Many San Diego renters are dealing with damage from the recent rains, but there are several things they can do to protect their belongings, beyond buying insurance.
Sandra Villa plans to be ready next time El Niño strikes. The ground floor of her Chollas Creek apartment complex flooded, taking her apartment with it.
"All the water kept coming out and just rushed through the apartments," she said.
The water may now be gone, but the damage remains. Carpets are gone, mold is on the floor, there's mud everywhere, and sandbags line the hallways. Workers also removed drywall from some apartments.
It's up to apartment managers to maintain their units, but there are some things tenants can do to try to avoid the headache altogether. For one, they can check that window and door seals are in good condition and make sure patio drains aren't clogged.
Villa said she has a new plan, telling 10News, "I'm actually going to keep those sandbags in case anything like this ever happens again."
Renters should contact their management companies about issues instead of doing the fix themselves.
