With another hurricane season right around the corner, it’s important to prepare your rental properties in Florida from potential damage that could occur. Each year, May 15th through November 30th are considered the peak dates for hurricanes to take place along both the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf Coast.
While you certainly can’t prevent hurricane damage from occurring, there are some precautions that can be taken in order to minimize your overall risk. For instance, doors and windows should be caulked, as well as boarded up, in order to protect breakage from wind and / or flying objects.
If possible, small trees and shrubs should be tied down. And, if the property has a pool on the premises, the water should ideally be filled to approximately twelve inches below the edge. Likewise, pool and patio furniture can be placed in the water so as not to be blown away (or worse, blown into walls or windows of the property).
Are Your Tenants Responsible for Hurricane Damage?
While the property owner is typically responsible for hurricane damage that occurs to a rental unit, there are some items that are up to the tenant. This includes his or her personal property, such as furniture, clothing, and electronics.
In this case, the tenant should purchase rental insurance for covering losses that occur as the result of a natural disaster. It is important to note, though, that the owner of a rental property could still be liable for damage to a tenant’s belongings if the owner did not make needed pre-disaster repairs.
Protecting your real estate investment(s) can be a time-consuming endeavor. But it is possible to delegate these tasks to an experienced property management team. If you own rental property in Orlando and / or the Central Florida area, give us a call for more details on how a property manager could fit into your investment plan.