Cannabis Grow Found in Rental Property — What to Do, Legal Position, and Insurance

Report Immediately to the Police

If you discover a cannabis grow during an inspection or are contacted by the police following a raid, your first obligation is to co-operate fully with law enforcement. Do not remove any equipment, plants, or materials until the police have completed their examination. The property is a crime scene and interfering with evidence could make you a person of interest in a criminal investigation. Contact the police on 101 (or 999 if there is immediate danger) and report the grow if you discover it yourself. Request a crime reference number — you will need this for your insurance claim. The police will typically photograph the scene, seize the cannabis and associated equipment, and carry out forensic analysis. Once the police have completed their work, they will release the property back to you. Ask for confirmation in writing that the property has been released and that no further access is required.

• Do not disturb the scene: leave all plants, equipment, and materials in place until police have completed their examination
• Call 101 (or 999 in immediate danger): report the discovery and request a crime reference number — required for insurance and legal claims
• Await police release: obtain written confirmation that the property has been released from police control before carrying out any remedial work
• Co-operate fully: landlords are victims in these situations and full co-operation protects your position — do not attempt to conceal or downplay the situation
• Preserve evidence: once police have released the scene, photograph everything thoroughly before removing any equipment — this evidence supports your civil claim against the tenant

Assessing and Claiming for the Damage

Cannabis grows cause extensive structural damage. Common damage categories include: electrical bypass and overloading, where the grow typically draws power directly from the meter or bypasses the consumer unit, creating fire risk and overloaded circuits — the entire electrical installation will normally require rewiring; water damage from improvised irrigation systems and condensation, which penetrates walls, floors, and ceilings, causing rot and mould; ventilation holes cut through walls, roofs, and floors for ducting; chemical contamination from fertilisers, pesticides, and nutrient solutions applied during the grow; and damp and mould arising from weeks or months of high humidity inside the sealed growing rooms. Commission a specialist surveyor experienced in cannabis grow damage to assess the property before carrying out any remediation. Their report will: (a) document each category of damage with photographs; (b) provide estimated remediation costs; (c) identify any health and safety risks that must be addressed before the property can be re-occupied; and (d) serve as the primary evidence for your insurance claim and civil proceedings against the tenant.

• Electrical: bypass wiring creates fire risk — the entire installation will typically need replacing by a qualified electrician; obtain a new EICR before re-letting
• Water and damp: irrigation leaks and condensation from high humidity penetrate structure — specialist damp remediation and mould treatment required
• Structural: holes cut for ducting, removed partition walls, and ventilation access points must be identified and made good
• Chemical: fertiliser and pesticide residue on floors, walls, and surfaces — specialist decontamination may be required before safe re-occupation
• Specialist surveyor: commission a remediation survey before disturbing the scene — their written report supports your insurance claim and court case

Insurance — Making Your Claim

Notify your landlord insurer immediately. Do not carry out any remediation work before the insurer's loss adjuster has inspected the property — unauthorised remediation can void your claim. Provide the insurer with: the crime reference number from the police; the specialist surveyor's damage report; photographs of the damage; and your tenancy agreement. Most landlord insurance policies include cover for malicious damage by tenants and theft, which typically encompasses cannabis grow damage. However, some policies contain specific exclusions or require that the property was occupied under a legitimate tenancy. Your insurer will appoint a loss adjuster to inspect the damage independently. The loss adjuster's report, together with your specialist surveyor's assessment, will determine the quantum of your claim. Be prepared for a period of negotiation on the quantum. If the insurer rejects or significantly under-values your claim, take advice from an insurance disputes solicitor. Landlords who let via a letting agent may have a claim against the agent if the grow was established by a tenant who passed the agent's referencing checks — this is particularly relevant where referencing was inadequate or where the property was inspected without the grow being detected.

