Disaster Preparation for Landlords: Floods and Flooding
Disaster Preparation for Landlords: How solid is your Flood Plan? What steps have you, the landlord, or your property management company taken to reduce flood risk and mitigate flood water damage to your investment properties? We have included a few tips below that we use at our properties to help our clients (and our assets) weather the next Los Angeles rainy season.
Protecting Investment Properties From Flood Waters
- Maintain clean and healthy rain gutters. If there is excess rain (such as we experienced here in Los Angeles in the winter of 2016/2017), the property will need its drainage systems functioning to reduce damage.
- Install additional drainage devices such as french drains and downspout extensions to improve drainage and reduce home flooding.
- Inform tenants that if a flood is inevitable, the gas and electricity in the property should be disabled to reduce the chance of fires and fatal electrocution.
- Fix any leaks and seal cracks in the foundation to help reduce basement flooding.
- Install a sump pump in low areas of drive ways, car ports or landscaping for added protection against flooding.