Encourage your landlord to check out AreaHub Enterprise so your landlord can stay apprised of a range of environmental health and climate issues.
Note: If you are concerned about any of these questions, but don't know how to answer them, you may want to ask your landlords or building managers, depending on your area's environmental risks.
With extreme weather causing more problems across the United States – unprecedented heat waves, flooding, massive storms – renters would be wise to know in advance how to best protect themselves and others, before an emergency happens. Unless you have been advised to evacuate, sheltering in place may be an option in weather-related events, such as hurricanes or tornadoes. Sheltering in place can be made more possible through safety features you can identify and possibly fortify, in advance. If you evacuate, safety features make it more likely that your home will not be damaged in your absence. When considering a building’s resilience, you should consider the utilities as well as the structure itself. Even if the walls are standing, it can be dangerous to live without electricity, running water, heat, and air conditioning. For those who rely on medical devices or refrigerated medications, power outages can be especially problematic.
Tornado and Hurricane Wind Damage
Does your building have hurricane-proof windows and doors?
Does the building have a safe room, hardened against wind?
To shelter from tornadoes, is there a basement where you could stay safer?
Is your building's utility infrastructure on higher floors, rather than in the basement, to avoid flood damage?
Are there sump pumps on the basement floor which could remove flood water?
Is there a defensible zone around your building?
Where are the smoke detectors in the building, and are they maintained?
Were fire-resistant materials used to build and renovate your building?
Can a “clean room” be separated from outside air, kept safer with an air purifier?
How are pipes kept from freezing and bursting during winter weather? Are the pipes insulated?
Is the building insulated, caulked, and sealed to preserve heat?
Do the windows look old or do they look like they were replaced recently? Newer, double-pane glass will preserve energy and keep you warmer.
Does your building have backup generators in case of a power outage?
How could your building’s utilities be shut off in case of an earthquake? Would the person who is responsible have access to these systems and know how to shut them off?
Is the building designed to be earthquake-proof? Are there loose materials?
If you live or plan to live somewhere without safety features and/or the government advises evacuation, consider where you could stay in case of an emergency.
If your municipality has evacuation zones and recommendations for how to evacuate, which zones and routes apply to you?
Are there people you could stay with who live somewhere else and/or nearby in more secure housing? If you know someone who needs emergency housing, can you help?
Can you stay in a hotel or other temporary rental accommodation in a safer area?
What charity or government entity runs shelters near you?
Disasters can make it impossible to stay in your home. Monitor emergency alerts, which can help you plan to evacuate ahead of the disaster. If you decided to stay through the disaster or it moved differently than predicted, it can be helpful to have an evacuation route planned.
If you need to evacuate, know where the closest emergency exit is in your building, know multiple exit routes, and don’t use elevators if possible because they may become stuck or damaged during an emergency. If objects are falling, take cover as much as possible, while moving away from windows, glass, and exterior walls.
Where are emergency exit routes in your building? Are all these routes maintained?
If you have a disability, can you exit the building through emergency routes? What assistance, prescriptions, and access devices might you need?
Can you access the building roof if there are no other options to escape flood water?
In the process of evacuation, you may encounter flood water. Do not drive, swim, or walk through flood water. Flood water can be electrified, contaminated, or so fast-moving that it washes you away. Bridges over fast waters can be washed away.
In addition to natural disasters, you may also face the risk of pollution-based hazards. As a renter, some pollution mitigation strategies like installing an improved air filtration system for your home may not be your decision. However, there are still ways you can stay safer.
Is your building’s or home's HVAC system maintained to protect indoor air quality? Are the filters changed regularly?
Do you see mold, lack of ventilation in potentially wetter areas like the bathroom that could lead to mold, or leaky pipes that could contribute to mold growth?
Do you have windows to allow for airflow when the air outside is clean?
Can you install an indoor air purifier?
Has your home’s or building’s water source been tested for contaminants? If not, there may be free tests offered by the state to test for lead contamination.
If needed is there an at-home water filtration system installed, and if not, can one be installed by you or your landlord?
Has your building or home been tested for radon, a potentially cancer-causing gas?
If you get water from a well and/or your home has high radon levels, has your water been tested for radon?
If Radon is detected in your area are Radon mitigations installed in your home or building?
Is your home or building near industrial hazards such as brownfields, Superfund sites, oil, gas, or fracking wells, natural gas pipelines, or nuclear power plants? EPA superfund websites, officials, and your doctor can tell you what steps could mitigate your exposure to the pollutants near you.
Knowing what contaminants you live near can help you customize your safety approach, and so can being aware of the manager of these sites’ emergency plans in case of an accident. Testing for contaminants in your water and air can be helpful. Your doctor can recommend testing for exposure to different chemicals. At-home water filtration and air purification systems can help remediate pollution, but bottled water may be needed if water is contaminated.
