Major storms and natural disasters can cause a lot of damage. As an Orlo Vista rental property owner, it is essential that you know your responsibilities if your resident’s personal property is damaged or destroyed.
Property owners may think that they are responsible to cover the costs of repairs for any damage on their property, but renters and rental property owners both have liabilities when it comes to property damage and loss. Learning which liabilities are yours and which belong to your residents is a vital step in recovering from a natural disaster.
For example, many rental properties have one or more big trees around the exterior of the house. If a tree on your rental property falls during a storm and damages a resident’s car, who is responsible for the cost of renovations? In this example, paying for the repairs is not your responsibility. Instead, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance should pay for the car repairs.
What about other types of damage caused by a natural disaster? Floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes are all events that rental property owners and residents could face. If a rental property is damaged by a natural disaster, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that it is habitable and pay for repairs if it is not.
However, the resident’s personal property and the costs of moving, temporary lodging, food, and other expenses because of evacuation are all the resident’s responsibility. If the rental property is repaired quickly, the resident may still be responsible for the terms of the lease and should have enough renter’s insurance to cover temporary housing.
At Real Property Management Freedom, we help rental property owners like you understand what your responsibilities are in the event of a natural disaster or another weather-related incident. No matter what nature brings, our property management features will help answer your questions about liability and make certain that your residents are shouldering their fair share of responsibility. Contact us online or give us a call at 407-624-4706 to find out more and learn what we can do for you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
