Water damage claims are one of the most common sources of damage in Florida. Condominium Association unit owners, board of directors and property managers are often faced with questions of responsibility for losses due to water damage within units.
The duties and liability for Associations and unit owners are not always clear. A good place to begin is determining if the water damage was a result of a casualty or a maintenance issue. If the damage was caused by a maintenance issue, the condominium documents must be examined to determine who is responsible for repair costs.
Quite often water damage in a condominium is the result of someone’s negligence. The following checklist may help prevent water damage claims.
Below are recommendations for securing your unit for an extended absence
- Turn off hot and cold water to your unit at the main valve
- Turn off the breaker to your hot water heater
- Check for leaks in the heater pan
- Remove perishables from the refrigerator
- Turn off the ice maker, but leave refrigerator on
- Run your garbage disposal to make sure it’s clean
- Secure all exterior doors and windows
- Open all interior doors including closets for air circulation
- Set AC to 78 degrees with the control set to automatic and replace AC filter
- Cancel or make arrangements for newspaper/mail
- Provide a contact number in case of emergency
- Have someone check your unit once a month to make sure no problems have occurred