• Notify insurer immediately: report the discovery before carrying out any remediation work — unauthorised remediation can void your claim
• Do not remediate before inspection: await the insurer's loss adjuster inspection; keep the scene as found for their assessment
• Crime reference number: essential for the insurance claim — obtain from the police at the time of reporting
• Malicious damage cover: most landlord policies include this — check your schedule for specific exclusions relating to drugs or illegal activities
• Loss adjuster: insurer appoints independently — your specialist surveyor's report is your evidence to support or challenge their valuation
• Letting agent liability: if an agent failed to detect the grow during routine inspections, they may have a professional liability claim

Evicting the Tenant and Recovering Possession

Where the tenancy is still formally in force, the cannabis grow constitutes a serious breach of the tenancy agreement (criminal activity at the property, damage to the property, use for illegal purposes) and is likely grounds for possession under several Schedule 2 Renters' Rights Act grounds. Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour and criminal activity) is available as a discretionary ground where the tenant has been convicted of or has engaged in conduct likely to cause nuisance, annoyance, or criminal activity at or in the locality of the property. Ground 12 (substantial breach of tenancy obligation) applies where the tenant has materially breached the tenancy agreement by permitting criminal activity, causing damage, or subletting without consent to those engaged in criminal activity. If the tenant has been arrested or the police have identified the tenant as the occupant responsible for the grow, Ground 14 is the primary ground and proceedings can be issued immediately without a minimum notice period (the court retains discretion to order a short notice period). In many cannabis grow cases, the tenants have vacated by the time the grow is discovered — either following a police raid or voluntarily. Where the property is abandoned, you can pursue possession through the abandonment procedure (Renters' Rights Act 2025 s.?? and the Housing Act 1988 protocol) or by applying for an order on the basis that the tenancy has already ended through abandonment.

• Ground 14 (criminal activity): discretionary but strong ground where tenant facilitated cannabis cultivation at the property — serves without mandatory minimum notice period
• Ground 12 (breach of covenant): applies to serious breach of the tenant's covenant against criminal use, property damage, and subletting without consent
• Abandonment: where the property has been vacated and there is clear evidence of abandonment, serve formal abandonment notices and confirm vacancy before re-entering
• Evidence of breach: police crime reference number, police report, and surveyor's damage report establish the ground and the extent of breach for court proceedings
• Swift action: apply to the county court promptly — delays in issuing proceedings while the property is unoccupied increase exposure to further squatting or re-entry by criminal elements

Claiming from the Tenant — Civil Debt Recovery

Once possession has been recovered and the remediation costs have been established, you can bring a civil claim against the former tenant for: the cost of remediation not covered by insurance (excess, uninsured losses, and any gap between the insured value and actual remediation cost); rent arrears that accrued during the period of illegal occupation and through the remediation period; and any void period losses attributable to the damage (if the property cannot be re-let during remediation). Issue proceedings in the county court for debts up to £100,000. The cannabis grow itself constitutes a clear breach of the tenancy agreement and most tenancy agreements contain specific clauses prohibiting illegal use of the premises and imposing liability for damage. Obtain a county court judgment (CCJ). If the tenant cannot be located or has no assets, consider tracing agents (who can locate former tenants through credit reference agency data) and enforcement agents. Cannabis grow tenants are often professional criminals with no identifiable assets, but the CCJ establishes the debt and remains on the credit record for 6 years.

• Remediation costs: claim for all costs above your insurance settlement — excess, uninsured items, and disputed quantum reductions
• Void period losses: if remediation takes weeks or months, claim for the rent that would have been earned during that period
• County court proceedings: issue a claim in the county court (small claims track below £10,000; fast track £10,000-£25,000; multi-track above £25,000)
• Tracing: if the tenant has vacated without leaving contact details, a professional tracing agent can locate them through credit reference databases
• CCJ enforcement: charging orders (if tenant has property), attachment of earnings (if employed), or bailiff enforcement are available enforcement routes for CCJs

Frequently asked questions