Handling water being unavailable

[Svend W.]

Pipes froze and now have burst pipe and had to shut off water to the house. I’m guessing it could last a week or more.

Any thoughts on how to handle this?

The tenant has already been without water for 2 days.

Do i need to provide a hotel room?

Thanks

[Kevin Sobilo]

@Svend W., technically no you don't have to provide a hotel. They should be able to get a hotel using their renter's insurance. Many landlords would help them with a hotel if they don't have renter's insurance, but it isn't an obligation.

I don't know what state you are in, but if you are in a heating climate (a colder northern state), this is not unusual. You should get those pipes thawed by applying heat to where they froze. You can usually figure out where they froze. Houses often have a trouble spot where this is likely to happen. Get them thawed and repaired and water on.

Then look at mitigating the problem in the future. It might be insulating the pipes near that trouble area, sealing drafts from the outside with caulk and spray foam, or even using heat tape to keep pipes from freezing.

If they have been without water for 2 days, you should be well along in solving the problem. I would think in most cases the issue is solved within 24 or 48 hours max.