Apartment buildings frequently suffer from water damage, often happening suddenly. It’s a common issue for homeowners and landlords, and dealing with it can be a nightmare.
Finding out who to contact for commercial water damage restoration is crucial and might save you a lot of trouble down the road. This article discusses apartment water damage cleanup, what to do if your rental property is vacant, and what to do to prevent it.
How to Handle Water Damage in a Rental Home
A pipe has broken, or your tenant calls to tell you they left a tap running all night. What happens next? You should act promptly.
Who Accepts the Blame?
The landlord has to ensure the health and safety of tenants. They are liable if your tenant is careless and leaves the tap running.
The costs of cleanup and repairs related to the water damage will be the responsibility of whoever was negligent in causing the harm. Landlords must ensure tenants understand the necessity of having renter’s insurance. It is if they incur any obligations while living in a rented property.
Assume that water damage happens due to a natural event like a flood. If this happens, the landlord is accountable for contacting water damage restoration experts.
What about renting a place on Airbnb?
You can get Airbnb’s host damage protection if your guests damage your house or belongings. Airbnb’s host damage protection helps you pay for repairs. Proof that the circumstances that led to damage were created by guests, not by normal household wear and tear. You can take a security deposit, but it may not cover your expenses. Find a homeowners insurance policy that includes significant water damage coverage.
Take Note of the Damage
To file a claim with your coverage firm for repairing and cleaning up water damage, you will need credible evidence of the damage and what caused it. Before you begin repairs, document everything with photos and videos.
Your tenant will refuse to accept responsibility for the damage. You must still register the damage and document the cost for tax and security deposit deductions. Request a restoration specialist’s professional opinion on the problem if you file an insurance claim or take legal action against your tenant.
Cooperate with Your Tenants
Water damage in flats can be extremely problematic if not addressed quickly. It can cause more harm to property if left untreated, and microbial growth can develop within 72 hours. When your tenant signs the lease, you should inform them of the importance of dealing with water damage. They will be more willing to cooperate if a water damage crisis happens.
Tenants willing to help in the event of water damage by relocating furniture away from the water source and turning off the main water supply are invaluable. They can also assist you during restoration, especially if you cannot travel.
After Water Damage Repair
When water damage is discovered on your property, it must be repaired and cleaned up as soon as possible. Call your insurance carrier to determine what is covered under your coverage. Knowing this will allow you to call professionals to fix the water damage. Although you may be able to handle some of the repairs on your own, getting an expert’s assessment is still a wise idea before moving further. It is especially true if your insurance policy requires expert help to reinstate future coverage.
Taking Care of an Empty Rental Unit
Before you begin, whether your property will be vacant for a few days or a few months, make sure to update your insurance coverage. Because there is an increased chance of damage, policies frequently provide low coverage for abandoned properties. A policy may also become void if a property is empty for longer than 30 days. So be sure you understand what your policy covers and the restrictions that apply to vacant properties.
Basic coverage against natural disasters is included with vacant permits. However, theft, broken glass, and water leaks are not. Learning how these permissions could affect your insurance costs is wise for peace of mind.
The risk of water damage to vacant properties grows significantly throughout the winter. If something happens wrong in a deserted building, such as frozen or burst pipes, someone will be less likely to notice. When your homes are unoccupied, they remain without heat, increasing the risk of freezing.
- Turn off the water supply.
- Empty the toilet tanks and water supply lines.
- Fill plumbing traps with non-toxic antifreeze. It reduces the risk of drain pipes and fixtures freezing and cracking during a power outage.
- Install a temperature monitor to notify you if the heating system fails.
- Install a water sensor to alert you if water levels increase above a certain threshold.
- Regularly check the property to ensure everything is in working order.
Methods for Avoiding Further Flooding
Let’s look at some preventive measures you may take to reduce the likelihood of water damage occurring at your rental property again.
Inspections and Maintenance: Not all renters will notify their landlord if they notice a window leak or a dripping tap. As a landlord, you must schedule regular maintenance and inspections to ensure that the building’s plumbing, appliances, gutters, and roof are properly working. All severe water problems should be avoided or at least greatly reduced.
Inform Your Tenants: Because tenants will have some of the responsibility for water damage, you must inform them about the common causes of water damage in apartments and how they may assist in preventing these problems. Tenants can do preventative maintenance themselves if they keep an eye out for certain things and take action if they find issues. Even if they’d rather not get their hands dirty with minor fixes, they’ll let you know as soon as they see anything’s wrong.
Coverage: It is critical to understand your insurance policy and its coverage. In the case of a property in a flood zone, you may need to purchase additional coverage or a different type of policy.
Apartments frequently suffer from water damage, which may be very detrimental to possessions. Water damage can be costly to repair, so property owners must know how to handle these situations and communicate effectively with their tenants.
Reztor Restoration Repairs Water Damage
Reztor Restoration assists with even the most serious damage when your house or rental property has suffered water and mould damage. The IICRC has certified us. These certifications, together with our experience, make us the go-to restoration service provider for insurance companies around the country.
When it comes to emergency preparedness and water/storm damage mitigation for commercial premises, Reztor Restoration is your best bet. We’ll get your project back on track as soon as an issue develops.
Professional commercial water damage restoration professionals are unrivalled. Locate a Reztor Restoration store near you today!
