Take steps now to make your rental home safer so you and your family get back on track more quickly if a natural disaster happens. Find out more about private insurance for your contents, securing furniture and any maintenance required.
Fastening furniture and items to walls and adding latches to cupboard doors to stop them from flying open will help reduce the risk of damage and make your rental safer. Ask your landlord or property manager if they agree to you taking these steps and whether you will need to remove the fastenings and repair the walls at the end of your tenancy.
Remember to secure valuables with Blu Tack or quake wax and non-slip mats too.
Find out more about securing tall or heavy furniture.
Taking these steps will reduce the chance of water damage in the event of a natural disaster – not just to your possessions but also to the property itself. If it’s not secured, ask your landlord or property manager to do this, or offer to secure it yourself. This is usually a straightforward process, with kits available from local hardware stores.
Find out more about securing hot water cylinders.
How well buildings perform depends on their design, construction and maintenance:
Talk to your landlord or property manager about any concerns you may have.
If you have talked with your landlord and still have concerns that possible issues with your rental property aren’t being addressed, the Tenancy Services website has information about dealing with disputes.
Make sure you also know how to turn off gas, water and electricity before you have to do it in an emergency.
The Earthquake Commission Act automatically gives some cover if you have private contents insurance (that includes fire insurance) when a natural disaster happens. This is called EQCover and it’s paid up to a maximum of $20,000 + GST. If your loss is greater than this then you will need to talk to your private insurer about payment of the rest.
Key things to check:
