7 Holiday Home Disasters & Whether Your Insurance Will Cover Them or Not

Ah, the holidays. The season for relaxing, spending time with family, and enjoying some time off. You can’t wait to kick up your feet, drink some hot cocoa, and not think about work for a long weekend.

If you’re a landlord, this dream may not be 100% possible. Your tenants and property are always in the back of your mind. And when it comes to your tenants and the holidays, they are likely doing the same thing you are – staying inside, cooking, and having family and friends over.

While most tenants have good intentions, the holiday season brings an increased risk of accident – either to the tenants themselves or to your property. Here we’ll explore common home disasters to watch out for and whether your landlord insurance will cover the damage.

7 Holiday Home Disasters to Avoid

1. Cooking chaos 

Unless your tenants are traveling out of town (more on that later), they are likely cooking and baking up a storm in the kitchen. Gingerbread cookies? Sign us up!

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. Whether it’s a grease fire on the stovetop or a turkey left too long in the oven, fire and smoke damage can cause havoc on your walls.

Is it covered?

If your tenant calls you at dinnertime from the front lawn and you can hire sirens in the background – don’t worry. Your insurance will cover accidental fire damage. Your insurance may also cover loss of rent. This means if the damage is so extreme your tenant needs to move out for a few months, your insurance will pay you the rental income you’re missing out on.

2. Slip ‘n slide Christmas

 Wintertime means cold, wet weather. And while we love a white Christmas as much as the next person, we don’t love the dangers snow and ice can cause. Whether it’s your tenant sliding on the driveway and hurting themselves, or a tenant’s visiting grandma toppling over into the snow, winter accidents aren’t uncommon.

 Is it covered?

Hopefully your tenant is diligent about snow removal, unless otherwise stated in the lease. If he or she falls and is injured, your landlord insurance will protect you from being sued and will cover medical bills. And don’t worry, your tenant’s grandma is also covered under your landlord insurance.

3. Plumbing problems

Your tenants may not understand what you can and cannot put in a garbage disposal. Turkey bones? Hard no. Hot grease straight from the pan? No way!

Holiday food belongs in the garbage, but that won’t stop your tenants from clogging drains. And plumbing problems that prevent water or sewage from draining properly are usually an emergency. We don’t want to ruin your holidays, but you’ll want to respond ASAP to any plumbing problem.

Is it covered?

This one really depends on your policy and on the damage. If your tenant is using the garbage disposal as a garbage bin (that is, throwing everything and everything inside), then you'll be covered if you have an additional water backup endorsement. If you do not have a water backup endorsement, you may have to pay out-of-pocket (or out of your tenant's security deposit) to cover the damages.

4.  Burglar break-in

You know your tenant will be out of town for the holiday, leaving your rental property empty. Home break-ins spike around the holidays, as you know if you’ve seen any of the Home Alone movies. While security cameras and alarm systems can come in handy, not every property is 100% secure. So, if your tenant comes back to find a window broken and their TV gone, what do you do?

Is it covered?

Damage to your rental property – such as the broken window in this case – will be covered. Your tenant’s stolen property? Not covered under your policy, but your tenant should have renter’s insurance which will replace stolen items in this situation. 

5. Frosty pipes

Your tenant goes out of town on vacation and uh oh, they forget to turn the heat up to keep the pipes from freezing. You’ll want to advise your tenants to keep the thermostat set to at least 55 degrees. Frozen pipes lead to burst pipes, which leads to flooding, mold, and more.

Is it covered?

Luckily for both parties, landlord insurance will absorb the cost of repairing damages to the property if pipes freeze and burst. If there is any kind of water damage in your rental property, you’ll want to file a claim as soon as possible. Wait any longer and mold might grow – which may or may not be covered depending on your policy.

6. Decoration disaster

 This is a fun one that you may not discover until your tenants move out. Picture this: Your well-meaning tenants are decorating for the holidays and have some ideas for the décor. While your lease may mention normal wear and tear is accepted, your tenants accidentally break down some drywall.

Is it covered?

Yikes. It’s normal for tenants to decorate, and you should have a statement in your lease agreement about what can/cannot be done to the walls. Unfortunately, your tenant wrecking the walls is not covered. You’ll have to either dip into the security deposit to cover the damage or in the worst case, sue your tenant for damages.

Related reading: Does Landlord Insurance Cover Tenant Damages?

7. Holiday light fiasco

We all love a good holiday light show. But when lights are not attended to, or the wrong lights are used, your holiday light show might be a little too lit. Whether inside or outside, holiday lights pose a fire hazard.

Is it covered?

Yes, thankfully for you and your property, electrical fires are covered. And since any trees or shrubs in your backyard are part of your property, landlord insurance covers damages to those too. However, the amount of reimbursement may vary depending on the cause and extent of the damage.  

Stay safe this holiday season

We want you and your tenants to have a holly, jolly holiday season. If you manage your property on your own, consider reaching out to your tenants with a quick holiday safety guide. You may know if your tenants are going out of town and hopefully you or your property manager can keep an eye out for any potential hazards (e.g. lights left on, unsecured doors, extreme weather). 

No matter where you live or who your tenants are, you’ll want to invest in landlord insurance before it’s too late. And because we know you have enough on your holiday plate as is, we offer quotes completely online. So why not choose the fastest and easiest insurance option? Request a quote today.