Protect your Home
Basement flooding is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in Canada, and climate change is causing uncertain, unstable, and more extreme flooding conditions. If you live in or rent a home with a basement or basement apartment, it can flood.
Many types of basement flooding can be avoided if the right precautions are put in place, and there are things renters and landlords can look for to determine if an apartment is at higher risk of flooding.
Reduce your risk of Basement Flooding
There are steps that renters and landlords can take to get flood ready and reduce the risk of basement flooding, cost of clean-up, and potential health hazards:
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Maintain the home’s flood protection features at least twice per year.
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Prepare to remove any water from the basement as quickly as possible.
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Protect personal belongings in the basement.
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Talk to an insurance broker about flood insurance.
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Have an emergency plan and 72-hour emergency kit for people living in the home.
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Speak with neighbours and create a plan to support each other in an emergency, especially those who may be more vulnerable.
Potential challenges and what you can do about them
For some of these steps, renters may rely on their landlords to make their home more resilient. Landlords are required by law to keep their rental property in a “good state of repair” and ensure that the property “meets health, safety, housing and maintenance standards” (for more information see the Maintenance and Repairs brochure from Tribunals Ontario). Landlords should be informed right away if there is a problem due to flooding.
If the landlord does not address the problem in a reasonable amount of time, renters can follow up with their local government and/or the Landlord and Tenant Board, which resolves disputes between landlords and renters and provides information about rights and responsibilities. For more information, please visit www.tribunalsontario.ca or call the Board at 416-645-8080 or toll-free at 1-888-332-3234.
Resources
Get #FloodReady today! Explore other resources on the Flood Ready Durham website and other sites.
Download the Flood Ready Durham fact sheet for basement apartments below.
