Pot-growing tenant is kicked out by his landlord after leaving cannabis plants on a table in the lounge during an open home inspection
- Male tenant kicked out of granny flat after cannabis plants left in lounge room
- Anthony Murrell left cannabis plants in lounge room during routine inspection
- A number of prospective buyers commented about plants to property manager
- Landlord and Murrell had already had a confrontation over growing of cannabis
A man has been kicked out of his flat after he left marijuana plants on a lounge-room table while potential buyers were inspecting the home.
Anthony Kenneth Murrell was renting the granny flat in Palmerston North, New Zealand, when owner Ravindra Pal Singh put the property on the market.
The Tenancy Tribunal heard that during an open house Murrell left cannabis plants on a table in full view.
A man has been kicked out of a granny flat after leaving marijuana plants in the lounge room during a routine housing inspection months after landlord found grow lab inside (stock image)
The real estate agent also found more in the laundry cupboard as she continued the property inspection.
The tribunal heard a number of buyers made mention of the plants in the lounge room to the property manager.
Murrell did not appear at the hearing and was found guilty of breaching his tenancy agreement and was ordered to pay Mr Singh $510 in unpaid rent.
The tribunal heard Murrell had a history of growing cannabis in the granny flat after Mr Singh found cannabis plants growing inside a cupboard in March.
An electrical cable running into the flat caught Mr Singh’s attention and upon investigating it he found the plants in the cupboard.
Singh removed the plants and destroyed the makeshift grow lab.
A few days later he found 15 marijuana plants outside in the vegetable garden and about 20 baby plants also being grown outside.
Mr Singh said he confronted Murrell about the plants telling him it was illegal to grow them.
Murrell admitted to growing the plants and making only a ‘small amount’ of money from them.
Mr Singh said he told Murrell he could have called the Tenancy Tribunal or the police but chose to give Murrell another chance.
After Murrell left the marijuana plants out during the open home Mr Singh reported the situation to the Tenancy Tribunal and police.
He also took to equipment being used for the indoor plants and handed them into police.
The tribunal heard a number of buyers made mention of the plants to the property manager during the house inspection (stock image)