Major storms and natural disasters can cause extensive damage. As an owner of a rental property in Toano, you should be aware of your responsibilities in case your resident’s personal property is damaged and or destroyed.
Because some property owners don’t know what to do when a natural disaster affects their property and their residents, they could be paying for something they don’t have to pay for or not fixing damaged property when they should. Both renters and rental property owners have liabilities when it comes to property damage. Knowing who is liable for what is the key to recovering from a natural disaster.
For instance, many rental properties have one or more tall trees on the outside of the home. If a tree on your rental property falls during a storm and destroys a resident’s vehicle, who is responsible for the cost of repairs? In this case, paying for the damage is not the property owner’s responsibility. Instead, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance should cover the cost of fixing the resident’s car.
There are also many types of damage caused by natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and tornadoes. These incidents are rare but possible, and when rental property owners and residents face these situations and property gets damaged, it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the home is restored to its habitable state.
However, the resident’s personal property, including vehicles, and the costs of evacuation like transportation, alternative lodging, food, and other expenses are all the resident’s responsibility. If the property is returned to a habitable state quickly, the resident may still be accountable for the terms of the lease and should have sufficient renter’s insurance to cover temporary housing.
At Real Property Management VA Peninsula, we help rental property owners like you learn what your responsibilities are in the event of a natural disaster or another weather-related occurrence. No matter what nature brings, our quality property management services will help ease your concerns about liability and ensure that your residents are shouldering their fair share of responsibility. Contact us online or give us a call at 757-251-9188 to find out more and discover 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.
