Who Pays for Fire Damage in a Rental Property?

12/28/2020 (Permalink)

Fire damage in Dunwoody, GA

"I love when the sink breaks!" said no one ever. Depending on your handyman skills, making unexpected repairs around the house can be one of the downsides of homeownership. The great thing about renting in Dunwoody, GA, is that there are things no one expects you to fix or pay for. In many rentals, tenants do not have to pay for household repairs from normal wear such as broken sink or toilet. Instead, when these situations occur, landlords expect renters to call a maintenance person who the rental property pays. But what if you are a tenant who experiences an apartment fire? Who pays for the damages then?

Who Is Responsible?

Here is the thing about fire damage: Landlords hold ultimate responsibility for all repair costs, but there are three things to consider:

• Who / What Caused the Fire?
• Who Has Insurance?
• What Is the Damage?

While damages can be expensive, most landlords have insurance policies that keep them from having to pay for repairs out of pocket. The insurance company will seek to work with the insurance company of the tenant, depending on if the tenant has renters' insurance. If it is clear tenants have caused the apartment fire, they will be responsible for paying. The loss of personal items such as household goods and furnishings falls on whether tenants have any sort of protection coverage on the unit.

How Do Landlords Repair Damage?
Whereas tenants have to focus on the loss of personal belongings, property owners have to focus on repairing the damages to the building. When it comes to repairing fire damage, there may be several things you need to address. From inspection and assessment to removal of smoke and soot, you will need a fire damage remediation expert to help you take care of everything that comes after. It is important to keep in close contact with your insurance company throughout the process.
In the event of an apartment fire, landlords have the responsibility to make repairs, but the party responsible for paying can depend on the specific circumstances. It may be worth looking at your property or renters' insurance to see what it says.