Major storms and natural disasters can cause extensive damage. As a San Antonio rental property owner, do you understand what your responsibilities are in the event that your resident’s personal property is also damaged or destroyed?
Several property owners may believe that any devastation due to storm or natural disaster is their responsibility, but renters and rental property owners both have liabilities when it comes to property damage. Discerning which liabilities are yours and which are your residents’ is an important part of recovering from a disaster.
For example, who is responsible for repairs if a tree on your rental property falls on and damages a resident’s car during a storm? In this event, paying for the damage is not your responsibility. Instead, the resident’s auto or renter’s insurance is responsible for the cost of the damages.
What about other sorts of damage inflicted by a natural disaster? Floods, wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes are all events 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 quickly, the resident would still be responsible for the terms of the lease and must have renter’s insurance to cover the cost of alternative housing.
At Real Property Management Alamo, we help rental property owners like you understand what your responsibilities are after a natural disaster or another weather-related incident. Our property management services will help answer your questions about liability and make certain that your residents are covering their share of responsibilities. Contact us online or give us a call at 210-600-5672 to find out more and learn what we can do for you.