Georgia Renters - Prepare for a Hurricane with a Review of Your Lease and Renter's Insurance

Georgia renters, while you prepare for the hurricane, pull your lease and renter's insurance policy. If you have to evacuate, take these documents with you or scan the documents and e-mail them to yourself. If your rental unit gets flooded or damaged by wind or heavy rains, your initial contractual rights can be reviewed. LEASES Many leases allow the landlord to terminate the lease if the unit is destroyed by natural disasters (force majeure). Also, partial destruction of the rental unit may not relieve you of your obligation to make timely payments. Remember, any changes to written leases, including termination and the amount of rent or timing of rent must be in writing and signed by both parties. Otherwise, the agreement may not be enforceable. If you don't understand your rights, check with an experienced landlord-tenant attorney. Simply withholding rent because you cannot get back into your apartment or rental house may result in a dispossessory. The court action and the eviction will haunt you for years to come when it shows up on record searches and your credit report. Therefore, it's better to be proactive than reactive. RENTER'S INSURANCE Renter's insurance doesn't cover floods. However, if you can prove the items were damaged by some other cause, you may have a significant claim. Moreover, the insurance policy may cover hotel charges and other expenses even if it doesn't reimburse you for flood damaged items. One you return to your unit and review the damages, call your agent to discuss your coverage.

Rental Car Disclosures and Coverage

This Thanksgiving, many will rent cars to travel to their destinations. Seasoned car renters know and understand the coverage options and their limits. For those who rarely rent, call your insurance company first to see the type of coverage you may have under your policy. Also check to see what drivers are covered under that policy. If you decide to use the rental company's insurance, don't put that coverage at risk by failing to make key disclosures.

1. If asked, disclose what states you intend to travel. This is especially true if you intend to drive the car to or through New York. Some rental locations specifically prohibit renters from driving in New York.
2. On the rental form, disclose the identity of all drivers you intend to grant permission to operate the vehicle. More importantly, don't deviate from that list throughout your visit. If an unauthorized driver is involved in an accident, you and the driver may be left with no coverage and be held liable for the car and any injuries that resulted from the accident.

So, throwing the car keys at your nephew to go shopping on Thanksgiving or Black Friday is nice when you have your own car, but it's a liability risk when you have a rental. Just explain this to those who want to use the car and move on to something else like how horrible the Cowboys are this season or what you intend to buy on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.