I rent a house and recently during the wonderful downpours of rain , the water came running in around the beams above the fireplace. My lap top was soaked. It will not work. I have spoken to the Real Estate agent and am not happy with the response that my landlord evidentaly has Landlord Insurance but says Bad Luck. If I had left my Laptop outside in the rain , the damage would be my fault. But how does a leaking roof become my fault? Landlord says water ran in under the flashing around the chimney. Surely this is the landlords responsibility. What is Insurance for? Can anyone out there help me resolve this matter? What steps can I take to resolve this matter? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou.
2007-02-15 19:58:25 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
As a Real Estate Agent, I can tell you that Landlord's Insurance has to do with any of the property that he physically owns: ie, the walls, pipes, roof. These items are insured so that in an event of a Natural Disaster or as they like to call it around here, in MA, an "Act of God", they are NOT held liable for any damage that may occur during the storm.
If you have Renter's Insurance, then anything you physically own in the house, ie: couch, laptop, phone, are covered and are replacable under this type of policy.
If you have a fully furnished house, then that is a different ball of wax all together.
Here are some things you can do to resolve the situation:
1) Take pictures. This is proof and if you are faced to go to court to recoup your expenses from this debockle, then you have proof that you didn't drop it in the tub. Also, write a letter to your landlord, and provide copies of the pictures. This way you can say that you offered him proof and he did nothing.
2) Check your lease. Sometimes in your lease, you may find a clause that says, if there is any personal property damaged during an act of god, or natural disaster, you are not held liable and can recoup these expenses through the Landlord's insurance.
3) Speak with an Real Estate Attorney. There are a lot of attorney's out there that will give you a free consultation. Because each state has different laws concerning these types of things, it always helps to check with one.
Good Luck!
2007-02-15 22:00:59 · answer #1 · answered by Jenn R 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you not have renter's insurance? This is exactly what it's for! I'm sorry for your loss, I'd be absolutely livid.
As far as your landlord goes, you can seek the help of a lawyer to see if you have a possible case. There's no guarantee that you do however, because each state has different laws. Contact a lawyer and see what he/she has to say. I wish you the best!
Oh, and if the damage from the rain is still visible... TAKE PICTURES! Make sure you detail every bit of damage that the house endured as well as the computer.
2007-02-15 20:13:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are several things to consider here. First, read your lease very thoroughly. Most rental leases address events such as natural disasters and property damage. Your lease verb age will also depend on whether or not you are renting from a large corporation (i.e. an apartment chain) or an individual property owner(which sometimes are not as structured and can have some holes to exploit). When reading your lease, take care to note not only what is written, but what ISN'T written. If your lease does not specifically cover this subject, liability for this matter may default to the landlord. Furthermore, it also matters what state you reside in. Some states structure their tenant laws to favor the lessor(him) while others favor the lessee(you). I live in California which happens to heavily favor the lessee in matters like this. For starters I would Google '[your state here] tenant laws.' You may be right, but if your landlord refuses to accept responsibility, you may be forced to take him to small claims court to recover your losses. Good Luck!!
2007-02-15 20:24:57 · answer #3 · answered by Jimmyjam 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Unfortunately, your landlord can refuse to replace damaged items. I would encourage you to get renter's insurance - it is exactly what this calls for!
Sorry about your laptop - I'd be furious!!!
2007-02-15 20:03:47 · answer #4 · answered by TheAnswerChicks 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
find her car and slash her tires and see how she likes getting a 500 deductible for something she didnt do
then when she fixes it, do it again
2007-02-15 20:02:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