Storm Damage on a Commerce Rental: A Landlord's Roof Guide

Commerce is a rental town. Census estimates put about 40% of its occupied homes as owner-occupied, which means roughly six in ten are rented, many of them near East Texas A&M University. The typical home dates to 1975, so a lot of those rentals are on older roofs.

If you own one of them, the April 27, 2026 hail left you with a problem homeowners don't have: you're responsible for a roof you don't live under and may not have seen in months. This guide covers what to do.

Your tenant is your early-warning system

Tenants notice ceiling stains and drips long before a landlord does. Make it easy for them to tell you. If you haven't already, send a short note asking every tenant to report stains, drips, or shingles in the yard, and saying who to call.

Under Texas Property Code section 92.052, once a tenant gives notice of a condition that materially affects an ordinary tenant's physical health or safety, a landlord has to make a diligent effort to repair it. An active roof leak can get there quickly, especially if it reaches wiring or grows mold. Talk to your own attorney about your lease, but don't sit on a leak report.

Your policy, not theirs

A tenant's renters insurance covers their belongings, not your roof. The roof is on your landlord or dwelling policy, and the claim is yours to open. Those policies often differ from a homeowner policy on deductibles and on how they pay for roofs, so read yours, including the deadline to report storm damage.

Get it documented without driving out

The hard part of a rental claim is that you can't see the damage yourself. What you need from an inspection:

Kind Roofing documents every inspection with photos, and the written scope goes to you and your adjuster, so you can see the damage without making the trip. Inspections are free. Book one for your Commerce rental.

Coordinate access, and tell the tenant what's coming

Inspections, the adjuster's visit and the work itself all need access. Give your tenant notice of each visit as your lease requires, and tell them what to expect on install day: noise, a crew on the roof, and a dumpster or trailer in the drive.

Watch for door-knockers talking to your tenant

After a hailstorm, crews knock on every door, and your tenant may be handed a contingency agreement or a "free roof" pitch. Your tenant can't authorize work on your roof or sign for your claim. Ask them to pass any paperwork to you, and never let anyone waive your deductible, which is illegal in Texas.

Checking out a roofer from a distance

You're hiring someone you may never meet in person, so check what you can:

Next step

Text or call (512) 766-9755, or use the form on our Commerce page. For the claim itself, see our step-by-step guide to hail damage claims in Commerce.