Police forces across England and Wales investigate 283 incidents of criminal damage to properties every day, the equivalent of one every five minutes.
Criminal damage includes issues such as vandalism, graffiti and even arson.
A landlord project manager from one of the UKs biggest insurer, said: “The scale of vandalism, arson and property damage across the country is frightening.
“We need the enforcement of tough penalties to discourage people from vandalising properties and ensuring those that commit these crimes feel the full force of the law.”
The number of landlord insurance claims resulting from malicious damage has risen by 37% over the past five years.
The highest number of incidents of malicious damage to property in the first half of 2019 were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service, with 6,014 cases recorded in London.
This was followed by Greater Manchester Police with 5,170 cases investigated and West Yorkshire Police with 4,207.
Former and current tenants are responsible for causing damage to a property in 31% of incidents.
She also added: “Landlords can reduce the risk of criminals targeting their properties by installing security measures such as CCTV and motion sensor lighting.
“However, our analysis shows that rogue tenants are also a cause of significant damage to properties.
“To reduce the risk of renting a property to someone that won’t treat it responsibly, landlords should complete comprehensive checks before signing a contract.
“These checks would identify irregularities such as if an individual has any CCJs against them, will confirm their current address, search for any aliases used and verify bank account details amongst other checks.”
Comments