Are your new tenants getting up your nose?
As a Bristol Letting Agent with, over 15 years experience, letting all types of property through out Bristol, from studios to Penthouses, one would like to say I have seen it all, but I know that life (especially in this game) is an education every day.
With regard to cannabis farms, I have seen them in the process of being made, in full growing mode, and also the devastation after the growers have left.
According to a recent report, there were at least 6,886 farms found in the Uk last year alone, That’s not taking into consideration the undetected ones.
Naturally most landlords would not even consider, for one second that their property could be used as a cannabis farm. However, the largest percentage of these farms were set up in typical rented properties. Such as houses in cul de sac’s, terraced house and semi detached properties.
Typically a landlord or letting agent is duped into renting out his property to a front couple who start off the tenancy and then hand the keys over to a gang of organised criminals. Once the gang have moved in and begun the conversion process the damage to your property can be severe.
What is most likely to happen?
Cannabis farmers are known to be quite ruthless in the alterations they make to gain the maximum growing potential from the properties they rent. The damage can vary from moderate to extreme but it’s common for there to be a combination of electrical, structural and water damage after a property is used as a cannabis farm.
Internal walls are often knocked down, doors and partitions removed to make additional growing space for the crops. Elaborate, badly built irrigation systems are used to feed the plants, often leading to serious water damage. Damage to the electrical systems are common as farmers try to bypass the meter or overload capacity with the high-powerd growing lights they deploy. in a recent case, a gate at the side of a property was wired directly to the mains, am extreme DIY security measure that could have killed anyone trying to get access to the property.
How to take steps to avoid it happing in the first place?
Fortunately there are a few tell-tale signs to keep a look out for.
To begin with, it highlights the alarms bellls that should make a landlord suspicious of a tenant:
- A tenant’s willingness to pay rent months in advance in cash
- A tenant’s tendency to pay in cash without any visible means of financial support.
- Repeated requests from the tenant for the landlord not to visit the property.
They also outline some steps a landlord should take that should deter criminals including cannabis farmers from renting a landlord’s buy-to-let rental property in the first place:
- Use a form of photo identification of potential applicants such as a photocopy of their passport or drivers licence.
- Ensure identification is genuine.
- Watch for telephone, water, gas, and electricity accounts in different names
- Require more than one type of identification for joint applicants.
- Check prospective tenant’s current address
- Obtain prospective tenant’s mobile numbers and car registration.
- Properly reference and credit check the tenant.
Tell tell signs at the property?
- Blacked out or tin-foil windows should raise the alarm. If your tenants aren’t keen on anyone looking into the property you should be concerned.
- Unusual patterns in electric usage are a good indicator of improper use. If the meter suddenly starts whirring you may have grounds for suspicion.
- Keep a nose out for odd smells. No matter how hard you try, the pungent aroma of a hundred budding cannabis plants is hard to hide.
- Unusual alterations are another giveaway. Has the tenant suddenly installed a load of bolts, alarms and deadlocks? What are they protecting?
- They try to keep you at arms length. If your tenants do all they can to avoid a visit from the landlord it might be time to get suspicious.
To be a victim of this crime, it is not only just the damage to the property, but also to the fact that you have been duped!, I am never sure which has the most devastating affect. It’s an ongoing and increasing problem, with over 20 farms being detected every day.
It is important that you have comprehensive insurance in place, and to make sure you follow the above precautionary measures. Or at least check up that your agent is making the appropriate measures.
None of us like to be a victim of crime, as there is always a cost to pay.
