Fire Damage: Who Pays for What in a Rental Situation?

3/16/2022 (Permalink)

An apartment fire in Poinciana, FL

Going through an apartment fire can be tough on both the tenant and the landlord, if in different ways. With tensions high, it can be more difficult to calmly discuss who is responsible for repairs. Before this happens to you in Poinciana, FL, educate yourself.

Assess the Damage

From the very beginning, the tenant and the landlord should be working together. It's generally a good idea to follow these steps:

Both landlord and tenant should call their own insurance.
As soon as it's been deemed safe by the fire officer, both should do a walk-through to catalogue the fire damage: written lists, pictures and receipts.
The landlord should take the lead on securing the property, like laying tarp over any exposed areas and locking it down.
Both should agree on a fire remediation service, like SERVPRO of Osceola County.

Structural Damage

After an apartment fire, the responsibility of the landlord is to the bones of the property, unless otherwise stated in a lease agreement. Structural damage can include walls, windows, roofing, electrical, plumbing, cabinets and countertops- basically everything that existed before the tenant's arrival. Usually the landlord won't be paying out of pocket, it will be through their insurance policy.

Content Damage

The tenant is only responsible for all of their personal property, like furniture, electronics, documents and clothing. If they have the appropriate coverage, this could also be paid for through their renter's policy. Insurance could also cover temporary housing while the property is rehabilitated. If the landlord and tenant have been coordinating, the same fire remediation service can handle both the content and structural damage.
An apartment fire involves a lot of interested parties. It's a good idea to get a handle on who is taking care of what before moving forward. That way, everything can get done faster and everyone can get back to living their lives. Team work makes the dream work!