3 Essential Calls When A Leak Causes Damages to Your Neighbors Unit

6/23/2021 (Permalink)

Contact the commercial water restoration team at SERVPRO!

It is all too common to see a multi-tenant complex with water damage caused by a single unit.

You may be reading this blog post because you are currently in a situation where your Atlanta apartment is the one that has caused water damage to neighboring units and is now curious to know what the best course of action is to proceed. In this blog post, we will be answering common questions we receive during a multi-unit water damage situation and the 3 most important phone calls to make.

The three calls to make

Commercial water damage can cause thousands of dollars worth of damages. During any size commercial water damage, there are three points of contact that need to be reached out to ASAP:

1. Property management/Landlord
2. Renters insurance company
3. Restoration Company

Call your property management company when there is water damage.

A commercial property owner needs to be the first to know when water damage happens at their property. They may have close connections with a preferred restoration company for water mitigation services and a contact to proceed with an investigation. 

The property management company should first focus on doing what we call "damage control." Damage control will start with the building engineer at the property; they will start shutting off the main power and any water supply that contributed to the leak.

It is important to have your property management company's number saved in an area that is easily accessible for when a disaster strikes. Now would be a good time to find out who your property management company is if you are not sure. 

Call your renter's insurance company when there is water damage

When a leak causes water damage to your unit and your neighbors unit, call your renters insurance immediately to let them know what happened. You will likely be liable for the water damage if the leak was caused in your unit.

It will be good to get video and photo proof of the damage caused to your unit and the surrounding units to make the insurance claim process easier. As well, you should speak to all tenants affected by the water damage to keep them in the loop.

Call a reliable restoration company

When water damage strikes, you need to have an IICRC certified team on call that you know will treat your property as if it were their own. The first thing you need to do when searching for the right restoration company is to look at what past customers are saying about their experience. Google reviews will be a great place to check for past customer experiences.

The most nationally recognized restoration company that customers can always count on is SERVPRO. SERVPRO has been providing restoration services to the greater Atlanta since 1967. Each franchise is independently owned and operated but corporate gives extensive training to ensure consistency.

Once the restoration company you choose arrives on-site, they will start by extracting as much of the standing water that is present. The entire commercial restoration process will depend on the amount of damage present to the multiple units.

Minimize future commercial water damage with a SERVPRO ERP

SERVPRO of South Cobb offers a free service called an Emergency Readiness Plan (ERP) for all residential and commercial properties throughout the greater Atlanta area. An ERP is designed to minimize property damage by planning for when damage strikes. The uniquely designed ERP will indicate emergency shut-off valves and the most important numbers for a property owner to call in the middle of a disaster.

Contact us today for a free ERP or if you are currently in a water damage situation that has also affected a neighbor's unit!