Prepare your Lessors and Tenants for Storm Season 

While Queensland is often described as ’beautiful one day, and perfect the next’, there’s no denying that between the sunshine-filled days, we can experience some downright destructive weather. We’ve already seen horrific storms cause damage to properties this year, so it’s important as property managers to assist our lessors and tenants prepare for the storm season.  

One of the first steps to take would be to suggest lessors and tenants contact their insurer to check they are suitably insured for all weather events. In addition to this, property managers can offer the below checklists to  tenants and lessors of simple things to do around the property to make sure they’re ready for the next wild weather event.   

Lessors need to:  

• Ensure trees are maintained and are a safe distance away from the house; 
• Ensure gutters are cleaned regularly; 
• Attend to any roof maintenance such as loose tiles; and
• Install shutters or screens if you are in a cyclone prone area. 

Tenants can best protect their belongings and assist in protecting the home by undertaking the following: 

• Tie down or secure outdoor furniture, as well as other unsecured items; 
• Move vehicles undercover during wild weather; 
• Unplug all electrical devices during an electrical storm; 
• Turn off the gas and water during a cyclone; 
• Use sandbags to reduce the impact of flooding; and 
• Have a portable battery-operated radio and torch with fresh or spare batteries and bulb on hand in the event of loss of power.  

As agents, it’s imperative that Item 18 of the General Tenancy Agreement provides the tenant with information of afterhours contact details for your office trades.  

During an emergency or natural disaster, it’s important for tenants to have a readily available list of contact numbers if assistance is required.  

• Emergency – Police, Fire, Ambulance – Triple Zero (000) 
• Flood and Storm Emergency Assistance (SES) – 132 500 
• Poisons Information – 131 126 
• Report Dangerous Electrical Emergencies (Energex) – 131 962 
• Report Dangerous Electrical Emergencies (Ergon Energy) – 131 670 

This is just a small sample of the precautions you can take to protect a property, lessors, and tenants during storm season. Remember, REIQ Members can access the disaster toolkit from the members resource portal. Not a member? Join today!