Warning for UK Landlords

[Anne B]

Hi,

 

One thing that has been on the news today may be of interest to anyone renting out their property back in the UK. Apparantly there has been a huge rise in the number of houses found to be decked out as cannabis factories. In fact one was discovered in our sleepy village a few months back, in a large detached house on the edge of the village in a secluded spot, which had been rented out. One article on the BBC website says...

 

"Researchers discovered that gangs, mainly from south-east Asia, are choosing innocuous locations to turn rented properties into anonymous cannabis factories.

 

"You can have a row of identical houses in a row of identical streets, and one gets selected," said Harry Shapiro, from the charity Drugscope.

"You have well-dressed, respectable people going around to local estate agents and renting property. Nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary about that."

Unbeknown to landlords, cannabis growers strip the properties bare and knock through walls to install equipment including special lighting to aid the growth of the plants.

Tenants usually pay their rent up to months in advance and then disappear, leaving houses in disrepair and landlords facing unpaid electricity bills of up to thousands of pounds. "

 

Don't want to panic people but just something to be aware of. Read more at

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7257476.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7934312.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7933630.stm

[Guest Roo1]

Thanks for posting this. I'm just in the process of having an agency look for a tenant for my UK house.

I'll make sure I add that one to the check list...........!

J x

[Guest brandyslad]

Somebody did this in a house beside my sister, when the whole details came out, my mother just could not get her head around why they had tinfoiled the walls!!!!! And then my father was trying to explain that they were growing 'the mary-joanna' as he called it!!

 

A tip for anyone renting - get a pre-pay electric meter in!

[Guest Roo1]

Somebody did this in a house beside my sister, when the whole details came out, my mother just could not get her head around why they had tinfoiled the walls!!!!! And then my father was trying to explain that they were growing 'the mary-joanna' as he called it!!

 

A tip for anyone renting - get a pre-pay electric meter in!

 

:notworthy:Good advice!!

[Guest Martin and Val]

I would suggest that you use an agent and insist on regular inspections as part of the package. Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on things and email you the details of the comings and goings.

Regarding the electricity, provided you have closed and finalised your account and you have informed the service provider that they need to contact the new tenants then you are not liable. Nor are you liable for any service charges or usage from the water companies.

Council tax is a different matter, if I remember correctly you are allowed 6 months free if the house is empty and then you get a reduction after this, if you have a tenant again inform the local authority and you are not liable for the duration of their occupancy.

Sorry I went slightly of topic.

Martin