Major storms and natural disasters are unavoidable and can cause a lot of damage. As a rental property owner in Memphis, do you know what your responsibilities are in case your resident’s personal property is damaged or destroyed?
Some property owners believe that if any damage is caused by a storm or natural disaster, it is their responsibility to take care of it. However, both renters and property owners have liabilities when it comes to damaged properties. Knowing who is responsible for what is an important step in recovering from a natural disaster.
For example, who is responsible if a tree on a rental property falls during a storm and damages a resident’s car? In this case, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance would cover the damages.
How about the other kinds of damages caused by a natural disaster? Floods, wildfires, and tornadoes are all possibilities. If a natural disaster damages a rental property, it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the property is habitable and pay for renovations 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. As long as the property is restored back to a habitable state quickly, the resident may still be responsible for the terms of the lease and should have renter’s insurance to cover a short stay in temporary housing.
At Real Property Management Investor’s Choice, we help rental property owners like you understand what your responsibilities are in the event of a natural disaster or another weather-related incident. 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 615-810-9578 to find out more and discover what we can do for you.