What to Do If Your Bathroom Floods in a Rental Property
Having a bathroom flood is bad; having a bathroom flood in a property that you don’t own is arguably worse. If the landlord of your rental property in the Twin Cities metro holds you accountable for the water damage that results, you could be subject to fines and even termination of your lease. In order to minimize the damage to your rental property and the risk you face, there are several important steps you need to take as soon as you discover that a bathroom has flooded.
4 Crucial Steps to Take to Minimize Water Damage in a Flooded Rental Property
- Stop the Flooding
As more water leaks into your bathroom, further water damage can occur and it may spread to other areas of the house, condo or apartment you’re renting. Before this happens, find the source of the flooded bathroom and put a stop to it. A bathroom may be flooded by many causes, including bursting pipes, overflowing toilets or shower drains, and clogged sinks. Determine where the water is coming from and see if you can shut it off. Most bathroom appliances, including toilets and sinks, have a shut-off valve for situations such as this.
- Inform Your Property Manager
However worried you may be about potential consequences, honesty is the best policy here. Inform your property manager or landlord that your rental property’s bathroom has flooded so that they can advise you on the best course of action. To protect yourself:
- Take extensive photos or videos of the flooding and water damage.
- Don’t accept blame for the flooding to your landlord unless you’re certain you’re at fault.
- Document your communication to your property manager to prove that you promptly informed them of the situation and took steps to minimize the damage.
Most likely, your landlord will either send an on-staff maintenance technician to resolve the flooding or hire a water damage restoration contractor in the Twin Cities area. However, if the flooding is determined to be your fault, you may be held responsible for making sure the water damage is repaired.
- Prevent Ongoing Water Damage
The longer that floodwater covers your bathroom floor, the more damage that can occur to the property. If there are possible hazards in the water such as an electrical current or raw sewage from a toilet drain, do not risk going into it; call the professionals and let them handle it, or ask your landlord to do so promptly. As long as it is safe to do so, clear out the standing water and dry the bathroom using a wet/dry vacuum, then sop up the rest of the mess using towels and mops. Once it is possible, remove any possessions from the bathroom and thoroughly dry them off.
- Schedule Water Damage Restoration & Repairs
Even after the floodwater has been removed from the bathroom of your rental house, apartment or condo, it is likely that water damage has occurred and may continue to occur unless the bathroom is restored promptly. Your lease agreement should determine who is responsible for scheduling and paying for water damage restoration; in most cases, responsibility lies with the property manager, whether you have to help cover the cost or not. Check your renter’s insurance policy to see what is covered there.
It is important to continually follow up with your landlord to make sure a professional water damage restoration company in the Twin Cities arrives promptly, before dangers emerge. Water damage from a flooded bathroom can result in structural damage to flooring, damage to electrical outlets, and the growth of hazardous mold. Trained water damage remediation specialists have the equipment and knowledge needed to repair flooring, fixtures, and plumbing infrastructure that were damaged in the flood, and they can also take measures to prevent further leaks and mold growth.
Reliable Water Damage Restoration Contractor in the Twin Cities
Are you looking for a trustworthy company to remediate and repair water damage in a bathroom at a rental property? Connect with Arko Restoration today if you’re in need of expert water damage restoration services in the greater Twin Cities area!