Being a landlord is not easy in this day and age. Between dealing with unruly tenants, those who are consistently late on the rent, or getting phone calls at 3 AM about how the heater doesn’t work, landlords have their work cut out for them. However, there’s one nightmare scenario that every landlord worries about: what if your tenants are secretly growing cannabis inside the rental property?
Unfortunately, this is a problem that’s all too common in this day and age. Some states have begun to relax laws concerning cannabis use and growth, but having an illegal grow operation is, well, illegal. Here are three signs your tenants may be secretly growing cannabis in your rental property and how to prevent this problem from occurring in the future.
Obtain Landlord Insurance
One of the most important things to have before renting to people is landlord insurance. It’s a type of property insurance specifically designed to protect people that rent out residential properties. If your properties are located in Massachusetts, one of the best insurance companies that offer landlord insurance is Roger Butler Insurance, which has been helping the communities in Massachusetts and Connecticut for over 100 years with superior insurance services.
They offer several different forms of comprehensive coverage, including landlord liability insurance and landlord property insurance. Those types of insurance can be invaluable in unforeseen events, such as a fire, burglary, or even suddenly discovering that those (seemingly) super nice tenants have been growing marijuana illegally in your rental property.
Signs Your Tenants May Be Growing Cannabis Illegally
There are many different signs that your tenant could be growing cannabis illegally in your rental property.
- The Unmistakable Smell
One of the first warning signs that can indicate the presence of cannabis is the smell. It’s different than the smell of marijuana smoke. The smell of growing cannabis is much more pungent, more like a sickly-sweet, skunky smell. Only a tiny amount of marijuana can have a very strong smell, which means that the plants have an even stronger scent. To get around this, many illegal growers will seal up the windows, doors, and vents and use ventilation fans 24/7.
Another trick is using carbon to try and cover up the smell. However, it’s impossible to get rid of it completely. If that smell is strongly coming from the house, ask the tenants if they will allow you in for an inspection. If they refuse, tell them that it’s part of a standard rental agreement that the landlord be allowed in with a reasonable amount of notice. Also, look at the windows. Are they blacked out? Excessive condensation is another bad sign, as it’s caused by very humid air and poor ventilation (to avoid the smell getting out).
- The Electrical Meter Has Been Tampered With
If you’ve noticed that the tenants have tampered with the electricity or the meter, this is a huge indication they could be growing cannabis inside the rental property. Think about when they first moved in. Did they not seem to care about the amenities offered but asked a ton of questions about the electricity or how often you’re going to check in on the property? Grow operations take a tremendous amount of power to run the lights and fans 24/7. To get away with this, tenants will alter, tamper with, or change the meter itself in an attempt to fool the power company.
Pay attention to what the other neighbors say (if there are any) because they live there and can be a great source of information. Are they constantly dealing with low water pressure? Another common complaint will be power surges or spikes in their utility usages, as the growers may try to steal their electricity so as not to cause a significant and noticeable increase.
- Increased Security
Generally, people who are growing a lot of marijuana in their homes will have increased security, like an unusual amount of cameras outside the building. Remember, not only can growing illegal cannabis cause lots of damage to the house itself, but it can also be dangerous. Large amounts of marijuana can be worth thousands and thousands of dollars, which is why the growers have to beef up security. They could even have a gun in the house.
Think about their rental application. Did they leave a lot of answers incomplete? If so, that’s a warning sign. If there are also tons of different cars that only come to visit for a short amount of time, that’s another big red flag that could mean they’re also dealing. However, those that only grow and don’t deal usually are incredibly paranoid and will not let anybody enter their home. Also, if the tenants are unemployed but drive a very nice car, this could be another warning sign to watch out for.
Ways to Avoid This Problem
So, what’s the best way to make sure your rental property doesn’t inadvertently get destroyed from the inside out and then turned into an illegal grow house? Well, there’s really no way to 100% eliminate this problem, but there are steps that can be taken to prevent it.
Screen Every Tenant
For one, it’s important to screen tenants very thoroughly. Even if it costs a little extra money at first to run a background and credit check, it’s worth it to weed out the bad apples. Take the time and effort to actually call their references and former employers. Always ask for proper identification during the application process.
Complete Monthly Inspections
One other thing to tell tenants is that you will be completing monthly inspections. Anybody that wants to use your property to grow cannabis will likely back out upon hearing this. Make sure to follow through on the monthly inspections, too.
Be There on the Move-In Date
Try and at least stop by once on their move-in date, just to ensure that everything is above board. You can also make sure there aren’t going to be any extra people living there than were initially agreed upon. Also, being present makes it a lot easier to reinforce special conditions of the lease and nip any problems in the bud before they become a bigger issue.
Keep Your Rental Properties Safe and Secure
While the laws may have relaxed a bit on medical and recreational marijuana in some states, it’s still very illegal to house a large grow operation in a rented house without a license. Unfortunately, this can be a big problem for landlords. There’s no way to 100% avoid the problem, but by having landlord insurance, you can be covered in the event of major damage or an unexpected event.
t’s also essential to complete regular monthly inspections of the property and to thoroughly screen every single applicant. Keep your eyes out for unusual amounts of visitors, and keep your nose vigilant for that unmistakable skunky smell. All of these warning signs and tips can hopefully prevent this problem from occurring. However, if it does happen, as long as you have the right kind of landlord insurance coverage, you’ll be financially safe and have the ability to fix the property and ultimately get it rented to some much better tenants.
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