Even the most clued up, educated and professional landlords can fall foul of errant tenants. One in question spoke to the trade press last year, describing how a particular London rental was turned into a marijuana factory.
Nick Lyons works in the lettings industry daily and employed a property manager but still found his rental was being used for illegal activity.
A positive start can be misleading
Like many landlords, the agreement started well. The tenant passed all referencing, paid their rent on time and allowed mid-term inspections but things started to unravel as the tenancy progressed.
The main issue was sub-letting. The original tenant chose to illegally sublet the property to an unverified criminal, who set up the cannabis farm. Contributing to the problem was an agent who took their foot off the gas when it came to inspections, accepting the excuses given by the tenant and backing off as the rent was always paid.
The property went uninspected and the cannabis farm was only uncovered when the fire brigade were called to a huge water leak in the flat below. It was caused by a malfunctioning irrigation system that kept the marijuana plants in the flat above alive.
Major source of supply
Rentals are a popular place to set up such illegal operations as they can be very hands off ventures, especially if the landlord self manages or has employed a below-par agent. In fact, there is an alarming statistic that claims 90% of the cannabis used in the UK is supplied from marijuana farms that are set up in private rental properties.
Red flags
There are some telltale signs that your buy-to-let is being used as a cannabis farm. These can include:
- Tenants who offer to pay 6 or 12 months’ rent upfront
- Paper, film or foil applied to the inside of the windows
- Condensation on the windows
- Tenants refusing access for mid-term inspections
- Reluctance by tenants to let anyone into the loft
- Water leaking into a property below
- An abnormal flow of people going to and from the property
- Neighbours who complain of extremely high electricity bills
- Someone living at the property who isn’t the original tenant
- Lights on at the property for extended periods, especially overnight
- Lack of snow on the roof when all other houses are blanketed
- Vents protruding from several windows
- A loud or unusual whirring noise
- A property exterior and garden that’s in a poor state of repair
- Distinct odour of cannabis around the property
Removing criminal tenants
Despite complaints from neighbours and a genuine suspicion, it’s not a straightforward case of evicting the tenant quickly or having them arrested. There needs to be evidence that a cannabis farm is present and that can be incredibly hard to prove if the tenant is refusing access. Landlords may even need a court injunction to get inside their own property. What’s more, many cannabis farms are operated remotely using a series of timers and apps, with the tenant off the scene and untraceable, especially if they are subletting.
If there are any suspicions, the landlord should call the police immediately and explain what they have seen, what the neighbours have reported and how an agent (or the landlord) has tried, but failed, to access the property.
A Section 8 eviction using grounds 12, 13 or 14 is possible if a landlord suspects their tenant is operating a cannabis farm but this method of possession works best if the police investigate and find evidence of illegal activity, or they successfully convict the tenant in question.
Damage beyond profitable repair
When a cannabis farm is found, the landlord usually finds thousands of pounds of damage inside. This can include tampered electrics that need rewiring, mould, peeling paint and bubbling wallpaper due to poor ventilation and condensation, water damage, holes in ceilings and walls, and a general lack of property maintenance.
Frequently, the cost to rectify the damage surpasses the tenancy deposit, leaving the landlord no option than to claim on their insurance. Sadly, some find their policy does not cover malicious damage by their tenant or their guests, leaving the landlord seriously out of pocket or unable to repair the property.
The discovery of a cannabis farm is often the final straw for landlords, who simply want to sell up quickly for a quiet life. A tenanted property or one that has been badly damaged, will be difficult and time-consuming to sell and that’s where LandlordBuyer can help.
We make cash offers on all buy-to-lets, even those that have been used as cannabis farms and are in a poor state of repair. Contact us and we can purchase your buy-to-let, arrange exchange within seven days and end your association with illegal activity.