Rental Property Fire Damage: Who Pays for What

11/23/2018 (Permalink)

An apartment fire can be devastating. However, the aftermath can be more stressful than the initial experience as everyone struggles to understand who is responsible for what fire damage. Thankfully, the rules of responsibility are pretty cut and dry.

1. Responsibility and Ownership

Essentially, responsibility and ownership are the leading determiners for financial responsibility. The property owner owns the building and therefore his or her insurance is responsible for covering building damages. The tenant owns their belongings, and thus his or her coverage is responsible for covering personal items.

2. Structure and Property

The building structure and the surrounding property should be covered under the apartment owner’s insurance policy. Therefore, unless the owner is proven negligent, the insurance will cover any damage incurred during the apartment fire. As the owner is not responsible for a tenant’s belongings and as such is not liable for them, he or she cannot be held accountable for any damage unless, again, proven negligent.

3. Contents and Personal Belongings

As tenants are responsible for their belongings, like furniture, clothing and other personal items, his or her insurance will cover this damage. This coverage can be challenged if the tenant is proven both negligent and responsible for the initial blaze. 

4. Insurance Coverage and Restoration

While there does exist a clear division between insurer responsibility, the use of a fire remediation specialist in the Bowling Green OH area is most likely the responsibility of the building owner and their insurance policy. The responsible party can be disputed depending on the initial cause of the fire. 

An apartment fire is difficult for everyone involved. Whether you are the owner or a tenant, the loss of property can be emotionally taxing enough without worrying about who is responsible for covering what damage. However, in most cases, the property owner is responsible for the building, and the tenant is responsible for their belongings.