As a rental property owner in Hartford Metro, it’s important to understand your responsibilities in preparation for major storms and natural disasters that can elicit extensive damage. This constitutes taking in how to handle the potential damage or wreckage of your residents’ personal property.
Who is responsible for damage resulting from a disaster?
It’s a common misconception that any damage caused by a storm or natural disaster is absolutely the property owner’s responsibility. Actually, both renters and rental property owners have liabilities when it comes to property damage. Taking into consideration these liabilities is a salient part of being prepared for and recovering from misfortune.
For illustration, majority of rental properties feature one or more large trees around the home’s exterior. If a tree on your rental property falls down during a storm and sadly ruins a vehicle belonging to a resident, whose responsibility is it to cover the cost of repairs? In this event, paying for the damage is not your responsibility. On the contrary, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance should cover the cost of fixing up the resident’s car.
What about other types of damage caused by a natural disaster?
Floods, wildfires, tornados, and more are all potential events that rental property owners and residents may face sometimes. In the unfortunate event of a natural disaster damaging a rental property, it is the legal obligation of the property owner to make certain that the living conditions of the property are safe and habitable for the tenants. Aside from that, the property owner is likewise financially responsible for identifying and covering the expenses related to the repair work required to restore the property to a habitable state.
However, the resident’s personal property, namely vehicles, the cost of transportation arising from an evacuation, lodging, food, and other expenses are all the resident’s responsibility. As long as the property is returned to a habitable state within a short period, the resident may still be responsible for the lease terms. They must have adequate renter’s insurance to cover, for a time, needing alternative accommodations and to appropriately protect their personal belongings in case of damage or loss. Prompting your tenants to do so may save you both an extra headache in the event of a disaster.
How to stay prepared as a landlord
As a landlord, it is vital to prioritize disaster preparedness. Imminent disasters can tremendously impact your rental properties and tenants. To check the safety and security of your properties, think about working on a thorough property risk assessment, buying suitable insurance coverage, running preventative measures such as reinforcing vulnerable areas, securing loose objects, and adding surge protectors.
Producing a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan and competently communicating evacuation routes and emergency contacts to your tenants are key steps. Putting into effect protocols for securing the property particularly contributes to effective and proactive disaster preparedness, essentially safeguarding your rental properties and the security of your tenants.
At Real Property Management Hartford Metro/Greater New London, we are firm in our commitment to helping Hartford Metro rental property owners like you navigate the difficulties of natural disasters and other weather-related incidents. Contact us online or give us a call at 860-316-4388 today to perceive more about how we can offer you the proper guidance and support you actually search for.
Originally Published on October 5, 2018
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