Being On The Upper Floor Of A Flooded Apartment Building

When you add in owners who may only live in the unit part time and other units that may be completely unoccupied the risk of a leak only goes up.

Being on the upper floor of a flooded apartment building.

That includes the rooms doors walls balconies and utilities. Your landlord is responsible for building and apartment repairs that are needed because of flooding. Maybe they ve left a leaky pipe unattended too long and it s leaked into your home rather than theirs. This includes structural repairs carpet cleaning replacement walls doors and so on.

The only exception to that rule would be if the landlord were at fault for improper plumbing maintenance or repairs to the unit. The short answer is yes. If a storm floods your apartment so badly it s unlivable you can usually stop paying the rent and ask for any prepaid rent back. In the case of an apartment being a total loss after a flood the lease becomes effectively terminated automatically.

Move valuable items that are at risk of damage from the upstairs flood to a separate area of your apartment. If you live in an apartment or a condo you might be wondering if the wastewater from upper level units can cause a condo sink backup in a lower level unit. With an upstairs flood chances are good that the water is coming into your apartment from a specific part of your ceiling. In this case the landlord does not have to provide shelter to the tenant.

However the clog causing the drain backup is likely located beneath the affected apartment. There are instances where an upstairs neighbor falls asleep and leaves the tub running for example in which water can go through their floor into your apartment. After all you re renting the space you don t own it. Being surrounded by other people s unit above below and on the sides makes leaks inevitable from a neighbor s condo.

You should always consult with your landlord prior to making any structural changes. If need be transfer your stuff to a neighbor s apartment to your car or to waterproof storage. If your property owner has another equivalent apartment available you could try and negotiate a move into that unit signing a new lease. If the flooded apartment ends up with too much damage to remain livable you may have the right to terminate your lease without penalty.

Most apartments will have a wood sub floor. Assuming you didn t cause the water damage yourself your landlord is lawfully required to fix the damage to the apartment itself at his expense. The landlord is not required to pay for repairs of furniture or personal belongings.