Landlords are responsible for maintaining the property in a reasonable condition. This includes fixing any damage caused by severe weather or a natural disaster.

If the rental is damaged by flooding, the landlord is responsible for drying the property if it has water damage and paying for costs to repair the damage. This might also include paying the tenants for electricity charges to run a fan, dehumidifier, or heater to dry the property. 

If you are a tenant

• Talk to your landlord as soon as you can, to let them know about any damage or need for repairs. If you don’t tell your landlord about damage within a reasonable time, you may be liable.
• If it’s safe and practical to do, there may be things you can do to help prevent further damage. For example, covering a broken window to keep rain out of the house until repairs can be done. Talk to your landlord about this.
• If you have tried talking to your landlord about the damage and they don’t do the necessary repairs, you can send your landlord a notice to remedy.  This notice tells the landlord what you believe they have done to breach their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, what you would like them to do to fix it, and a reasonable timeframe for them to do it (normally a minimum of 14 days).

To find more information, including a notice to remedy template you can use, see our website:

Breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act

If you are a landlord

• Contact your tenants to check everyone is safe and discuss any damage.
• Discuss with your tenant what safe and practical measures could be done to prevent any further damage, or to secure the property until the repairs can be done.
• Ask a professional when they can make the repairs and if it’s safe for your tenants to stay in the property while it's being fixed. Let the tenants know how long the repairs are expected to take, and make sure you give the correct notice to enter the property.
• Have a good knowledge of your insurance policy and what it covers. Talk to your insurance company about making claims.

For more information about repairs after a natural disaster see our website:

Repairs after a natural disaster

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