A past leak, an untested pump, or an open roof repair tells you where to start. Review those conditions now, while there is time to inspect, approve work, and check the result.
Your property’s history should set the priorities. Use this guide to identify the repairs and decisions that need attention, then use current local forecasts to prepare for an approaching storm.
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Start with prior water damage and conditions that can quickly affect occupied space, equipment, or access. A building with a recurring leak or an untested sump system deserves an earlier review. Every property still needs an inspection.
| What you know | What to check | The next decision |
|---|---|---|
| Previous leaks or flooding | Find the last repair and the check that followed it. Compare the same location with current photos. | Reinspect when the cause or repair performance is still unclear. |
| Flat roofs, roof drains, and penetrations | Collect drain photos, a condition report, and the status of open roof proposals. | Set the cleaning, repair, or qualified inspection that needs to happen before rain. |
| Below-grade garages and pump-dependent areas | Confirm a qualified pump test, alarm, discharge route, service history, and any actual backup provision. | Address failed equipment and identify the response if water rises or power fails. |
| Ponding and blocked drainage | Map low points and the visible water path through entrances, parking, and loading areas. | Correct restrictions and assign checks for work that remains open. |
| Windows, walls, doors, and balconies | Tie visible gaps or deterioration to prior water entry, exact locations, and current photos. | Choose repair or specialist diagnosis. Record any temporary control. |
| Trees, slopes, and retaining walls | Compare visible movement, damage, seepage, and drainage with prior reports. | Use a qualified specialist when the observation exceeds an ordinary property inspection. |
These conditions help set the inspection order. They do not establish a universal risk score or replace a qualified assessment.
An inspection is useful when each finding leads to an assigned action. Ask your manager to carry the record through these steps:
Before closing a repair: compare the work with the approved scope and check the current condition. Keep the completion photos, report, or test with the same record. An invoice or vendor completion note alone does not establish that the repair worked.
A roof leak can affect both property types, but the operating plan needs to reflect who uses the space and what could be interrupted.
Deferring a repair does not establish that the condition is safe or that an applicable legal, lease, or habitability obligation has been satisfied. If an immediate safety concern or active damage develops, escalate it promptly under the property's actual emergency procedure. Reassess the condition and required response rather than treating the earlier deferral as a final answer.
When an owner defers a recommendation, keep the condition, dated evidence, proposed work, cost, response, and follow-up date together. State who will monitor the condition and what change would bring it back for a decision.
A temporary cover, extraction, or pumping may limit active damage while permanent work is evaluated. Record what remains unresolved. New water entry, a failed pump test, visible movement, or restricted access may change the recommendation and the time available to act.
For uncertain roof history, use the roof-completion verification guide to compare the contract, completion records, and roof condition.
Use the current National Weather Service forecast, local instructions, and the property’s known conditions to decide when to begin. The 72-hour sequence is a planning aid. A hazard or a shorter forecast window may require earlier action.
| Stage | What management should confirm |
|---|---|
| About 72 hours before rain | Review higher-risk locations, drains and pumps, open repairs, vendor acceptance, access, and current contacts. |
| 48 to 24 hours | Recheck changing conditions, finish work that fits the available window, and issue property-specific occupant instructions. |
| During the event | Prioritize life safety and active conditions. Record mitigation, vendor response, communications, and the next update. |
| After the event | Compare the current condition with the pre-event record. Assign permanent repairs, qualified evaluation, and remaining monitoring. |
Use the full 72-hour storm protocol for the operating sequence and the storm-readiness owner report to see what management should show you.
Use the editable Word files to keep the property record current, or the PDF versions for a printed review.
Need professional assistance preparing your property?
Request a Management Performance ReviewSource dates: NOAA ENSO discussion, September 10, 2026. Seasonal precipitation outlook, September 17, 2026.
The ENSO discussion gives greater than a 90 percent chance of a very strong El Niño during fall and winter 2026–27. It also gives a 75 percent chance of a historic-strength event during October–December. Those probabilities describe the climate event’s strength.
The September seasonal outlook favors above-normal precipitation across the southern half of California for October–December. It is a regional planning signal. It cannot tell you how much rain will reach your building or when a particular storm will arrive.
Use the forecast explainer for the definitions and source detail. Use current National Weather Service forecasts and warnings for event decisions.
No. Seasonal probabilities do not establish a rainfall total, storm count, or property-level outcome. Base repairs on the building’s history and condition.
Review known conditions before an individual storm enters the short-range forecast. That leaves time for inspections, owner decisions, vendor coordination, and a check of completed work.
Ask what was inspected, what remains open, what needs approval, who accepted the work, when it will happen, and what evidence will support closure.
Keep the dated recommendation and owner response in the property record. Identify any temporary control, the person responsible for monitoring, and the next review trigger.
If you cannot tell whether work was approved, scheduled, or checked, bring that example to a Property Management Performance Review. Start with a few details about your property and the issue you want to discuss.
Request a Property Management Performance Review