Renters Can Act In an Emergency With Renters Insurance Massachusetts

Landlords of rental properties have certain legal obligations to maintain the properties in a livable condition and to carry out repairs, and most landlords  carry landlords’ insurance to cover losses related to damage to the building. The renters insurance Massachusetts policies that tenants carry provide protection for losses related to personal property, liability and additional living expenses.  

Although your landlord is ultimately responsible for undertaking emergency repair work, tenants who can identify maintenance problems and take action to avoid serious property damage can save themselves and their landlords a great deal of trouble and expense – but don’t forget to inform your landlord if there has been an emergency so that permanent repairs can be arranged.

Look around your rented property and find where utility supply points are located.  Find the electrical service box, familiarize yourself with the on/off positions of circuit breakers, fuses and switches, and learn how to turn off an individual circuit or the entire electrical supply. Find the gas shutoff and water shutoff valves and work out how to turn off supply if there is a gas leak or burst water pipe.  

A tenant who can quickly shut off supply in an emergency can avoid a water leak from becoming a flood or a gas leak from causing an explosion. However remember that your personal safety has a higher priority than property, so don’t place yourself in a hazardous situation.  Compensation for property losses from renters insurance Massachusetts policies may provide limited consolation when a major injury is sustained.

*