The cannabis farm scandal: how a rogue lettings agency...

Imperial Property Group said it rented homes to NHS staff. In fact, they were torn apart to create drug factories, causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage. Why has the culprit not been brought to justice?. When Hajaj Hajaj decided to rent out his house in south London in the summer of 2020, his daughter, Kinda Jackson, urged him to use a reputable lettings agent for peace of mind. Her father had enough on his plate. Hajaj, a 79-year-old retired garage owner, is the primary carer for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease. The income from the rental property in Lewisham is effectively Hajaj’s pension, which he uses to pay for her care.

So, when a manager from Imperial Property Group contacted Hajaj about his Gumtree listing, Hajaj arranged to meet them. A sharp-suited British Asian man named Shan Miah arrived in a sports car. He was in his late 20s or early 30s, charming and confident. He boasted of his business interests in Dubai. “He was doing very well for himself,” Hajaj says.

Image Credit: the Guardian [Pots of destroyed cannabis plants among cables and wiring at Hajaj Hajaj’s property]

Miah explained that Imperial was different from other lettings agencies. A company of 70 years standing, Imperial had four London offices, employing 121 people, and had sold or rented 83,000 properties, according to its website. It specialised in corporate lets to NHS staff and IT consultants. Imperial would manage the property, dealing with tenants and paying for repairs. Should the tenants leave early, Imperial would cover their rent.

Image Credit: the Guardian [The property belonging to Michelle Chen in Milton Keynes, which was turned into a cannabis farm]

For all this, Imperial charged … nothing. Its fees were 0%. All it required in return was that Hajaj didn’t contact his tenants directly and gave two months’ notice if he wanted the property back. Hajaj assumed that Imperial marked up the rent to the corporate professionals living in the property. He signed with them in July 2020 and for two years, the rent kept coming. Although the bank accounts the money came in from changed every few months, Hajaj did not think this was unusual, as it was a corporate let.

Image Credit: the Guardian [The damaged at Haj Hajaj’s property in Lewisham after the cannabis farm was discovered]

In December 2020, Hajaj contracted Covid. He was placed in a coma and spent six months in hospital. He had to relearn how to eat, drink and walk. His family were called to say goodbye to him three times. As he recovered, Hajaj’s thoughts turned to the Lewisham house. It had been nearly two years since he had set foot inside. On 10 May 2022, Hajaj emailed Imperial to request a viewing. “The property has been kept in immaculate condition and with regular interval checks,” replied Imperial’s administrator, Sarah Barnes.

Image Credit: the Guardian [Heat lamps and wiring found in Haj Hajaj’s property]

Hajaj was mollified. He replied to Barnes detailing how important this let was to him. “Please note, the income is mainly covering the full time care which I provide for my wife … [who] unfortunately is suffering from dementia,” he wrote. He told Barnes how he had nearly died. “We wish you and your partner the best of health,” she responded, adding: “It is clear you do not need any extra headache.”.

Image Credit: the Guardian [Cabling and lighting in Michelle Chen’s property]

But in November 2022, the rent didn’t arrive as usual. Imperial said it would evict the tenants, a process that could take months. Barnes sent court papers, to show proceedings were under way. Under no circumstances, Barnes emphasised, should Hajaj go to the property. “Forcing entry will result in the tenants calling the police,” Barnes wrote. Besides, the property had been inspected on 10 December 2022 and all was well, she added.

Image Credit: the Guardian [Discarded cannabis plants and other rubbish outside Santosh Chandorkar’s property]

The months dragged on. Hajaj sent beseeching emails. “I am unable to sleep or concentrate as this is the only income I have … My wife needs 24 hours care. I had to borrow money from the bank at [an] astronomical rate.” This time, Barnes’s response was cold. “Please refrain from constantly emailing … We will not tolerate abuse or unprofessionalism.”.

Image Credit: the Guardian [A skip outside Santosh Chandorkar’s property]

The tenants would be legally evicted, Barnes wrote in a subsequent email, by 18 April 2023. That date came and went. Hajaj heard no word from Imperial. So he went to the house. What he found there was worse than he could possibly have imagined. “How can a human being be so hard?” says Hajaj with despair, as he surveys the wreck of his property more than a year later.

Image Credit: the Guardian [Tom Greenhalf standing outside a block of flats]

In October 2023, Michelle Chen skulked outside her property in Milton Keynes. It was 3am and she was on a stakeout. After she listed her house on Gumtree in September 2022, Miah approached her, too. “I checked the Google reviews,” says Chen, 43, an education consultant. “All perfect.”.

But something was awry. She knew it. Chen lived in the same development as her rental house and passed it daily. None of the lights were ever on, apart from the bathroom and hallway light, which were always on. But Barnes insisted that Imperial had inspected the property recently. “Rest assured, your property is in excellent condition,” she wrote in an email.

Then, in October 2023, the rent was late. Chen did what she hadn’t done for a year. She rechecked Imperial’s Google reviews. One stood out. “Our house has been turned into a cannabis farm … STAY CLEAR OF THESE CRIMINALS.” It had been written by Jackson, Hajaj’s daughter.