Tenants growing cannabis at the property and arrested?

Normally, under an AST, you only have a right of entry with 24 hours’ notice (except in an emergency).

Now, because the electricity has been disconnected and there may be damage (e.g. bypassed meters, water leaks, mould from grow tents), you can argue there is an emergency / urgent need to secure and inspect. That gives you a right to enter without notice.

If the police have sealed or secured the property as part of evidence collection, do not interfere with their seal. Enter only once the police confirm you may.

Call 101 and ask for the case officer’s details. Say you are the landlord, concerned about safety and property damage, and ask whether you may attend to inspect and secure the property.

The tenant’s possessions (other than illegal items seized by police) remain their property.

You cannot lawfully dispose of or sell them without following the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 procedure. That means:

Giving notice to the tenant (last known address, email, even pinned to the property).

Storing goods for a reasonable period (usually 14–28 days) before disposal.

However, if the police have removed cannabis plants, hydroponic equipment, etc., those are usually destroyed as evidence. You don’t handle those.

Check your insurance: Most insurers require immediate notification if the property was used for criminal purposes. They may want police reference numbers and evidence of forced electricity tampering.

Secure the property: If it has been left open or unsafe (broken doors, bypassed electrics, fire hazards), you are entitled to make it safe immediately.

The arrest itself does not automatically end the tenancy.

If the tenant returns, they legally still have a right to occupy unless you serve notice or obtain possession.

Grounds under Section 8 Housing Act apply:

Ground 12: breach of tenancy terms (illegal use).

Ground 14: anti-social/illegal use of premises.
These can be used to apply for possession (sometimes mandatory, often discretionary).

Council & licensing: If you are in a selective licensing area or an HMO, report the incident to the council — otherwise you risk them alleging you didn’t act “fit and proper”.

Call police again (101, crime reference no. if possible) ask when you may attend.

Inspect the property (with a witness if possible, e.g. contractor, letting agent).

Immediately secure electricity, doors, windows instruct qualified trades.

Take dated photos of any damage and evidence of cannabis farming.

Notify your insurer.

Serve a Section 8 Notice (Grounds 12 & 14). You may want to pursue accelerated possession if you want them out quickly.

Often, the police do not keep landlords informed; you must chase for updates.

Some tenants return after arrest (bail, awaiting trial) and continue living there, so do not assume abandonment until clear evidence.

Insurance claims for cannabis grows can be tricky; insurers often require proof that you carried out tenant checks (referencing, inspections, etc.).

Do not just change the locks and remove possessions, or you risk an unlawful eviction claim. Follow the legal possession process unless you get written confirmation from police/council that the tenant will not return.

Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 27/08/2025 – 09:39
Neil, in my experience the police will not cooperate with the landlord and will not provide any information, not even a crime reference number. The landlord is on his own, so in effect the only option is to immediately begin a possession claim, as you suggest, for a breach of the tenancy conditions. This could take a year or more, so let us hope the tenant is hosed at his majesties pleasure meanwhile.

First step is for someone to visit the property to see what is going on from the outside, this is perfectly legal and you are perfectly entitled to do so. But don’t go alone, take someone with you. Do this asap.

Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 27/08/2025 – 09:39
Hi Neil
Thank you for the advice
I received this information from the police
Regarding your property, to the best of my knowledge all material related to the Cannabis will now have been removed and I believe you should be able to freely access this as Police are not holding it. In terms of what you do with the tenant, this will be down to yourself as Police cannot hold authority on how you rent out the property
Do you think I should change the locks and enter ?
Many thanks
Talal

Reply to the comment left by at 01/09/2025 – 17:13
Your tenant is still in tenancy so you cannot change the locks without offering to give your tenant a key. If you are worried about the safety/condition of the property, check your AST for terms of entry clauses. Usually it’s 24/48 hours written notice. If the tenant refuses access you can’t enter. I suspect you won’t get any reply in which case you can enter but take a witness. If you change the locks, leave a clear note in the window or on the door with a number your tenant can call to pick up their new key. You will need to begin the process to bring the tenancy to an end. There is the S21 route of course, or several grounds on a Section 8 which have been mentioned by others above. Landlord Action can help with the eviction / repossession so feel free to drop me a message if you’d like support.

I have used Landlord Action a couple of times in the past and can confirm they know their onions. Contact them.

If they were just tenants then the advice to do everything by the book is absolutely correct, but it will take a long time.

However, in reality they are just cannabis farmers and quite likely all they will be interested in when they get the chance is finding the next farm. For them your property has served it’s purpose and is small fry. Bare this in mind when you talk to Landlord Action or similar, proceed with caution but weigh up the risks and likely outcomes, you may be able to shortcut some steps with relative safety.

I’ve witnessed two cannabis farms and both times the landlord, not me, was able to go back in and start clearing up the huge mess once the police had finished with the property and luckily the farmers didn’t return. I wish you luck.

Actually, on reflection, I should add that you should try and establish if they were professional cannabis farmers or genuine tenants who just fancied growing cannabis as a bit of a side line.

Professional farmers will probably just disappear, genuine tenants could come back at you.

But considering the police had the power supply disconnected indicates the growers knew what they were doing and we’re growing on a large scale, suggesting professional farmers.

By professional I don’t mean legitimate, I mean they were in it for big money. Perusing you for wrongful eviction would be peanuts for them, not worth their time and risk.