Renter's Guide to Flooding
Many flood prevention and clean up resources are directed towards property owners. However, about 65% of Boston households are renters who require specific guidance.
This guide walks renters through how to respond to a flooding event and implement preventative measures to ensure safety in the future. Renters in basements, garden-level apartments, and any areas below street level are particularly vulnerable to flooding. This guide applies to all renters, whether they are in basements or in units above street level.
If you're experiencing a flood and need emergency help for life- or property-threatening issues, please call 9-1-1. Visit the Flood Safety Tips page, Recovering from a Flood page, and the Boston Public Health Commission’s Environmental Health and Hazards page for additional resources. |
If you’re experiencing a flood and don’t need emergency help, jump to the Responding to a Flood section below.
PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR A POTENTIAL FLOOD
Look for an apartment safe from flooding
While many buildings in Boston may be at risk of flood from coastal, riverine, and stormwater flooding, you can reduce your risk by taking this into account when looking for a new home. If you are looking for a new apartment, here are some things to consider when selecting a place to live:
In-person visits reveal what photos can’t: smells, sounds, light, and airflow. Trust your instincts—musty odors, poor natural light, or stuffy air can signal deeper issues like mold, dampness, or inadequate ventilation. Consider how living in the apartment might change for each season in a year.
Alert your landlord if you find any problems. Common places to look for mold include:
- Bathrooms; especially shower stalls, bathroom tiles, and shower curtains
- Window moldings
- The seal on the refrigerator door
- Surfaces on and around air conditioners
Find more information about mold here
Ask landlords and neighbors about previous flooding, water seepage, or mold issues, especially after heavy rains or snowmelt.
Look closely at floors, walls, doorframes, and window sills. Warped wood, cracked tile, or water stains near egress points (doors and windows) are telltale signs of past flooding—even if the unit looks clean at first glance.
Even a dry-looking basement can have persistent moisture or condensation. Ask about whether your landlord can provide a dehumidifier.
Water management starts outside. Look for signs of clogged gutters, missing downspouts, or grading that slopes toward the building—these can all increase flood risk.
Understand your flood risk
Whether you live close to the water or not, you may be at risk of flooding. Look up your address on the flood map. If you are not in a mapped flood zone, that does not mean you are completely safe. Consider asking others in your area if they have experienced flooding. Local knowledge is often the most valuable information for assessing one’s risk.
Know your hurricane evacuation zone and route and be prepared to evacuate if directed by public officials.
Get flood insurance
Standard renters’ insurance often excludes flood damage. Consider a policy with additional flood coverage, especially if you're in a known flood zone or low-lying area. Flood insurance is a cost-effective way to help you recover quickly from a flood. Learn more on the Flood Insurance page. Renters can get up to $100,000 in coverage for their contents within their building in addition to any policies the property owner has.
You should always check what is covered with your insurance provider. Some insurance policies don’t cover basements which are often impacted by flooding. Additionally, flood insurance only covers flooding from a natural disaster. Flooding caused by internal pipe bursts would be covered by your landlord’s home insurance policy.
Flood insurance requires a 30 day waiting period before it can be used so it’s best to get this soon.
USE Flood Barriers
If your property is prone to flooding, you may want to consider purchasing a temporary flood barrier that can be installed prior to a storm and removed once floodwaters recede. Most flood barriers, except sandbags, can be stored and reused. Several relatively small, low-cost barriers are available for protecting doors, basement windows, and other smaller openings.
Lower-cost options for protecting your home with flood barriers include sandbags, water-activated bags or tubes, water-filled tubes, air-filled inflatable barriers for doors and windows, and expandable gates.
Visit the Flood Barriers page to learn more about these options and find the one that works for your situation.
Protect your home
There are many ways to protect your home or business against flooding—from lower-cost, simple changes to bigger projects that require professional help. Many flood prevention and cleanup resources are directed towards property owners as it often involves making changes to the property through retrofits. However, about 65% of Boston households are renters.
The best short-term approach, especially for renters, is to simply raise valuables as high as practicable within your home:
- Store valuables in watertight plastic bins with lids.
- Use stackable tubs to store valuables. Always use stable stackable systems to prevent injury.
- Use flood resistant furniture.
- Look into wall-mounted power strips to keep cords off the ground and move mechanical equipment above the floodplain.
- Keep paint cans and other contaminants away from areas that have the potential to flood as these can spread contaminants to other parts of the home.
- If you know a flood is coming, unplug appliances to prevent electrical shock when the power comes back on.
- Remove paint cans and other contaminants from flood prone areas as these can spread contaminants to other parts of the home.
You can also protect your home outdoors:
- Declutter gutters and drains and tie-down outdoor furniture.
- Know how to shut off your utilities (talk to your landlord if you don’t know how to do this)
DURING A FLOOD
Safety Tips
Visit the Safety Tips page to learn more about protecting yourself during a flooding event
- Do not wade, walk, or swim in flood waters due to the risk of injury from debris, electrocution from downed wires, and exposure to harmful chemicals or pathogens potentially carried by the flood waters.
