Unfortunately not all insurance policies cover damage caused by the cultivation of illegal drugs. Something that is easy to overlook. The cultivation of drugs has become a hot topic over the last few years. A number of landlords have lost out when claiming as they have found they do not have sufficient cover in place. The nature of the damage can range.
The cost of returning the property to a habitable and rentable condition can be horrendous.
Cannabis cultivation remains prolific across the country. A cause for concern for landlords as their properties may be being used for illegal activities. The last thing that a landlord wants is to find out that tenants were using their property to grow drugs. Landlords could face a potential police investigation. More likely though is that there will be significant damage to the property that will need fixing before letting the property out again. It can cost thousands to repair the damage caused by cannabis growers. Buildings are often riddled with damp and require extensive repairs.
It is important therefore that landlords carry out inspections every three months. The landlord doesn’t have to carry these out themselves, a letting or managing agent can do it for them. Letting agents often carry out inspections every three months on their properties.
When carrying out an inspection you may see signs of the property being used for cultivation of cannabis.
It is the landlords’ responsibility to ensure that he has inspected the property on a regular basis with evidence of the inspections. The evidence is vital as it will be necessary to prove the inspections in the case of a claim including the dates and times of the inspections. Please read our separate article regarding landlord responsibilities here.
It is important to check your policy documents to ensure that the policy does cover damage from the illegal cultivation of drugs. Not every policy will cover this scenario. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote. Our quote documents will state whether this cover is included.
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