In 2004 the Tampa Bay-area was hit by 3 tropical storms and a near-miss major hurricane. We learned a lot about emergency storm response in 2004. Here is what we learned:

Our regular vendors will struggle to respond to major storm damage

Problem: We thought we had our vendors lined up and ready to respond in 2004. However, materials and resources were in such short supply after storms, that many of our vendors were unable to repair storm damage. We had roofers that could not get roofing materials; handymen that could not get plywood or tarps; tree service contractors that could not rent cranes (to lift trees off houses); drying vendors that could not get fans, dehumidifiers and generators.

Solution: We recommend all our Landlords retain an Emergency Services contractor to provide storm damage response. An Emergency Services contractor specializes in storm response. They invest money ahead of a major storm or hurricane by purchasing materials and reserving key resources; have a mobile team that checks on your property for damage once the area is cleared by the authorities; they oversees emergency repairs; then work with your insurance company on the permanent repairs. This proactive approach to storm damage response requires our Landlords to sign an Emergency Services contract with the vendor well in advance of any storms so they can plan and invest in their response. We recommend all our Landlords have an Emergency Services contract in place. Contact us for details.

Our office may not be available as a command center during or after a storm

Problem: In 2004 there was a mandatory evacuation 36 hours before Hurricane Charlie made landfall so we couldn't use our office. We also lost electric power during two tropical storms (one of the outages was for almost 10 days). This was a big problem, as during these times we couldn't access our office's property management database server that contained vital property, tenant, landlord, vendor and financial information. We couldn't communicate by email as our email server was without power and our Internet connection went down during and after each storm.

Solution: We have moved our essential IT resources out of the state of Florida. Our property management database server is now in Texas, our website is hosted on a server in Kansas and our back-up email server is in Virginia. If our office is not available, we will connect to them by notebook computers and smart phones from any available WiFi connection.

Telephones are a very inefficient means of communicating with our Landlords during and after a major storm

Problem: After one storm in 2004 we had almost a hundred calls a day from concerned Landlords wanting updates on how their properties fared. Our voicemail filled with messages from our Landlords faster than we could respond back to them.  The volume of call traffic also seriously impacted our ability to communicate with renters and vendors to assess and respond to storm damage. After another storm our office was without power for 10 days. Without power our office telephone and voicemail system (and our email server) were not functioning so our Landlords could not contact us at all.

Solution: We respectfully request our Landlords NOT to try to contact us by telephone. For communications we post general information through our website / Landlord Portals, and Landlord specific information will be sent by email.

There may not be enough money in your Owner's Reserve to cover emergency repairs for storm damage

Problem: We learned that a typical Owner's Reserve account is insufficient to pay for many emergency storm repairs. In one storm in 2004 we had several large trees fall onto properties. The average cost to remove those trees was $5,000 each. A $500 Owner's Reserve account does not cover the cost, the Landlord's insurance company can take weeks to process a claim and many vendors will only work for cash after a major storm.

Solution: We recommend all our Landlords retain an Emergency Services contractor to provide storm damage response. If you have a signed contract with the Emergency Services contractor, they will make temporary or emergency repairs to you property and then work with your insurance company to be reimbursed.

Some Landlord's will be inadequately insured

Problem: We learned that some of our Landlords were inadequately insured. Hazard insurance does not cover damage from flooding; homeowner policies (as opposed to dwelling policies) do not cover lost rents; stated risk policies don't cover all the risks; condominium association policies do not cover damages to the inside of condominiums.

Solution: Please contact your insurance agent to ensure your rental property has sufficient and the correct coverage. Contact us if you need contact information for a knowledgably insurance agent.

It can take a long time to get properties permanently repaired

Problem: We learned that it takes a long time to get properties permanently repaired. Resources and skilled labor are in short supply. Insurance companies are overwhelmed and it can take weeks to get a claim approved.

Solution: We recommend all our Landlords retain an Emergency Services contractor to provide storm damage response. If you have a signed contract with the Emergency Services contractor, they will make temporary or emergency repairs to you property to protect it from additional damage until the permanent repairs can be completed. They will then work with your insurance company get the permanent repairs estimates approved and then make the repairs.