- Do not drive in floodwaters. Over 50% of flood deaths are auto related, usually from drivers misjudging the depth of water. Turn around; don’t drown!
- Report roadway flooding or sewer backups not caused by conditions in your home to 311.
Who to contact in the first 24 hours
Experiencing a flood can be a stressful experience, especially if you don’t know what to do. Refer to the checklist below to understand how to respond to a flood in the first 24 hours.
Even if the flooding event seems to have stopped, continue to monitor the forecast and emergency alerts. Sign up for emergency alerts from the City of Boston.
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Call 9-1-1 for life-threatening emergencies, 3-1-1 for non-emergency city services, 2-1-1 for state services, and 9-8-8 for emergency mental health care. |
- Call 911 if it’s an emergency
- Report non-emergency issues to 311 (available 24/7)
- Contact your landlord (for more information about working with your landlord, see below)
- Contact your insurance provider (Flooding is the only natural hazard for which the Federal government provides insurance! Visit the Flood Insurance page to learn more.)
- Check if a disaster has been declared for Suffolk County and apply for FEMA Individual Assistance at fema.gov/assistance/individual
- If needed, find an emergency shelter at boston.gov/emergency
- Check on your neighbors!
Talk to your landlord
Your landlord needs to make sure their property and land is clean and safe to use. You are responsible for keeping your apartment clean and sanitary inside. All of the rules and requirements landlords and tenants must follow are listed in the Massachusetts Sanitary Code. Landlords must meet all housing rules, even if they claim they didn't know them.
Your landlord can’t raise your rent because you ask them to improve conditions to meet the Massachusetts Sanitary Code.
It is your landlord’s responsibility to ensure all surfaces have been dried within 48 hours from the time they are notified or the end of a flooding event, whichever is sooner.
It’s best to ask your landlord to fix things or address issues in writing, like over email or a text message. This makes it easy to know what you told your landlord and when.
MassLegalHelp has a guide to asking landlords for repairs.
What if I don’t have a lease?
Your landlord still has to follow the rules in the Massachusetts Sanitary Code even if you don’t have a lease. These rules exist to protect your health, safety, and well-being.
How to clean up your unit in the first 24 hours:
Always call your insurance provider first and ask them what you should do to clean up. If you don’t take action in the first 24 hours and if mold starts to damage your home, your flood insurance policy won’t cover all of the repairs.
- If you can, stop the source of the water (fix leak, unclog plumbing, etc)
- Unplug appliances to prevent electrical shock when the power comes back on
- Remove paint cans and other contaminants from flooded areas as these can spread contaminants to other parts of the home.
- Take pictures of damage for documentation
- Protect yourself with gloves and boots
- Pump or mop standing water out of the flooded area as soon as you can. Quickly removing standing water helps prevent mold growth. However, do not use gas-powered pumps or generators inside because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Clean hard surfaces with a disinfectant such as a mix of one cup of bleach in a gallon of water.
- Clean, disinfect, and dry all fabric materials (like carpets or furniture) thoroughly. It is best to bring these items to a professional.
- Get rid of any fabric materials that cannot be professionally cleaned, disinfected, and dried. Do not leave any wet or moldy furniture in the building.
- Dry the flooded area(s) thoroughly with a lot of ventilation. Use strong fans to blow inside air outside through windows and doors.
- Report non-emergency issues to 311.
If you’re unable to completely dry and clean your property in 24-48 hours, assume you have mold growth. Download the EPA’s Homeowner’s and Renter’s Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters. Pay attention to smells. If you smell mold, then there is mold, even if you cleaned and dried furniture, fabric, or the building itself.
If you may have mold growth, leave your property as you work to make a plan for removal as it’s not healthy to live in a home with mold.
For additional information about recovering from a flood including utility safety, removing flood waters, food and drinking water, cleaning your property, and debris removal, see the Recovering From a Flood page.
ADDITIONAL LEGAL AND HOUSING RESOURCES
File a complaint with Inspectional Services
If your landlord isn’t fixing things that they’re responsible for, you can file a complaint with Inspectional Services by calling 617-635-5300. They may be able to help you schedule an inspection to determine if your landlord is violating the state Sanitary Code. MassLegalHelp has a guide for preparing for inspections.
Find temporary housing
If you need to find temporary housing, call The Office of Housing Stability's Housing Crisis Case Coordinators at 617-635-4200. They may also be able to help you get legal, financial, or other help.
If you need other assistance, reach out to your assigned neighborhood liaison through the Office of Neighborhood Services.
Get legal help
If you are a renter who has been impacted by a flood, it is important to know your rights! All tenants in Massachusetts have the right to a decent, safe, sanitary, and healthy place to live. See guidance from the Boston Tenant Coalition for more information.
Learn about your rights as a renter in Boston: City of Boston Tenant Rights and Responsibilities
Other resources:
- Greater Boston Legal Services
- Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder
- Free Immigration Legal Consultations from the Mayor’s Office of of Immigrant Advancement
- Immigrant Legal Services and Education Referral List from the Boston Public Library
- City Life Vida Urbana (CLVU)
- Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
