Now landlords are being urged by the police to be more vigilant and avoid becoming a victim of drug crime; they have even issued an excellent leaflet to help.
Figures recently released show that between 2011 and 2012, 7,865 cannabis farms were discovered in domestic properties and a large proportion of these were in the private rented sector.
Cannabis farms – how landlords can protect themselves
To help landlords prevent seeing their properties becoming used for criminal activities, the National Landlords Association has issued a checklist for them to follow.
• Landlords should carry out thorough checks on their potential tenants including credit and background checks. Be aware that if concerns or suspicions are raised at this point, do not take the tenant on
• If the potential tenant offers to pay six months’ rent upfront then this offer should be turned down as it is usually an indication that they want to be left alone while they engage in establishing their cannabis farm
• Landlords should communicate with their tenants on a regular basis and carry out property checks, at least on a quarterly basis but proper notice should still be given to the tenant.
Landlords should get to know and get on with the neighbours of their property and ask them to keep an eye on it and report anything suspicious.
Should a landlord inadvertently take on a tenant who then establishes a cannabis farm, there are a number of tell-tale signs which may indicate drugs are being grown on the premises.
For instance, if the tenant is using lots of air fresheners or there is a strong smell of deodorisers then these tend to be disguising the smell of cannabis.
Other issues to be suspicious of include the curtains and blinds being permanently drawn; a leap in the electric bill and of high humidity in the property.
How to spot whether a property is being used to grow drugs
People visiting and leaving the property at odd times could also be a prompt for worry and many landlords will find that the property’s wiring may be botched as the growers rewire it to fuel lots of lights and heaters.
This issue of rewiring may also lead to an expensive repair bill.
The National Landlords Association's CEO Richard Lambert said that the growth in cannabis farms in the UK poses a threat to landlords and he urged them to carry out necessary checks on tenants to prevent breaking the law.
He added: “We advise landlords that they should take full references from their potential tenants and avoid taking upfront, long term rents. In addition, it's important that landlords check on the property often and get to know their neighbours.”
Landlords worried about keeping cannabis farms out of their properties should read the very useful Police leaflet: ‘A landlord’s guide to keeping illegal drugs out of rented properties’.
