Landlords urged to be vigilant for tenants cultivating cannabis

Landlords urged to be vigilant for tenants cultivating cannabis

12:58 PM, 11th June 2015, About 9 years ago 6

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UK landlords are being warned to be vigilant towards tenants cultivating cannabis in their properties.tenants cultivate cannabis

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that police seized over 400,000 plants in the UK last year alone.

The highest number of seizures were made by the Metropolitan police (59,002), followed by police in Wiltshire and the West Midlands.

Cannabis farms can cause significant damage to properties, including severe water damage, fires and ceiling damage.

Property 118 partner Discount Landlord recommends that landlords get their tenants fully referenced to check their background and check whether they have been involved in any criminal activity in the past.

“Landlords are urged to undertake regular inspections of their properties, and to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity,” says a spokesperson.

“Owners can also face legal action if it is proved that they were aware that such activities were taking place in their property, or that they have benefited financially from them in any way.”

Landlords are advised to look out for higher than normal electricity bills and evidence that electrical wires have been tampered with which could be tell-tale signs that cannabis is being cultivated in the property.

Those who suspect that their property is being used for such activity are urged to contact the police straight away and not to confront their tenants themselves.

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Comments

Neil Patterson

13:00 PM, 11th June 2015, About 9 years ago

If you do a search for articles under cannabis you would be staggered how many times this does actually happen!

paul johnson

11:29 AM, 13th June 2015, About 9 years ago

This happened to me about 3 months ago to two of my properties in Teeside. I thought I was renting to Chinese students, Luckily the damage wasn't too bad as they had only really started in one of the properties. They bypassed the electricity in both of them. The police told us to be especially vigilante if you have properties above shops as that also makes them less detectable with heat seeking devices. one of Our properties was above a late night kebab shop so it was perfect.

However for me the strangest part was that there was at least 2-3k equipment and materials that the cannabis growers left and the police told me to throw it away. I couldn't believe it, there was fertiliser,seeds,fans ,ventilation boxeses,masses of electrical goods,etc etc,I could of continued growing cannabis and wouldn't of needed a thing, We let the local allotment people take most of the fertiliser etc of which they were grateful.

But this does make me think that this is a very common occurrence if the police cant be bothered to keep evidence.

Derek Bendall

0:26 AM, 16th July 2020, About 4 years ago

I have just been offered six months rent in advance from a couple who are on housing benefit and pip payments.
Seriously concerned that they may be cannabis growers or something else illegal.
How do they afford £5000 plus straight up if they are on benefits?
Is this type of offer common?

Reluctant Landlord

17:03 PM, 16th July 2020, About 4 years ago

LOL we made sure tenants use card meters for the 'lecky so less chance of that....
anyway they make more from selling it on by all accounts without the labour to bother to grow it. (first hand conversation with one of my many 'interesting' tenants)

Reluctant Landlord

17:09 PM, 16th July 2020, About 4 years ago

Been there - had that!!
we had a large commercial unit that we were in the middle of converting, then had to stop as issue with planning. Hey presto while there was noone on site, it got broken into and an illegal has farm took root (literally). Not until the neighbours started complaining about smell was it discovered as part of it was set alight. £10k of kit alone, electrics wired up from the external mains and the place was literally smouldering. Had to gut the place - 2 floors of weed. God knows the value of that lot!

Reluctant Landlord

17:12 PM, 16th July 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Derek Bendall at 16/07/2020 - 00:26
by definition uncommon, hence your suspicions. Stay clear I would suggest. If they can afford that then at best they haven't declared it to DWP....and that where the problem starts...

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