The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

A family rents a single-story ranch house owned by an out-of-state landlord who uses a property manager. A space heater in a bedroom tips against bedding and starts a fire. The tenants get out and call 911. The fire is contained to the bedroom, but smoke fills the house and water from firefighting reaches the hallway and a neighboring bedroom.

  1. The tenants call the property manager that night and their own renters insurance company.
  2. The property manager arranges board-up and contacts the landlord's insurer, which covers the building.
  3. The renters policy opens a claim for the family's belongings and their temporary housing.
  4. The restorer working on the building lists the structure's damage. A separate contents specialist, arranged through the renters policy, inventories and cleans the family's belongings.
  5. The landlord, tenants and manager review the lease to see whether rent is suspended while the house is unlivable and whether either party can end the lease.
  6. Repairs take several weeks. The tenants choose to move back in once the house passes final inspection and the odor is gone.

The building is repaired under the landlord's policy, the family's belongings and hotel costs are handled under the renters policy, and the lease terms decide rent during the repair period.

Who usually handles what

Leases, policies and Colorado landlord-tenant law all affect the details. This is a general pattern only.

Landlord's side

  • Structure, built-in appliances, flooring and fixtures
  • Board-up, cleanup and rebuild of the house
  • The landlord's own lost rent, if the policy includes it
  • Coordinating permits and contractors

Tenant's side

  • Personal belongings, furniture and clothing
  • Temporary housing through renters loss-of-use coverage
  • Liability if the tenant is found responsible for the fire
  • Keeping receipts and an inventory of belongings

What a tenant can do in the first week

  1. Notify in writing

    Send the landlord or manager a written notice of the fire with the date and incident number.

  2. Call your renters insurer

    Open a claim for belongings and ask about temporary housing. If there is no renters policy, ask local relief organizations about short-term help.

  3. Document your belongings

    Take photos and start a room-by-room list, separate from the landlord's documentation of the building.

  4. Read the lease

    Look for clauses about casualty, fire, rent abatement and termination.

  5. Get answers in writing

    Ask the landlord to confirm expected repair time and whether rent is paused.

General information for Centennial, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.