Please look at the photos and let me know if you think that you would require a resident to live in this apartment

So here’s a fun food for thought for Friday please look at the photos and let me know if you think that you would require a resident to live in this apartment and not offer any kind of help moving a resident to another unit or accommodating. One would think that we are in the business of customer service.
I personally know this person that was told by the manager there is nothing I can do I am not allowed to make those kind of decisions.
Managers like this makes us all look bad!

It’s easier to move the resident then get sued or be on the news.

Move them!

Actually working through a similar situation. I'm doing everything I can to ensure they are accommodated. We were all told by the restoration company their home would still be livable. Ummm I disagree.

The following are some examples of what may classify a house, apartment, or other rental property as uninhabitable:
Leaking roof, rainwater, moisture
Leaking non-weather-tight windows & doors
Broken or faulty heating
Problems with gas supply
Broken or faulty plumbing
Inadequate hot water
Absence of toilet, shower, and/or bathtub
Problems with electricity / electrical wiring
Absence of working smoke detectors
Failure to maintain sanitary buildings
Rats, Mice, Rodents, roaches.
Mold & Toxic Mold
Absence of adequate trash containers
Absence of deadbolt locks on main entrance door
Absence of locks on each window
Many more

This is true but we have residents who have no heat or air and they don’t move out. We fix these things. Plumbing- leaks happen and we may have to use blowers, cut out some Sheetrock, replace carpet, padding. They stay in unit. This other situation has no flooring, seems like no furniture due to severity of leaks. Seeing this is in Texas, all rules and policies are pushed to the side.
This is where an AMAZING company stands above the rest. We now have to do what’s right. Rent has to be collected, but an apartment should be provided if there is one. The Management shouldn’t be expected to pay for their move. Renters Insurance is in place for this very reason.

We stopped using the restoration crew and brought in our construction crew. The resident was unsure how to contact renters insurance (super young couple) I walked them through all of it and they are peacefully in a hotel now and work wraps up this week.

We offered our residents the choice of breaking their lease, transferring homes or utilizing renters insurance for temp stay. They chose renters insurance. I walked them through the process and made sure they had my personal contact info. We also stopped using the company who changed the plan last minute and ensured we brought in our construction crews for put back so that the rest of the work goes smoothly.

Maybe there isnt another unit to move them to. Also managers sometimes do not have the authority to act. Also, that's what renters insurance is for.
If they had their own home, they would be living in it, or their ins company would put them in a hotel!
PS. Don't come at me saying all managers can transfer a resident...because I worked for one that did not let the manager make even that minor decision. All management companies are NOT the same.

I do not disagree with you, she had given her notice prior to the ice storm and my company accommodated her however this unit has been this way since the 24th of February. Her lease expires on the 5th of March and now the Manager is telling her that she will need to pay rent from the 1st the the 5th . She contacted corporate to see if the Regional would contact her since the Manager can not think outside the box and she put it back in his plate.
My friend has an auto immune disorder and living in the unit would have been very hard for her.

If she had possession then she’s responsible for the rent. If she chose to move out sooner and turned in keys, she no longer has possession. It’s impossible to please everyone, just because there is literally no where for people to go so it’s not as easy as just moving to another unit. I wouldn’t expect her to live there, but not everyone is going to see it that way.

Ugh going through this too with all the bursted pipes from the storm

Nor habitable. Needs a temporary place like a hotel. Major code violation fir this to be occupied

Ummm in most states this would be illegal. That unit should not be considered habitable and the landlord should be reported and prosecuted as a slumlord. Tenant should file a lawsuit and withhold rent in a separate account until the situation is resolved.

I've actually been wondering how the managers are surviving after that storm and dealing the mess left behind. I mean...correct me if I'm wrong but there is only so much one person can do when dealing multiple situations like this at one time!?!? I would say any circumstance outside of a natural disaster, this would be unacceptable.

When work is completed, give them partial abatement for days inconvenienced.
Complete remediation/ restoration... count days start to finish. Credit resident account with number of days.

Their renters insurance should cover alternate living if the apt is uninhabitable.

So glad my company lets me put them in hotels for these type of issues. It’s wonderful to work for honorable humans.

