Saturday, October 31, 2009

Flooding and mold in apartment. Who covers moving cost?

My apartment has flooded several times in the last 4 months that I have lived in it and I started having asthma problems almost immediately after moving in. I have suspected mold, and the property manager has had the carpets cleaned and all that several times. The last flooding was monday night and was enough to make my and my husband feel sure that we needed to move (we also have a 15 month old and I am 20 weeks pregnant). We talked to the property manager and they agreed to move us to another unit in a different building that is not a ground level unit for the same rent. We find this acceptable. It was going to take about a week for the unit to be ready. They told us they would give us a $200 credit for moving costs, but I just got a estimate for $300-$400 depending on the hours (not including tip). Is it reasonable for us to expect them to cover the full moving costs?
Answers:
Read what your renter's insurance covers ... mine covers two things mainly
* liability in case my water bed springs a leak
* value of my property in case of damage from a storm, or theft, or other thing beyond my control
Talk to the landlord about your moving expenses %26 what was offered ... he may be able to help in other ways than financial.
There is also the issue of where the flooding is coming from ... the insurance for the place causing the flooding ... might be landlord, might be some other tenant.
Read the lease Agreement
If the flood was caused by nature, they have no obligation to help you with the moving costs, if it was due to flooding caused by their plumbing they dont have any obligation to help with your moving costs, when you rent you should purchase renter's insurance to cover for your items... Florida Law.
Check your lease, but you're probably stuck with it. Do you not have friends who can help? I've done a lot of moving around in my life, and I've never hired movers - neither did my parents when I was growing up. Don't spend the dough at all if you don't have to - except maybe a little to rent a truck if no one has one.
****Your renter's insurance should cover any belongings you need to replace if they were ruined by the flood. That's typically all it's for, as the property owner is responsible for the building, but not for a tenant's possessions.

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