News In Focus
22 February 2010
Criminals targeting rental home market
Rental properties throughout the UK are being targeted by criminal gangs for use in illegal activities such as drug factories and brothels, with landlords having to foot the bill for any damage caused, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
The association said criminals were attracted to rental properties in quiet residential areas because they offered a base to operate from without fear of being disturbed.
NLA chairman David Salusbury said that in many cases landlords could face repair bills of thousands of pounds, as many insurance policies were rendered invalid when criminal activity takes place in a property.
His comments come as Strathclyde Police call on insurers to add clauses to insurance policies so that landlords are no longer covered if their properties are damaged by cannabis growers.
The police want landlords to be registered along with their properties, and the properties to be inspected by local authorities.
Mr Salusbury said one NLA member lost £20,000 when two of his properties were used to grow cannabis, with the gang having taken out internal walls and rewiring the property directly to the electrical mains.
The association highlighted five ways for landlords to combat criminal gangs:
- Take detailed references. These should include a credit check, and references from their employer and their current landlord.
- Don’t take rent up front. Often criminals offer this as way to ensure they are left alone.
- Check on the property regularly. This can be done at least quarterly and more regularly if you have concerns, provided you have given sufficient notice.
- Get to know the neighbours, as they can alert you to any suspicious activity.
- If you have suspicions of criminal behaviour do not confront your tenant. Go straight to the police.
Mr Salusbury said it was vital that landlords were aware of the threat criminals posed. “Criminal activity not only has an impact on the landlord’s property, but on the community as whole. The production of some drugs involves highly flammable material, which poses a dangerous fire risk. More worryingly, criminals use the proceeds of their crime to fund other, more serious crimes such as people trafficking.
“You may think ‘it will never happen to me’, but these incidents are on the increase. The checks you make before a tenant moves in are a key way to prevent becoming a victim of these crimes.”
Over 260 cannabis factories have been found in Scotland since December 2006, growing drugs worth up to £37m at street values, but police believe the value of drugs under cultivation could be 10 times as high.