Rain ingress in garage damaging tenant’s carpet?

Rain ingress in garage damaging tenant’s carpet?

10:40 AM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago 15

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I have a 1960s bungalow with brick adjoining garage. During phenomenal rain last week water came in at the base of two walls, where I believe the outside concrete is slightly higher than the garage floor.

The carpet the tenants had laid in the garage was of course sodden. I’m not sure yet whether they are angling for reimbursement, but am preparing for that possibility. Am I reasonable in thinking that a garage is not expected to be as weatherproof as the house (after all, there is the usual air gap around the canopy door)?

Many Thanks.

Gunga Din


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Comments

Mike

11:58 AM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Use garage as anything else is at occupiers risk, in fact it may be that they were using it for habitable purpose which goes against the building planning rules, so refuse to compensate because you renting a house with a garage and not with an additional habitable space, warn them that if they replace the carpet at their own expense the new carpet may also suffer the same fate. What do the bloody tenants expect? Tell them to move into a submarine instead as it would the only thing on this earth water tight up to 1km depth or more.

Mike

12:15 PM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Further more a garage is intended as a safe place to keep a car and perhaps some shelves higher up to keep a few service tools etc, a locked garage keeps out thieves whilst it does not have to be water tight if it isn't. If it is a water tight that is a bonus.

Seething Landlord

12:44 PM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

An opportune time to remind the tenants that it is their responsibility to insure their own property.
Unlikely but not impossible that you would be legally liable to compensate them but in any event it was presumably an old carpet of little value which will still be useable after it has dried out.

Annie Landlord

13:49 PM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Actually, if you're renting out a house with an attached garage I would expect the garage to be watertight. However, one does not carpet a garage! I wonder why they did? So I would say you shouldn't be liable to replace the carpet but should check whether anything can be done to stop future ingress of rain

John walker

16:44 PM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

re. comment from Seething Landlord.
I agree absolutely. I have a condition attached to all my tenancy agreements to that effect.

Cathie

20:19 PM, 10th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Don’t tenants’ contents have to be insured by the tenant?
I insure the building and my white goods, carpets etc but the tenant is totally responsible for for insuring their own contents.

Rob Crawford

10:55 AM, 11th June 2019, About 5 years ago

The carpet should be covered by the tenants' contents insurance through which they should make a claim. The tenants' insurers will then contact the neighbours insurers and settle the claim. If the tenants don't have contents insurance that's their decision and not an issue for you. I always put a clause in my AST agreement that recommends tenants to take out contents insurance for their possessions. The same clause emphasises that my insurance does not cover their possessions unless I am directly liable iaw terms of my policy. As suggested previously, the reason why they have a carpet in the garage needs to be clear in case of subletting/over occupation. Forgot to mention; you need to exercise best endeavours to get your neighbour to fix his leak (assuming that is the case).

Michael Barnes

19:58 PM, 11th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Annie Landlord at 10/06/2019 - 13:49
" if you're renting out a house with an attached garage I would expect the garage to be watertight.

The entrance to a garage is essentially at ground level, so is not going to be water tight.
But the roof should prevent water ingress.

Seething Landlord

22:19 PM, 11th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Michael Barnes at 11/06/2019 - 19:58
I guess that is why more recently built garages usually have a storm drain across the entrance.

Puzzler

23:11 PM, 11th June 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Rob Crawford at 11/06/2019 - 10:55
Was there a leak? I think it says heavy rain...Carpets are contents and so the tenant's responsibility unless some negligence can be determined

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