Derbyshire police are calling for landlords to keep a close eye on their rental properties in a bid to reduce the number of illegal cannabis farms cropping up in residential areas. The local constabulary is concerned about the rise in criminal activity associated with illegal cannabis farms and they are asking landlords and local people to report any signs of suspicious activity in rental properties.
Terrible damage
Criminals using rental homes as cannabis farms often cause horrific damage to the properties. They rip out all the furniture and bypass the electricity supply to keep their cash crops nice and warm. And since they aren’t actually living in the property, the garden is usually left to deteriorate into a wasteland.
Landlords left with the repair bill
If a rental property is used for criminal activity, this normally invalidates the insurance, so the landlord is left to pick up the bill for any damage caused. In some cases, the cost of repairing a house after criminals have used it to grow cannabis has run into tens of thousands of pounds. No landlord wants to be faced with a huge bill, especially if they only manage one or two properties.
Threat of prosecution
Paying a huge repair bill is bad enough, but the police are also keen to point out that landlords who don’t take responsibility for their properties could end up being prosecuted under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Landlords need to make regular checks on their rental properties and report anything suspicious to the local police
