What's Going On With Your Rental Property Roof Repairs?

One of the mistakes a rental property owner can make is to opt for temporary roof repairs instead of permanently fixing the roofs on the homes owned. Many owners that rent out properties utilize a property management company to manage their rental properties. Unfortunately, this can keep the owner from really knowing exactly what condition the property is in.

From tenants not reporting roof leaks to management companies who hire contractors for roof repairs that only know how to temporarily fix a roof problem, or perhaps aren't even qualified to make those small repairs, there are several reasons why an owner may not know the extent of damage done to the roof. And when storms, high winds, hail, or even tornadoes do damage, the owner may not be able to visit the property to see with their own eyes, especially out of state owners.

A property management company will try to utilize their list of contractors to make repairs around the home. In most cases, a handyman type person who isn't licensed or trained to make the correct and lasting roof repairs is often sent out to patch up the roof in order to stop the leaks. This is at the most going to be a temporary repair that will still need a permanent solution.

Unfortunately what happens is that the tar the handy person slapped up on the roof to stop the leak, will only last a certain amount of time. Once the sun starts to dry that out, it begins to crack and break apart, making the roof exposed once again to the elements. Roofing tar isn't a permanent fix, especially if used in the place of flashing and other materials.

The property management company trusts that their contractor knows what they're doing, the owner trusts the property management company to know what they're doing, and many times those important decisions are made based just on the cost, not on what is really needed for the repair.

This not only can cost the owner more when the same repairs have to be made every few months or season, but it can also keep the owner from knowing when the roof legitimately needs replacing, causing the owner to miss out on opportunities to get a new roof funded by their hazard insurance policy.

The insurance company won't just automatically send someone out to the home when a storm passes through and damages roofs, nor will they automatically cover a repair or replacement. The owner must initiate a claim and the insurance inspector will decide if the damage was existing and not covered or if it's new and covered under the policy.

This means the owner or the property management company has to be aware of when they should and can file for a roof repair or replacement claim. But how can an owner know they need to do this if they aren't told about damage that would qualify for insurance coverage? The property management company just sends someone out to make an at best temporary repair and the roof just keeps going through the months and finally years of getting worse and worse.

It's a never ending loop of bad management that is unfortunate for the homeowner. Good property management companies will know they should send out a qualified, trained, and licensed roofing repair and replacement company when damage to a roof is done. No matter the cause of the damage, only a professional should be assessing your roof condition.

With a professional roof inspection, owners will have written documentation that provides them with accurate and detailed information that they need to first determine themselves how to proceed with the repairs and second can be used for insurance claim filing or even tax credits or deductions.

If you're a property owner and you use a property management company to handle your repairs, be sure they do everything by the book and not try to serve their own interests first by using contractors they have relationships with. Get a professional to examine your roofs and you and your property will be in the best hands.