Monsoon season is here. Does your East Valley rental have the right insurance?

Arizona's monsoon season runs from June through September, and this year the National Weather Service is calling for above-normal rain. A single storm can drop half an inch to two inches in thirty minutes. A haboob strong enough to peel back roofing isn't rare in Mesa, Chandler, or Gilbert. Last week, a Tucson renter's home was gutted by a monsoon storm with zero insurance. That's the scenario every East Valley landlord should be thinking about now, not after the next storm.

Here's what most owners don't realize until it's too late. A standard homeowners policy—HO-3—almost always excludes damage once the home is a rental. If your property is leased and you're still carrying an HO-3, you might have no coverage for a roof loss or water damage. What you need is a landlord policy, usually a DP-3, built specifically for tenant-occupied homes.

Check two things on that policy right now:

Loss-of-rents coverage. If a haboob tears off part of your roof and the tenant moves out for repairs, this covers your lost rental income while the home is uninhabitable. A major roof loss takes six to twelve weeks to fix. That's six to twelve weeks of mortgage payments with nothing coming in if you don't have this.

Vacancy language. Some rentals sit empty between tenants, and most policies automatically void coverage after 30 consecutive vacant days. If your property has ever sat empty for a month, make sure your policy handles it or has a vacancy permit.

Insurance is half the battle. The storms that cause expensive claims usually find a weak point that was already there. Before monsoon peaks, walk your property and check: gutters and downspouts clear so water moves away from the foundation, flashing around vents and skylights isn't cracked or lifted, weatherstripping and door thresholds still seal tight, and nothing loose in the yard that becomes a projectile in 60 mph wind.

When something does come up—a leak, a downed fence panel, storm debris—you get the full email thread with the vendor and photos, not a vague text saying it's handled. And because we inspect properties at move-in and move-out, we catch potential weak spots before they become problems. You know exactly what condition your property is in, and you know what's been flagged for attention.

That's the difference between passive income and passive worry. You shouldn't have to guess whether your insurance covers what you think it does. You shouldn't find out your roof had a weak spot the same week a storm rolls through. You should know your property is actually being looked at during inspections, not left to chance.

If you're not sure whether your policy is an HO-3 or a DP-3, or you just want a second look at your property before the next storm, reach out to Better Choice Homes. It's a five-minute conversation that can save you a very expensive summer.