Landlords warned about convicted tenants

News Category: Legal

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Landlords in the UK could find insurance claims are rejected if they are not clear from the outset about their tenants' criminal past.

Those with property management portfolios who rent their houses and flats out should declare any of their customers' unspent convictions to insurers at the beginning of their tenancy or they could lose money in the future, the Observer reports.

Peter Fairweather of Anchor Underwriting told the newspaper that some insurance firms will not pay out on home cover claims if a former criminal has been living in the building.

One recent case saw an old couple contact their insurer following an electrical fire, but they did not receive a penny in insurance because it emerged their grandson - who they had been looking after - had a conviction.

"It's only when loss adjusters start to ask questions that people realise they have a problem," Mr Fairweather explained.

Landlords were issued with another warning last month when Andrew Thomas, UK vice-president of the Association of Residential Letting Agents said their cash could be at risk from the potential closures of estate agencies in Cardiff.

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