So she is out of the unit tomorrow right what exactly is the problem here? The five day prorate?
Due to an act of god. Not her fault, not managements fault. I get both sides management counts on that money to manage their budget but I mean regional could waive as well but then you get into fair housing and all that bs so if they did it for her they would have to do it for everyone. It’s all horrible what happened down there. But honestly it’s five days and things could have been worse. I am glad she and her family survived the disaster.

Idk, I had several units affected (not this bad, thankfully!) and I have NOWHERE to transfer anyone. I lost a lease because we couldn’t get the *one* vacant we had turned in time because it was water damaged. Sometimes, you don’t have a place to put people.

No way, there’s nothing safe or sanitary there ... friend needs to contact the regional or corporate office.

Hell no! Why are you a manager if you can’t make those kinds of decisions or contact someone that can.

That is my thoughts! Makes the rest of us look bad

WTH, they are asking them to live here? Are you kidding?
If we as on site Managers do not have authority to make decisions this big or even small then the “other Manager” can go tell the resident to live there. I hope you are just in the mood to make us laugh.

If this is Texas, we are all in the same boat. There is probably no place for them to go. Natural disaster 7 day notice or transfer into a building not affected. Good luck with finding a building not affected. It’s sad for the resident and us.

Heck no! We would be transferring them or letting them out of their lease

Renters insurance should cover alternate housing or transfer costs.

In south Texas this is just the way it is. None of us have units to transfer people to. This is why we require renters insurance so they can stay in a hotel if needed.

This unit is uninhabitable!
If it was from the freeze line breaks, you would be better off terminating the lease agreement, and allow them to choose their own location, at their own expense, as it was no ones fault.
Offering to pay for their move is an undue cost to the owners, unless they want to offer that!

I literally put my jeans and tennis on and helped make ready 3 units to accommodate 3 of my residents . If it was me I would like someone to put urgency in the matter .

I feel bad for the tenant and management but if it was from the storms, they are not alone and it was not avoidable. It appears that management is getting it repaired. The damaged areas have all been removed. Work is in progress. This is the very reason we require renters insurance. That should be the end of the discussion.

The tenant calls the health department and building inspectors, you will have them on your back forever. Don't ask, move them using your maintenance crew.

I think that some of the other answers convey my thoughts on this photo, but I'll expand upon that: I would need to know more. I'd have lots of questions, one of which would be what do you really mean by "~require~ a resident to ~live~ in this unit?" I guess you are suggesting that the resident wants to move out permanently (rather than continuing to "live there")and I am refusing to move them, since I can't hold them prisoner here forever. So my first question is: How long will it be like this? 48 hours or 48 days? I'm not going to move them out if it's going to be 48 hours, but I might put them in a hotel if I think there is a health and safety concern? Mold/mildew, electrical hazards, etc. If it's going to take a long time to resolve the issue, I have to ask: Do they actually want to move, or would they prefer temporary housing? If there's no serious health and safety concern, there are many people who would rather endure the inconvenience of the issue than the inconvenience of a move. I also need to know if this is subsidized housing or a conventional market rent property. There might be different legal considerations accordingly.

Also take into account Fair Housing! The best thing would be for her to make a claim with her renter's insurance. Hopefully she selected a policy carefully that takes her health issues into consideration. The best way to get the "right" answer is to read the lease. Whatever X may say to Y, if the lease states differently and is signed by both parties, that lease is legally binding. They can be worded vaguely and that's generally when it may need to go above the property manager. I've worked in both situations as a Property Manager; One that let ME actually manage the property, and another that made it feel more like an honorary title because I had to get permission for EVERYTHING.
One of the worst facts that we (some of us, not all) face is that when it really comes down to the nitty gritty, we are working for owners/investors who don't know nor particularly care about residents more than getting their rent and making them money. As the people who see the residents everyday, know their pets names, their nephew's birthday, and everyone's shoe size, all we can do is hope that we have done our part, within our budgets and we can allow 5 days of rent for an unlivable apartment to be vacant while work is being done. This is a great lesson for your maintenance team too, especially your punch techs. PREVENTATIVE maintenance and taking every little leak or drip very seriously can help everyone avoid having this problem come across their desk.