

10:57 AM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

honestly im not sure, i will probably be with my current land lord for a few more years at-least. asking weather if there going to break state and fedral laws for personal gain will never provide real results lol.

12:01 PM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

im just happy to end up with a sane landlord

13:04 PM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

im unsure of the uk's laws regarding this issue, but from the u.s. point of view there are alot of potential loop holes. i think if i ask anything it will be "is this the only property you pushing" having many properties means or at-least appears that family precedence will not over write your lease agreement ,
from your post you seem at-least some what understanding of various situations that lead to relocation etc. my point of view was to just say don't take it too far , not to be irresponsible or , uber nosy about there day to day lives. Property management companies are a godsend if there is such a thing. like i said i am totally un familar w/ uk laws on the subject

14:52 PM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

Every single day, hundreds of thousands of people are just one harvest away from retirement.

Due to prohibition, cheap growing equipment, a few seeds from friends (or ordered over the internet), it's now possible to grow a whole retirement fund in just 12 weeks. Why are we wasting our precious resources on a futile attempt at trying to prevent the impossible? Who gains? Everywhere I go, I come across people discussing their latest growing techniques or swapping recipes for pest control. I get shown more indoor marijuana gardens than holiday photos. So why are there still so many people buying into the dangerous and failed farce of Prohibition?

It's not even possible to keep drugs out of prisons but prohibitionists wish to continue wasting trillions more in an utterly futile attempt to keep them off our streets —what are they actually smoking?

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

15:03 PM, 27th November 2012, About 11 years ago

I seriously considered deleting the above post. However, I have decided to leave it to demonstrate the scale of the problem and the need to be diligent. Why these people think it's their right to destry other peoples properties for their own financial gain is completely beyond me!

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