Sara is renting a nice little condo from a man named Stan. Sara loves her condo. She’s taken great care to decorate it the way she likes and make it feel like hers. It’s become her comfortable retreat from the hectic nature of life and work. But one day she unlocks the door and step, step, squish, squish. She finds water has invaded her cozy condo. Yuck- rental property water damage.

Joe Taylor Restoration responded recently to exactly this type of scenario. The renter called her landlord immediately, the landlord called his insurance agent, and his insurance agent suggested he call us to mitigate the rental property water damage.

When there is rental property water damage, the landlord is lawfully required to fix the damage to the structure itself at his expense. That includes the rooms, doors, walls, balconies, and utilities. Hopefully, the landlord has property insurance that covers the type of water damage that occurred so he or she is not paying out of pocket.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/08/03/102711.htm

The landlord, however, is not required to pay for repairs to the tenant’s furniture or belongings. The renter is responsible for that and should have renter’s insurance to protect their personal property, be safeguarded against lawsuits, and cover living expenses if there is a need to temporarily move to another location as a result of damage. The only exception to this rule is if the tenant can prove that the water damage was caused by the landlord’s negligence. This exception is not likely as most rental property water damage, like all water damage, is caused by general plumbing leaks, toilet backup, and the like.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2014/10/06/342743.htm

That said, it is important that landlords and renters speak with their insurance agents to find out exactly what is covered in their policies. So that, if rental property water damage does occur, they can focus solely on taking care of the damage. Because our recent customers were already in the know, they simply made the required phone calls and got Joe Taylor Restoration on the job right away.

Despite the headache of rental property water damage, the insurance agent in Lake Worth, Florida, the landlord, and the tenant were all very happy with the outcome. So much so that they contacted our office to tell us that we “were great, prompt, and very helpful.” If you are faced with rental property water damage, don’t hesitate- contact Joe Taylor Restoration for the knowledge and expertise you and your property need.