Illegal Cultivation of Drugs – Are you Covered?

The cultivation of drugs has become a hot topic over the last few years. Landlords have lost out when claiming what they have found. They do not have sufficient cover in place. The nature of the damage can range.

Below are examples of the damage:

1. Extensive water damage.
2. Condensation from irrigation systems.
3. Changed lighting.
4. Damage from the use of plastic.
5. Polytene lined walls.
6. Sealing of doors and windows
7. Installation of ducting and extractor fans
8. Damage to electricity supplies.
9. Tampering to the wiring by the tenant for high power lighting.

The cost of returning the property to a habitable condition can be horrendous.

The Facts

Some surprising facts around drugs in the UK:

– Police seized over 300,000 cannabis plants in England in 2017
– A third of all investigations into the theft of electricity since 2016 relate to the cultivation of illegal drugs
– Cannabis-related claims for landlords almost doubled since 2015

Cannabis cultivation remains prolific across the country. Landlords may have their properties used for illegal activity. As a landlord you do not wish to find out tenants are using your properties for drugs. Landlords could face a potential police investigation. There could be most significant damage to the property. This would need to be repaired before re-letting the property. It can cost thousands of pounds. Buildings are often riddled with damp and require extensive repairs. Drug cultivation in houses can be expensive for landlords.

Landlords should carry out inspections every three months. The landlord does not 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.

What to look out for

When carrying out an inspection look for signs of drugs. See if the property is being used for cultivation of cannabis.

Things to look out for are:

1. The smell. Cannabis has a distinctive smell.
2. Noise levels.
3. Extractors fans to ventilate.
4. There may be additional cabling internally or externally.
5. Windows may be obscured.
6. There may be bars installed to doors and windows.
7. Watch out for high levels of heat and condensation.

You must ensure that you inspect on a regular basis. Take evidence of the inspection. Evidence is vital to show that you have inspected the property. You can then show you did inspections regularly. If you have a claim it would help you.

Ensure that you have the right relevant insurance cover in place. Not every policy will cover this.

Our sister company Iinsure 365 can help you in this regard. Click here. They also have another article on their site that may help you, click here.

It is important that you manage the property properly. Contact us for a valuation so these events do not happen. You can get in touch here.

Do not hesitate to look at our services that we provide here.