When you walk into your business premises and see the roof is leaking, your focus is going to be on getting the problem fixed as soon as possible. But who do you turn to and what should you do in these situations?
We’ve put together three simple steps to guide you through getting any damage to your business premises fixed in a timely manner.
3 steps for getting weather damage repaired
Step one: Work out what caused the damage
Understanding what caused the damage may help you determine what you can do to stop it getting worse. Preventing further damage should always be the first step you take. From there, you can then determine whose responsibility it is to repair it.
In most leasing arrangements, the landlord is responsible for carrying out structural repairs to the building, but if the damage was caused because of something you, an employee or customer has done, it’s likely you’ll have to foot the bill.
It’s good practice to get the damage assessed by an independent contractor who can determine the cause of the damage.
Step two: Contact your landlord in writing
Notify your landlord in writing of the damage as soon as possible and provide them with the following information:
- details of the building/structural damage
- explain how the damage is affecting your business (for example: a leaking roof is damaging your stock)
- ask that repairs are done in a reasonable time frame (as soon as practical)
- if you have time, you can also get quotes for the repairs to pass on to the landlord
Tip: Text messages are generally not accepted as forms of providing written notice. Check your lease for details on how you should notify the landlord in writing (for example, if a letter is required or an email is suitable). If you’re sending an email, be sure to send it to the email address the landlord uses to communicate with you.
Step three: Get professional advice
If your lease doesn’t state who is responsible for the damage and/or you haven’t been able to make inroads with your landlord, you can receive practical advice on a range of leasing issues by speaking to one of our commercial tenancy advisors via our free business advisory service.
Our business advisory service can also help you resolve business disputes. If needed, our business advisers can refer you to our dispute resolution service which is provides an easy to access means of resolving business disputes quickly.
You can access our advisory services by calling 133 140.
Time for a risk management plan?
Having a risk management plan can help you plan around, and manage, any disruptions to your business operations, such as damage to your premises as a result of wet weather and/ or any other situation that may have a negative effect on your business.
Read our risk management information for a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a risk management plan, including a risk analysis matrix to help you determine the level of risk to your business certain situations would present.
