Natural disasters can arise at any location and moment. Even if a tornado, flood, earthquake, or fire, natural disasters cause extensive property damage and displace thousands of people every year. When a natural disaster collides and batters a rental property, landowners have responsibilities to their tenants beyond the damage to the rental home. The characteristic of these responsibilities depends on whether your Hartford property is still habitable or not.
As a landowner, you recognize that all rental households must be fit for human habitation. Without regard to area, all rentals must provide a tenant with water, heat, electricity, and a sanitary and structurally safe building. While the regulations can differ, most regulations state that if the rental household does not follow the basic standard, a tenant is under no obligation to pay rent and may even cancel the lease. They can also be qualified to collect their security deposit instantly in full.
Therefore, when a rental home is damaged by a natural disaster in Hartford, the amount of the damage must be evaluated immediately. It should all be thoroughly documented, in the event inquiries appear after some time. If the damage is minimal and the tenant will be displaced for just a period of days or weeks, your responsibilities as a landowner are to fix the issues as soon as possible. Your tenant may still be required to fulfill the terms of the lease, as well as pay to fix or replace any destruction to their personal property.
If nevertheless, the damage is extensive, or the conservation will take several months or more, it is the responsibility of the owner to determine how to handle the lease. If the home is uninhabitable, you might need to release your renter from the lease and return the security deposit in full. A tenants’ security deposit cannot be used to pay for damages caused by a natural disaster. Additionally, if the natural disaster strikes close to the beginning of the month or immediately after a month’s rent has been paid, the landlord may have a responsibility to return that month’s rent to the renter.
Knowing how to respond after a natural disaster and which actions to accept about the lease, rental payments, and security deposits are somewhat the professionals at Real Property Management Greater Milwaukee have years of wisdom with. With our company on your side, you can continue to be composed and optimistic in the understanding that even when disaster hits, your Hartford rental properties are in the finest achievable hands. Please contact us online or call us at 262-309-6961 for more information.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
