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Guru Q&A: Does Renters Insurance Cover Mold and Marijuana Damage?

FiLife User Question: I have a rental home in Las Vegas that was raided because the renter was growing marijuana in the attic now there is a mold problem. Will my renters insurance cover the damage?
-spazz

FiLife Guru Answer: Probably not . . there’s a section called “Perils Insured Against” in your policy, so pull it out and read it . . mine specifically excludes “mold, fungus or wet rot.”

You are going to want to fix the problem quickly though — mold is one of those problems that gets worse the longer that you ignore it. I used a technician from All Tech Environmental to remediate my basement mold; I don’t know if they have a franchise in Nevada, but perhaps they can recommend someone.

You basically need to get rid of the existing mold through treatment, and then make sure there’s enough air circulation/sunshine so the problem doesn’t recur.

As for your tenant, he essentially vandalized your house. You are well within your rights to sue him for the costs of repairing the damage.

The problem with lawsuits is that even after you win, you have to collect on them — I know that it can be tough to recover damages from the kind of deadbeat who would grow weed in your home, so you’ll have to weigh whether that’s probable or even possible.

I am sorry this happened to you. Good luck with the repairs and finding a new, less reprehensible tenant.

-Ali Rogers, FiLife Guru

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Read our guide to Renters Insurance here.