In return for all the rent money they pay, your tenants expect a safe place to live. In addition to performing regular maintenance, you need to be prepared to address severe issues like water damage.
Our team at True Plumbers & AC offers water damage restoration to homes in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, and the surrounding areas.
Here, we’ll explore your obligations as a landlord in terms of remediating water damage and how you can identify signs that it has occurred on your property.
Are My Renters Responsible for Water Damage?
In most cases, renters are not responsible for water damage that occurs to your property. As a landlord, you are required to ensure that your property’s plumbing is in working condition. That means fixing the leak itself and not only drying the room, which is why leak detection comes before any repair.
Landlords are generally responsible for water damage to the building caused by:
- Leaking or bursting pipes, which in an older rental often means the supply lines are due for whole home repiping
- Damp attics or crawl spaces
- Faulty household appliances including dishwashers and washing machines, along with failed water heaters
- HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) units, a bigger source than most landlords expect, as we covered in what water damage can be caused by your air conditioning unit
- Natural disasters and other weather-related issues, which usually call for flood restoration
In rare cases, a renter may be at fault for water damage. For example, if one of their own appliances leaks, then you can charge a renter for any water damage that results.
You typically are not responsible for any of their belongings that fall victim to water damage, which is why renters should always have a renters’ insurance policy. Keeping a short list of the emergency contacts every property manager needs shortens the gap between the tenant’s call and the repair.
Signs of Water Damage You Should Be Aware of as a Landlord
Because your renters are not responsible for water damages in most cases, you should be aware of certain signs of water damage.
As a landlord, you likely check on your property at least a couple of times a year. You can perform these checks on a renter’s move-in date, move-out date, and randomly throughout the year to ensure your property is in good condition. During these checks, you can check for the following signs of water damage:
1. Changes in Your Walls’ Surface Texture Can Indicate Water Damage
Bending or sagging of your plaster or drywall is a telltale sign of water damage. You should also be on the lookout for any cracks or bubbles that may form on these surfaces. Any changes in the texture or overall appearance of your home’s walls or floors can indicate water damage.
If you notice compromised structure in the floors or walls, water mitigation has to start before any drywall goes back.
2. Bad Odors Can Indicate Mold or Mildew
Leaky pipes can cause mold or mildew to develop. While you may not be able to see these substances if they’re behind your home’s walls, you’ll pick up on the bad odors they produce. Mold can be damaging to your tenants’ health, so there is a real advantage to hiring a water damage cleanup company quickly.
3. Higher-Than-Average Utility Bills May Indicate Water Damage
This is something you can keep track of at any time throughout the year. If you’ve noticed higher-than-average utility bills, you may have a few leaks present in your plumbing system. A bill that climbs with no change in use is one of the signs that you may have a water leak, and it can be traced without destroying your home.
Do You Need Water Damage Restoration Services for Your Residential Property?
If you notice any of the above signs of water damage or if a tenant reports them to you, you shouldn’t neglect them.
If your rental has taken on water damage, call True Plumbers & AC at (863) 667-6364. A burst supply line is emergency plumbing, and the difference between mitigation and restoration decides what happens first.
