If Your Apartment Floods, What Should You Do?

9/2/2022 (Permalink)

Don’t get caught off guard by flooding in your rental.

What to Do When Your Apartment Floods

1)     Make Sure Everyone Is Safe

The first thing you should do if your apartment floods is to make sure everyone is safe, including your pets. A small leak with water contained in one area or one room is not as much of a hazard as inches or even feet of water from a natural disaster. Use common sense, be safe and then move to step two.

2)     Contact Your Landlord or Property Manager

If there is a broken pipe, a leak from the tenant above you or water coming from another source, the first thing you should do is call your landlord or property manager. With any luck, they can respond immediately and stop the water and reduce the damage. If you can do it safely yourself, turn off the source of the water. Whether that’s a valve that you can shut off or an appliance you can turn off, stop the water if you can.

3)     Save Your Stuff!

If you can, move furniture and belongings from the flooded area. Put them in another room or put them up high and out of the water’s reach. If the entire apartment is flooded, do what you can to save as much as you can. It’s important to remove your valuables, especially if you’ll be displaced by the flooding. Put them in your car or take them to a friend or family member’s house for safekeeping.

4)     Follow Up on Restoration Plans

Ensure your landlord calls SERVPRO of Kendall County. Nothing is more important to flood recovery than a quick response by a restoration company.