In
the UK there is a growing trend towards tenants
renting properties for the purpose of cultivating
illegal drugs. Make sure you reduce the risk of
becoming a victim of this type of activity by learning
how to spot the warning signs of illegal activity.
The
equipment and materials required for growing cannabis
can be acquired quickly and cheaply by almost anyone.
This combined with the attraction of being able
to carry out the activity in someone else’s
property has made it a relatively simple task for
the criminally minded tenant to set up a cannabis
factory. However you can mitigate your risk of falling
foul of this type of activity by looking out for
a few simple clues
Your
vigilance should start at the tenant viewing. Tenants
intending to grow cannabis may show little regard
for the practical considerations that would normally
concern prospective tenants such as identifying
a space to position their washing machine in the
kitchen or checking there are enough sockets where
they would want to position their television. They
may not even look in all of the rooms. This is because
they do not intend to use the property to live in,
in a normal fashion
You
should also be wary of tenants who show an unusual
interest in the electricity supply at the viewing.
If a tenant asks repeated questions about the location
of the rcd board, where the supply enters the house,
and other aspects of the electrical infrastructure
this could be another indicator that they intend
to grow cannabis at the property. The reason for
this is that cannabis needs a lot of heat and light
to grow, meaning that the electricity consumption
in the property will increase massively. Invariably
the grower will try to tamper with the wiring, by
bypassing the electricity meter, as a way to avoid
detection.
