Malicious Damage By Green Fingered Tenants May Not Be Covered By Insurers

Landlords looking to squeeze every last penny of profit from rental properties may have made the wrong decision when it comes to choosing the right insurance for their rental properties.

Only to find that when they need to make a claim they are either not covered for it or worse still their insurance is actually null and void.

Cheapskate landlords may have taken what they thought was the easy and cash saving option and instead of choosing a specialist Buy-To-Let or Landlord insurance policy, they fulfilled their legal obligation to their mortgage lenders by taking out a cheaper standard Homeowner’s “Buildings Only” insurance policy.

Every day in the UK another unfortunate landlord becomes the victim of crime. From anti social tenants to drug producers, who do not respect the law, the landlord’s rental property, or anything else, including the consequences of their actions, often causing many thousands of pounds worth of damage to the landlords property in the process.

Damage that may not be covered by some insurance policies.

Due to the economic squeeze on many UK household’s finances, the opportunity to make a quick buck has become an increasingly attractive proposition for some members of society, even if that means breaking the law.

Recent reports suggest that an increasing number of tenants in Private Rental Sector (PRS) properties are attempting growing cannabis or marijuana as their way to try and cash in.

The emergence of Buy To Let cannabis farming was first reported in 2003, when increasing numbers of buy-to-let properties up and down the country began to be targeted by gangs of cannabis farmers looking to house their criminal activities.

The gangs would present bogus identity credentials and references and have the cash to cover the rent, the landlord would be fooled into thinking that they had found perfect tenants, only to get a call or knock on the door from the police a few weeks later.

Tenant referencing has become a lot more sophisticated in recent years and all prospective tenants should be comprehensively referenced and credit checked by a reputable provider, such as Legal 4 Landlords, who will do all the work for you.

However, there will be a small minority of people who will pass the in depth referencing process and still go on to carry out illegal practices in a rental property.

Private Rental Sector residential properties in respectable suburban neighbourhoods have become the preferred base for cannabis cultivation for some drug gangs as they think they will attract less police attention in more middle class areas.

If the landlord suspects anything illegal or anti social is going on at their rental property and need tenants to be evicted, contact Legal 4 Landlords at the earliest opportunity and they will handle the eviction process on the landlords behalf

Often when cannabis farms are discovered the damage to landlords and their rental properties, in both financial and legal terms, can be catastrophic. Uninsured landlords may find themselves having to foot the bill for extensive repairs to their properties

Landlords should ensure that their specialist Buy To Let or Landlord insurance policy covers them for all the possible eventualities, including malicious damage by tenants.

If landlords discover that a tenant is carrying out cannabis farming or any other form of anti social behaviour or illegal activity in their properties they should call the police immediately and should not directly confront the tenants.

Legal 4 Landlords can handle the eviction of anti social tenants for UK landlords.