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UK: Smoking cannabis could see you evicted from your home Oli_Vergnault Cornwall Live Thursday 13 Jul 2017 Social housing providers with thousands of homes in Cornwall smoking weed have warned that eviction - while a last resort - remains an option which could see anti social tenant smoking cannabis in their homes or using their homes as cannabis farms put out on the street. Social housing providers in the Duchy said cannabis smoking and farming was a "nuisance", a fire risk and is often linked to antisocial behaviour. The warning that you could be evicted from your social house for smoking or growing cannabis comes after police carried out a series of drugs raids in Cornwall over the past year, unveiling huge cannabis farms and large quantities of the drug - often in some unexpected places. In a raid in April in the village of Grampound, near Truro, 20 mature cannabis plants were discovered, thought to be worth anywhere between £5,000 and £15,000, along with dried cannabis worth £7,700. In Newquay last year, a raid on the town centre Love Shack revealed a huge cannabis farm and resulted in the seizure of dozens of cannabis plants. One of the county's largest social housing providers Ocean Housing Ltd, which manages 4,000 homes in Cornwall, said it "will not tolerate anti-social behaviour that disrupts the lives of individuals within the community". The company said prosecution and eviction remains very rare and only two tenants have been put out of their homes for anti social behaviour and drug use out of 4,000. However, the option remains in place as cannabis smoking is a criminal offence. A spokeswoman for Ocean Housing said: "We take anti-social behaviour seriously and will demonstrate by our actions that we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour that disrupts the lives of individuals within the community. "Therefore, we recognise that, to provide a quality housing service and in the interests of community safety, we must be effective in tackling the problems created by anti-social behaviour." She added: "We do all we can to prevent anti-social behaviour before it starts, working with partner agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. We work with complainants and where appropriate we work with perpetrators to help them to modify behaviours in order to stop antisocial behaviour. Read more: St Austell Park House flats residents claim marijuana smoke is blown through ventilation system "In most cases we are able to bring about resolution to antisocial behaviour without needing to resort to eviction. "Eviction is a last resort and over the last year we have only evicted two customers for antisocial behaviour. We have in excess of 4,000 homes, so the number is tiny in comparison." What can you do if you smell cannabis in your street? For some the stench is so bad they don't like their children playing outside. Is there a recourse if this happens to you? Here are some of the answers... Can people smoke cannabis on their own property legally? Absolutely not. Any suggestion that you can is an urban myth. A police spokeswoman told the Derby Telegraph: "The possession of cannabis is an offence and will be dealt with by police. It is a widespread issue across the county and we are focusing our resources to target those connected with the cultivation and dealing of the drug to help crackdown on the issue. We would encourage anyone who suspects drug activity in their community to contact us." Read more: Landrake dead van man Damien Kane from St Blazey died of a massive lethal cocaine overdose Call the police? Won't my neighbours find out I've done it? The police say no. A spokeswoman said police would "never give away a caller's identity". She said: "We wouldn't say information has come from a neighbour as that narrows it down. We'd just say we received a call about x." He said officers on patrol might also use tip-offs to inform where they go on patrol. If they were to smell the cannabis themselves, they might knock on the door and broach the subject that way. She added that people could always call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if they wanted to remain anonymous throughout the process.image: What will happen to my neighbours if I call the police about them? The police spokesman said this could depend on a number of variables, including the amount of cannabis, and whether someone has had any previous convictions. Read more: National Trust spokesman insists that site is being treated respectfully amid parking row If they're renting, what about telling my neighbour's landlord? That's also an option but you'd need to remember that the landlord isn't bound to avoid giving your identity away in the same way that police are. As long as the tenancy agreement has been drawn up properly, they'll be in breach of it. But you also need to bear in mind that there are constraints as to what the landlord can do. A spokesman for the National Landlords Association, said that, if landlords suspect cannabis use, they should "arrange for a visit to the property, provided they have given the tenant advance warning". He said: "If they see or smell what they believe to be evidence of cannabis use, they should remind and warn the tenant/s that such actions are in violation of the tenancy agreement. If, when they next visit the property, they see the same evidence they may then wish to resort to serving a section 21, or eviction, notice." Read more: Emotional tributes left at scene of tragic A38 crash which killed three at the weekend I am the landlord. What can I do to stop cannabis being used at my property? Chris Norris, of the National Landlords Association, said: "While we recommend taking references of prospective tenants from former employers or landlords before offering a tenancy, it can also be necessary to make checks on the property after they have moved in. "These should be carried out quarterly if there are any concerns but make sure that you give the tenant or tenants sufficient notice beforehand so as not to disrupt privacy. Lastly, get to know the neighbours and local residents, as they can help alert you should they either see or smell what they suspect to be cannabis use on the property." Read more: Landlord prosecuted for multiple failings that could put tenants at risk How can I find out who the landlord of a property is? A good starting point is to find out who the Land Registry have as the owner of the property. It'll cost a few quid but you can get the information from this website: https://www.landregistrydocuments.co.uk/ http://www.cornwalllive.com/smoking-cannabis-could-see-you-evicted-from-your-home/story-30438401-detail/story.html#X47vmEMpVtvuOoHb.99
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