It's every landlord's worst concern. Your valued buy to let property is rented by criminals and used for criminal activity. How do you protect yourself against your property being used for illegal purposes?
The police provide some fine guidance that all landlords need to be mindful of when renting out their properties. The first piece of advice is that you should check on the electricity use. If you see surge patterns in electrical activity such as a huge or sudden growth in electricity usage then that's a good sign that your house is being used as a drug farm. Growing illegal drugs requires a lot of electric lighting and ventilation so if you suddenly see very high readings from the electricity meter you should be suspicious.
Blocked out windows should also raise doubt. If your new tenants do not want to be seen there is probably a good reason for this. Illegal brothels, drug farms and counterfeiting operations all require secrecy, so criminals will try to block out the windows to avoid being seen. If you visit your house and the curtains are always drawn or if there is tinfoil on the windows you should raise the alarm and call the police.
Can you identify a criminal at first sight? What sort of person tries to rent a house for criminal activity? Unfortunately it is difficult to see if someone has criminal intentions when you first meet them but there are some things that you should be aware of. Is your tenant paying in cash? If so, ask to see some bank details. Cash payments may mean an identity fraud is taking place so it's always wise to check identity if this happens. Finally always check references and make sure you obtain a deposit before handing over the keys.
Having squatters in your rental property can also be a very serious problem. The law in this area is very complicated and once they are in your property it can be very difficult, expensive and time consuming to eradicate squatters. So if you want to avoid getting squatters in your buy to let property, what do you do?
First and most importantly make your house look occupied, so that even if it's empty it looks like there's somebody in it. Things like timer switches on electrical items and simple furniture will give the illusion of activity.
Be sure to repair damage to things like windows, gates and the external aspects of the building quickly. It's easy to give the impression that a house is in use, but if it's neglected it will attract attention. Simple maintenance is usually sufficient to keep squatters away.
Lock the house. It's so obvious that many people tend to forget. If the house is going to be unoccupied for a long period you perhaps could board it up, but this does attract attention. Ensure the home is secure as if squatter has to gain entry by force he has broken the law. This makes them a lot easier to remove legally.
Ask someone to visit the house regularly. Even if it's just for half an per week, somebody to check the outside, remove junk mail and tidy the front garden can make the difference between an occupied and a neglected home.
Simple measures can make all the difference but if you do end up with squatters it can cost a lot of money to have them removed legally. That's why a good Buy to let insurance or Landlords insurance policy is essential. Make sure you get a policy that covers legal costs and loss of rent or you could be faced with a very large bill.
Ultimately your best protection is to be cautious. You should always be on the look-out for odd behavior and strange activity. It's also key to get the right level of Buy to let insurance sometimes known as Landlords insurance so that if the worst happens you are protected from losses and damage.
Author Resource:-
Doug Walker Dip CII is General Manager of Academy Insurance Services Ltd. Academy is an independent insurance broker specialising in niche insurance markets such as cheap young driver insurance and buy to let insurance.
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