Renters insurance can help reduce the financial impact of disasters if covered by your policy. Property damage caused by natural disasters that is often (but not always) covered by renters insurance includes fire, lightning, windstorms, hail, smoke, snow, sleet, and ice. Renters insurance usually covers the cost of your lost belongings, not having access to your home, and injury liability because of injuries incurred on your property. Your landlord’s insurance most likely covers the structure itself. As with all insurance policies, renters insurance policies vary - you should review the details of any policy you buy to understand how much financial loss would be covered, what your deductibles may be, what the filing process could include, etc. The text below is general guidance to what you might find in your policy, but you should check the details for yourself. Insurance payouts may not be immediate and will most likely not cover all costs, so emergency savings can be helpful for coping with disasters.
Property including furniture, books, clothing, shoes, some electronics, and appliances are often covered by renters insurance. Some renters insurance policies will provide compensation for what an item is now worth, while others will provide compensation for the amount of money required to replace it, which can often be more money. Some personal property may either not be covered by your renters insurance or may be subjected to limits on the value that is covered. You can get in touch with your insurance company to see what property is covered by your policy and what your options would be to increase coverage, including purchasing floater insurance for a particular item or raising your overall compensation limits for property damage. Taking a home inventory can help you both determine how much personal property coverage you need and will make filing a claim for compensation easier if needed. Keep your inventory somewhere safe, such as in a bank or in the cloud, and update it over time to make sure new possessions are covered.
Loss of use coverage can cover additional living costs such as renting a home or hotel room and paying for meals when your home is being repaired in the aftermath of disasters and/or if you cannot access your home because of evacuation orders or damage to local infrastructure. Keeping all your receipts from hotels, restaurants, rentals and other day-to-day costs will help you file a claim faster and more comprehensively. Estimating your normal living expenses can help you calculate your baseline needs, which insurance companies may use to calculate what additional expenses are.
Floods
Many renters insurance policies do not cover flood damage, with some exceptions for water damage from broken appliances. If you are in a high risk area for flooding, you may be able to buy flood insurance as an additional policy. While renters can buy flood insurance from the federal government through the National Flood Insurance Program, NFIP does not cover all damages. Unlike renters insurance, NFIP does not cover the cost of living somewhere else, like a hotel, while your home is being repaired. Personal items stored in basements are usually not covered, which can be a problem for those living in basement apartments. If these factors mean that NFIP insurance would provide you little aid, you could consider buying private flood insurance if available in your area or building emergency savings instead of buying federal flood insurance.
Earthquakes
Most insurance policies do not provide earthquake insurance. You may be able to buy a separate earthquake policy from your main renters insurance provider. Even if your state does not sell earthquake insurance, you may be able to get guidance about what companies provide earthquake insurance via your state’s insurance department website.
Disasters For Which Your Area Is High Risk
In general, ask what disasters will be covered by your insurance plan and compare this list with what disasters are more likely where you live. If a disaster is common where you are, it may be worthwhile to pay the extra money for an extra policy or have additional emergency savings on hand for the additional deductible. For example, wildfire insurance can require a separate policy in some high risk states. Some states allow insurers to charge a hurricane deductible, increasing the cost that hurricane damage could pose even if you have hurricane insurance.
Government Assistance
If you didn’t buy renters insurance, suffer financial losses not covered by your policy, and/or need immediate assistance before a renters insurance payout is available, there are government and non-profit resources that can help. If your state has been named a major disaster area and your county is eligible for individual assistance, you can apply for grants from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program to help you with temporary housing and other post-disaster needs, including medical help and child care. To get FEMA assistance, you will need to be able to prove occupancy of the damaged home. You can also apply for a disaster loan from the Small Business Administration to help in the wake of a disaster, even if you don’t own a business. SBA loans can help you repair/replace your primary home, refinance a mortgage, and replace damaged property. See FEMA’s ready.gov website for information to help you plan for and recover from all types of disasters. Your local emergency management department can provide more information about local government assistance.
Non-profit organizations including the American Red Cross and United Way may help you find shelter, food, medical care, and other forms of recovery support. Help is often available as you work to rebuild your life, even if you are struggling with finances. If you call 211, the operators can refer you to additional resources in your area in times of need.
AreaHub’s Knowledge Center is updated regularly and provides information drawing upon scientific studies and sources.
NerdWallet: Where to Turn When a Natural Disaster Upends Your Finances
U.S. Small Business Administration: Disaster Loan Assistance
NerdWallet: How to Make a Home Inventory for Insurance Claims
NerdWallet: What Is Loss of Use Coverage for Home Insurance?
NerdWallet: How to Make a Home Inventory for Insurance Claims
NerdWallet: What Is Personal Property Coverage? A Complete Guide
Investopedia: Floater Insurance: What it is, How it Works, Examples
CDC: Choosing Home Water Filters & Other Water Treatment Systems
EPA: Create a Clean Room to Protect Indoor Air Quality During a Wildfire
WBUR: 4 Things To Know About Ice Dams — Including How To Get Rid Of Them