Do I pay for his Hotel Stay?

Question

My tenant came home this evening to find the sewer backed up into the shower in his one bathroom. We are getting a plumber out here immediately. He is going to stay in a hotel tonight. Do we owe him anything for the inconvenience and night away?

Dick Rosen · Answer

Prorated rent only, he pays his own hotel bill.

Jim K. · Answer

@Julie Marquez

I would ask him to get a receipt from the hotel and I would pay that bill. I would also deduct two day's rent from his next rent check.

Nicole A. · Answer

To expand on @John Mocker's suggestion, I would clarify that if the rental unit is only unusable for a day (or a few days), I would not recommend that the tenants file a claim for "loss of use."

Filing a claim for small things like this can cause an insurance policy to increase in cost or even be cancelled/dropped. This goes for all types of insurance. If you have small amount of damage, it's possibly best to not file a claim and just handle it out of pocket.

Nicole A. · Answer

Account Closed Things like this typically don't happen due to some sort of neglect by the landlord. It just tends to happen as things age. Perhaps a pipe collapsed, or it's severely backed up due to tenants putting something down the drains.

Just because things go wrong in a home does not mean a landlord must shower them with money, hotels, and gifts to "make up for it." These things are just part of life.

The issue is being handled immediately. The tenants likely will only be out of service with the bathroom for a day or 2 tops. But more likely one day. It's really not a big deal.

John Mocker · Answer

Julie,

If your tenant has a Renters policy there may be coverage for the "loss of use" of the apartment.  It may not be a covered loss and/or it may be under the deductible.  May be a good time to suggest they get Renters Insurance (with the optional sewer backup coverage).

I had a renter client who had a $5,000+ loss covered (frozen heating pipes & repairs made apartment unable to be used for an extended period of time.

Nicole A. · Answer

If you do reimburse for a hotel room, make sure they understand that it must be a standard room, not some Presidential Suite. lol

JD Martin · Answer

Renting a house is not a guarantee that nothing will ever happen in that house, just like owning a house isn't a guarantee. Pro-rated rent for a day if you want, OK, but immediate attention to the matter is usually (and should be) satifactory to all but the most demanding, entitled tenants. And it also depends on the situation - heavy backup, obvious raw sewage, and that's the only bathroom is one thing, some grey water and you have to use the guest bathroom is another.

I think your instincts were good. A nice gift for a good tenant for his troubles. :)

Preston Danzy · Answer

Filing a claim is subject to the deductible on the policy.  Not worth filing a claim for something like this.

Scott Rogers · Answer

• Isn't this what the Renters rental insurance policy (the tenant should have) for?

Do I pay for his Hotel Stay?

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