As a rental property owner in Alamance County, it’s so important to understand your responsibilities in cases involving major storms and natural disasters that can lead to extensive damage. This implies determining 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 only the property owner’s responsibility. Essentially, however, both renters and rental property owners have liabilities as regards property damage. Knowing clearly these liabilities is a very important part of being prepared for and recovering from misfortune.
For instance, quite a lot of rental properties feature one or more large trees around the home’s exterior. If a tree on your rental property falls during a storm and crashes on a vehicle belonging to a resident, whose responsibility is it to cover the cost of repairs? In this regard, paying for the damage is not your responsibility. But rather, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance should cover the cost of totally 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 every now and then. In the unfortunate event of a natural disaster damaging a rental property, it is the legal obligation of the property owner to establish that the living conditions of the property are safe and habitable for the tenants. On top of that, the property owner is, as well, financially responsible for identifying and covering the expenses related to the repair work required to restore the property to a habitable state.
Although, on the flip side, the resident’s personal property, like vehicles, the cost of transportation because of an evacuation, lodging, food, and other expenses are all the resident’s responsibility. As long as the property is rightly repaired to a habitable state within a short period, the resident may still be responsible for the lease terms. They must have a sufficient renter’s insurance to cover needing temporarily alternative accommodations and to totally protect their personal belongings in case of damage or loss. Convincing your tenants to do so may save you both so much added headache in the event of a disaster.
How to stay prepared as a landlord
As a landlord, it is pivotal to prioritize disaster preparedness. Possible disasters can strongly impact your rental properties and tenants. To establish the safety and security of your properties, examine putting into effect a total property risk assessment, getting proper insurance coverage, and acting on preventative measures, for example reinforcing vulnerable areas, securing loose objects, and adding surge protectors.
Formulating a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan and mindfully communicating evacuation routes and emergency contacts to your tenants are vital steps you can take. Setting up protocols for securing the property indeed also contributes to proactive disaster preparedness, greatly safeguarding your rental properties and the well-being of your tenants, ultimately.
At Real Property Management Perfection, we are passionate about helping Alamance County rental property owners like you navigate the ordeals and challenges of natural disasters and other weather-related incidents. Contact us online or call us at 336-510-9975 today to learn more related to how we can extend to you the competent guidance and support you are in need of.
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.
