Police in North Yorkshire are warning landlords of the rise of cannabis farms and have put together a list of signs to watch out for.
This comes as a rise in cannabis farms have been reported across the county, and police are worried about risks, including the risk of fire.
An image the force shared shows a cannabis farm in Scarborough, which was swiftly dismantled.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Cannabis farms are sophisticated set-ups used by organised crime gangs to produce several crops of the drug over time.
“Cannabis production is extremely harmful to communities, and often used to fund criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and the distribution of other drugs including cocaine and heroin.
“Furthermore, the electricity supply may have been tampered with (to by-pass the meter), creating a high risk of fire – which could spread to neighbouring properties.
“Residential and commercial premises could be used as cannabis farms, so today we’re issuing a warning to landlords to be vigilant around your properties.
“Here are some of the possible signs to watch out for:
Poor or no references from a previous letting agent
Offering to pay several months in advance
Preference to pay rent in cash without reasonable cause
Wanting to keep utility bills in a landlord’s name
Asking for complete privacy, requesting no periodic inspections or preventing the inspection of the property when given reasonable notice
Changing locks to keep landlords and agents away from a property
The cost of restoring a property if it’s been used as a cannabis farm is very high, and may fall to the landlord. This photograph shows a set-up we dismantled in Scarborough.
