Following an increase in the number of private rental properties being used as cannabis farms and drug factories, Sussex police have issued a useful “help” guide to landlords in their area to enable them spot the signs and avoid problems caused when properties are misused by tenants.
Unfortunately, the issue of rental houses being used for drugs production is common across the UK. Criminals are increasingly likely to rent innocuous looking houses in the community whilst cultivating their cannabis crops and other illicit drugs, in order to avoid detection from the police.
What are the signs to watch out for?
Police often rely on information from local residents and the wider community when targeting cannabis farms and drug production rackets, so it is very important that landlords are aware of the telltale signs. Properties used as cannabis farms often have windows boarded up and very few signs of life other than random comings and goings on an irregular basis. Close neighbours may also become aware of the characteristic sweet smell emitted by growing cannabis plants. Police also advise landlords to check tenants references thoroughly and be suspicious if a tenant offers a large rent payment up front.
If you are at all concerned about your tenants, or your neighbours have complained about suspicious activities at the property, make a point of going round to the property and checking it over (with the tenant’s permission of course). And if the property is hotter than a Turkish steam bath and you discover an attic full of cannabis plants, contact the police immediately!
