Long post, but I'm trying to provide enough context to answer FAQs before they're asked. Bear with me. 😅
We live in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and have rented the same house from a private landlord for 8 years. We've had maybe five maintenance calls in that time and have a great relationship with him.
A little background on the drainage issues:
The house was built in 1986, and our landlord has owned it since 1993. Before evacuating, I asked if the house had ever sustained water damage from a storm. He said no. I told him we were putting sandbags by the doors just in case and planned to evacuate.
We're not in a designated flood zone, but our yard has always had drainage issues. The cul-de-sac essentially drains into our yard and driveway, leaving standing water that can take days, sometimes a week or two, to disappear.
We've always loved the house, so we've looked past it. But with the amount of rain we've had this year, it became pretty obvious something needed to be done.
I asked our landlord about installing a French drain and even had landscapers come out for estimates. They believed it was possible, but he disagreed, so I moved on.
In July, I contacted the county to assess the drainage situation. They placed survey flags around our property and four neighboring properties and marked four trees that would need to be removed for improvements. I was told they planned to install a swale around September/October.
Everything was discussed over the phone, so I have no written documentation. I'll be submitting a formal records request Monday for assessments, work orders, plans, etc. One neighbor has already moved their fence in preparation for the proposed work.
The hurricane and damage:
We evacuated Thursday, October 8th, around 10 PM and returned Monday, October 12th, around 10 PM. We have two toddlers (3 and 1½) and didn't want to risk being without power for an extended period.
I've lived here for 13 years, so hurricanes aren't new to me. Experiencing this kind of damage personally, however, is.
When we returned, every inch of flooring was wet, and the house smelled awful. We have LVP and carpet throughout, neither of which has been replaced since we moved in back in May 2018.
My husband owns a licensed and insured flooring/remodeling business and specializes in flooring and tile installation. He offered to remove and replace the flooring, and our landlord agreed to hire and pay his company. He'll provide a written estimate, and they'll sign a contract outlining the scope of work and costs.
Honestly, I can't think of anyone I'd trust more to do the work. He's incredibly particular, and this is our home we're talking about.
We started removing damaged furniture, packing belongings into totes, moving salvageable items into storage, and finding somewhere for our family to stay.
Once things were cleared out, we began removing the flooring and documenting the damage.
We found small amounts of suspected mold in various areas. Then we got to the kitchen.
Holy. Shit.
There is a substantial amount of dark, web-like growth underneath the flooring that appears to be mold. I know you can't identify black mold by appearance alone, but whatever it is, it's concerning.
My husband knows any mold and underlying moisture issues need to be addressed before new flooring goes down. The flooring installation isn't my concern. It's what we've discovered underneath and making sure the house is safe for our children.
Our timeline/current situation:
We didn't discover the flooding until Monday night. Since then, we've been juggling packing eight years' worth of belongings, removing damaged furniture, arranging storage, temporary housing, and two toddlers with no family nearby to help with childcare.
My husband also has existing jobs he's committed to finishing. Part of the appeal of doing the flooring ourselves was being able to work around his schedule. Of course, that was before discovering what was underneath.
I'm sure things could have moved faster under different circumstances, but we're doing what we can while trying to make informed decisions.
Our temporary accommodations end Wednesday, October 21st, and we currently have nowhere else lined up.
Renters insurance:
We carried renters insurance for approximately 10 years, but unfortunately, we do NOT currently have coverage. After changing banking/insurance arrangements, this was the one automatic payment/policy that fell through the cracks.
An expensive and unforgettable lesson. Trust me, I'm already kicking myself enough. 🥲
What I'm hoping to learn:
I'd really appreciate hearing from landlords, tenants, contractors, remediation professionals, attorneys, or anyone who's experienced something similar.
I've been doing plenty of research, but there's a difference between reading about something and hearing from someone who's actually dealt with it.
My husband has the flooring side covered. I personally want to understand the entire situation, including things outside his area of expertise. I feel like there's going to be a quiz on a movie, and I need to watch the entire thing, not just the trailer. 🤣
Here are my biggest questions:
- Tenant rights/rent: What protections should I be aware of in Florida? If the house is still uninhabitable on November 1st, are we expected to pay rent? Is there anything we should be requesting or documenting now?
- Landlord responsibilities: What should we reasonably expect regarding repairs, inspections, remediation, and documentation before moving back in?
- County/drainage: Is there any possibility the county could bear some responsibility? I have eight years of pictures and videos documenting the drainage issues, although I didn't contact the county until July. I'm not assuming they're liable, but I'm curious whether it's worth exploring given the improvements that were planned but never completed.
- Mold/remediation: How do we determine whether professional remediation is necessary? What should be happening now, and how do we verify the house is safe before moving back in?
- Moisture: The subfloor is concrete. What testing should be done before installing new flooring? I was considering buying hygrometers to monitor humidity throughout the house. Worth it?
- Cleaning/belongings: What should we clean or inspect before bringing everything back? Some belongings are in climate-controlled storage, while others are in our attic, which isn't climate-controlled. None of those items were visibly wet.
- Ozone generators: A friend offered to lend us one. Would it actually help, or should we avoid it?
- Financial assistance/housing: Are there resources for renters dealing with hurricane damage without renters insurance? Between replacing belongings, storage, and temporary housing, the expenses are adding up FAST.
A few final things:
We genuinely don't want to move. We love our house, our neighbors, and our neighborhood. We've been there eight years for a reason. Unless the house poses a legitimate risk to our family's health or safety, our goal is to return.
We also value our relationship with our landlord and would like to keep it that way.
That being said, I'm not going to assume everything is being handled correctly simply because someone tells me it is.
I'm naturally skeptical, especially when money is involved. I don't necessarily think anyone is trying to take advantage of us, but nobody is going to advocate for our children's health and safety as strongly as we will.
I want to know what questions to ask, what to look out for, and what we might be overlooking. I'm trying to prepare for the worst without assuming that's what's going to happen.
If you've dealt with something similar, what do you wish you'd known beforehand? What would you have done differently?
I'm absolutely open to constructive criticism. If there's something we should have done differently or need to address immediately, I want to know. Just hoping to avoid the unnecessarily nasty comments. I know, it's Reddit. I'm probably asking a lot. 🤣
If you've read this far, thank you. I genuinely appreciate anyone willing to share their experience or advice. ❤️
