Bad Weather Question

[Lynn James]

Question

I had a pipe to burst at my rental. This seems to be a common issue here in Georgia today. Since the demand is so high for plumbers I cant get one out until tomorrow. 2 questions:

Am I responsible for putting tenant in a hotel?

Am I responsible for tenants personal property damage?

What are your thoughts?

[Thomas Williamson]

I have an example of this very thing in my lease agreement. The tenant is told at the time we sign the lease that I nor my insurance company are responsible for their belongings in the event of something like a pipe bursting. I tell the tenants, and its in writing as well in the lease, that my insurance will only put my house back together, it does not cover their belongings. I also have the tenant initial that portion of the lease. This was very helpful recently for me, as one of my homes caught fire a few months ago.

The fire was contained to the kitchen, and it was the tenants fault. I was able to pull the lease out and remind the tenant that I was not responsible for her belongings or finding them a place to stay while renovations were on going. The damage to my house was almost 30,000. The tenant never did get renters insurance, so her stuff was not covered. The house was just finished last week and the tenant moved back with her family, after having to pay to stay somewhere else, and pay to have all of their items cleaned before going back into the house.