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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Your Rights as a Tenant Post-Flood

6/13/2018 (Permalink)

For the most part, tenant and landlord responsibilities are pretty straight-forward. Landlords are responsible for major renovations and repairs, while tenants are responsible for day-to-day maintenance and upkeep, including cleaning and lawncare. However, some tenants still want to know if they're responsible for flood damage. In short, the answer is no, tenants are not responsible for flood damage. However, that does not mean tenants should negate renter's insurance.

Your landlord's flood insurance coverage covers the cost of flood remediation to the building and that's about it. If your personal property was damaged and if you do not have a renter's policy, you will not be able to recover the value of damaged items. Moreover, most renter insurance policies cover the cost of temporary housing and day-to-day living expenses in the event that a covered party is forced out of his or her rental home or unit. That said, you don't need to rely on insurance to help compensate for your losses.

Considerations To Make After a Flood

Though renter's insurance can come in handy post flood, it's not your only protection as a tenant. There are laws in place that protect tenants' rights after major events, both natural and preventable. Some of those laws may be of some use to you after a Vancouver, WA, flood:

• If you have to relocate because of damages caused by a flood or other disaster, you do not have to pay rent during the restoration period, and the landlord cannot find a new tenant in the meantime.
• You can terminate the lease at any time if you are forced to relocate due to a flood or other event.
• If the damage does not justify relocation but does pose an inconvenience, you may demand an adjustment of your rent.

Keep in mind that your renter's insurance policy does come with limits, and that flood damage will not be covered unless your policy specifically includes home flood coverage. Regardless of how the event occurred, tenants should always report an event to both their landlords and insurance companies. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROwvancouverclarkco.com/.

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