Guide
Renters and water damage
Half the occupied homes in the city of Fort Pierce are rentals. Water damage in a rental has an extra party to call.
Why this page exists
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey counts 18,878 occupied homes in the city of Fort Pierce, of which 9,529 are renter-occupied. In Port St. Lucie the renter share is about 16 percent, so the mix varies across the area.
A tenant often cannot authorize structural repairs, and a landlord often cannot see the problem until told.
If you rent
Tell the landlord in writing
Send a message that you can keep: text, email or portal. Name the date and the source.
Stop what you safely can
Close a fixture valve or flip a breaker. Do not enter water near live power.
Document your belongings
Landlord insurance covers the building, not your furniture. Photograph what was damaged.
Call your renters insurer
A renters policy covers your belongings and may cover temporary housing. Read it first.
Ask about the unit
The landlord or property manager decides who hires restoration for the structure.
What Florida law says
Florida's landlord-tenant act, statute 83.51, says a landlord must comply with applicable building, housing and health codes, or otherwise maintain structural components and plumbing in reasonable working condition. For units other than single-family homes and duplexes, the landlord must also provide running water, hot water and working heat unless agreed otherwise in writing.
Under statute 83.63, if a rental is damaged other than by the tenant's wrongful or negligent acts so that enjoyment is substantially impaired, the tenant may terminate the agreement and move out, or vacate just the unusable part with rent reduced by the fair rental value of that part. The tenant must be given a chance to collect belongings when it is safe.
If you own the rental
Landlords carry the building policy. When a tenant reports water, the first call is to stop the source and the second is to a restoration contractor. This referral line is open to landlords as well. Document the unit's condition with dated photos before and after.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 83.51, landlord's duty to maintain
- Florida Statutes 83.63, casualty damage to a rental
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
Sources were consulted on November 5, 2026. Agency pages change, so check the source before relying on a detail.
Water is still moving. Make the call.
Dial the number and describe what happened. You are connected with an independent restoration contractor who serves your ZIP code.