KATHMANDU: Planning to rent out flats or rooms in your house? If so, you need to hurry to solicit details of the prospective tenants, or you will be likely to run the risk of losing your property at some point.

Feuds between landlords and tenants are adding to the crime graph in Kathmandu Valley, while tracking down the accused is like looking for a needle in a haystack once they make away with cash and properties, the police say.

Given the situation, what is the police department doing to tackle such crimes? The Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) has an idea. “An exclusive desk has been set up under the command of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to keep records of people living in rented houses in the Valley,” SSP Rana Bahadur Chand, in-charge of the MPCD, said today.

Chand appealed to landlords to ensure that the prospective tenants are not affiliated to criminal rackets. “Also, make sure beforehand as to how many people will be living in a room, flat or house. The landlords also better inform the police about the details of tenants after renting out the structures,” he suggested. “This will help the police track down criminals once the crimes take place,” he added.

If the data compiled by the MPCD are something to go by, some tenants were found guilty of breaking into houses and fleeing with cash and other valuables in recent times. “Of the 11 biggest heists in the last two months, most cases witnessed the involvement of tenants,” the data added.

The police have urged the people to keep an eye on domestic helpers as they may be linked with criminal gangs.”Don’t give the servants his/her head in household affairs as it could be counter-productive. The enemies are living around us. It is wiser to adopt preventive measures than remedy later” the data adds.