Major storms and natural disasters can cause extensive property damage. As a Clovis rental property owner, do you know what your responsibilities are in the event that your resident’s personal property is damaged or destroyed?
Some property owners may think that any damage caused by a storm or natural disaster is their responsibility. However, renters and rental property owners both have liabilities as far as property damage is concerned. Understanding which liabilities are yours and which are your residents’ is a critical part of recovering from a natural disaster.
For example, many rental properties have one or more big trees around the exterior of the house. If a tree on your rental property falls during a storm and damages a resident’s car, who is responsible for the cost of renovations? In this example, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance should pay for the car repairs.
What about other kinds of damage caused by a natural disaster? Floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and more are possible situations that rental property owners and residents may face. If a rental property is damaged by a natural disaster, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that it is livable and to pay for repairs if it is not.
However, the resident’s personal property, including vehicles, and the costs of evacuation like transportation, alternative lodging, and food are all the resident’s responsibility. If the property is restored to a habitable state quickly, the resident may still be responsible for the terms of the lease and should have enough renter’s insurance to pay for temporary housing.
At Real Property Management Platinum, we help rental property owners like you figure out what your responsibilities are in the event of a natural disaster or another weather-related incident. No matter what nature inflicts, our property management services will help lessen your fears about liability and ensure that your residents are responsible for their fair share of liabilities. Contact us online or give us a call at 559-324-9400 to find out more and discover what we can do for you.