At six thousand feet a tenant who turns the heat down to save money can cause thousands of dollars of damage to somebody else’s building. Whose fault that is depends on facts the lease rarely covers.
Freeze damage is frequently excluded unless heat was maintained. That condition usually lands on whoever controls the thermostat.
Three things about winter in somebody else’s building.
Most forms exclude freeze damage in an unoccupied property unless heat was maintained or the system was drained. In a rental the tenant usually controls the heat, which means the condition effectively lands on them. A unit left cold during a trip is the classic version of this claim.
Burst pipes damage the structure, not just your belongings. The owner’s insurer pays the owner and can seek recovery from a tenant whose conduct caused it. The figures involved are building figures, which is why the liability section matters more than the contents one.
The highest-risk period is a tenant away for a week in December with the heat turned down. Leaving the heat at a reasonable setting and telling the owner you are away costs nothing and prevents almost all of these losses.
Winter conditions in a rental.
It faces the building repair, not your furniture.
Frequently nothing, which is worth fixing.
Travel is when these claims happen.
Tell us whether the unit sits empty in winter and what the liability limit is now.
