Filing an insurance claim after a hurricane is difficult enough. Filing one when you don't have the documentation that supports it is significantly worse. The time to assemble your claim documentation kit is before a storm — not in the chaotic days after one, when you're managing multiple damaged properties, tenants are calling, and contractors are already backlogged.
This guide covers what belongs in a property manager's pre-storm documentation kit, how to store it, and what happens when you don't have it.
What Goes in the Kit
1. Current Photos of Every Unit — Interior and Exterior
Annual pre-storm photos of every unit's interior and exterior are the foundation of claim documentation. Take these before each hurricane season (June 1 is the trigger date). Capture:
- All four exterior elevations of each structure
- Roof surface from ground level and any available elevated vantage
- Each room in each unit — all four walls, ceiling, floors
- Appliances (including serial number labels)
- HVAC equipment, water heater, electrical panel
These photos establish pre-loss condition. When adjusters see post-storm damage, they'll compare it against the pre-loss baseline. Without baseline photos, any damage can be disputed as pre-existing.
2. Appliance Serial Numbers and Values
Create a spreadsheet with one row per appliance per unit. Columns: Property, Unit, Appliance Type, Manufacturer, Model Number, Serial Number, Approximate Age, Estimated Replacement Cost. This takes an afternoon to complete for an entire portfolio and saves hours of post-storm scrambling when adjusters ask for it.
3. Lease Agreements
Current executed lease agreements for every occupied unit are required documentation for loss of rents claims. Keep the most recent signed lease for each unit — including the lease term, rent amount, and tenant name. If a unit is between tenants at the time of a claim, keep the most recent expired lease and any documentation of rental listing activity.
4. Mortgage Information
For properties with mortgages, your lender is likely listed as a loss payee or mortgagee on the insurance policy. After a major claim, insurance payouts above a certain threshold typically require lender endorsement. Have your mortgage account numbers, lender contact information, and lender name (as it appears on the policy) in your kit to avoid delays in claim payment.
5. Insurance Policy and Declarations Page
Keep a copy of the full insurance policy and the declarations page for each property. The declarations page shows:
- Policy number and effective dates
- Insurer name and claims contact information
- Coverage limits by coverage type (A, B, C, D)
- Hurricane deductible amount
- Endorsements scheduled
You need this information to file the claim and to verify the claim is being paid according to the policy terms.
6. Vendor Contact List
Pre-storm vendor relationships matter enormously after a storm. Keep a contact list for:
- Your primary roofing contractor and backup
- Water extraction and mitigation company
- Board-up and tarping service
- Tree removal and debris contractor
- HVAC contractor
- Electrician
- Plumber
- Public adjuster (if you have a relationship)
7. Prior Repair Receipts
Receipts for repairs made in the 12–24 months before the storm serve two purposes: they document that known issues were addressed (counter to pre-existing condition arguments), and they establish your repair cost basis if similar work is part of the storm claim scope. Keep receipts for any roofing work, plumbing, HVAC service, and structural repairs.
How to Store It
Your documentation kit should exist in three locations simultaneously:
- Cloud storage (primary): Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud with folder structure organized by property address. This is accessible from any device from any location, including post-evacuation. Verify sync is current before hurricane season.
- Physical binder at your management office: A printed copy of documents, with photos on a USB drive in a waterproof bag. Organized by property.
- Off-site physical backup: A second copy stored outside the storm risk area — a safe deposit box, an office in another city, or with a trusted family member inland.
Undocumented claims get paid slowly and incompletely. Without lease agreements, loss of rents claims are disputed. Without appliance records, replacement items are priced at lower values or omitted. Without prior repair receipts, adjusters argue damage is pre-existing. Every hour invested in pre-storm documentation returns multiple hours of avoided delay and multiple dollars of avoided underpayment after the storm.
Template Spreadsheet Structure
For appliance and property documentation, a simple spreadsheet with these columns covers what adjusters need:
- Property Address | Unit Number | Item Type | Manufacturer | Model | Serial Number | Approx Age (Years) | Est. Replacement Cost | Photo File Name | Notes
Use one tab per property, or one tab per property type. The key is that every item at every property is in a single document that can be shared with an adjuster immediately after a loss event.
Set a recurring June 1 task to update your documentation kit: retake annual property photos, update the appliance spreadsheet with any replacements or additions, file the most recent signed leases, update vendor contacts, and confirm cloud backup is current. It takes 2–4 hours for a portfolio of 10 units and eliminates scrambling after a major storm.
Store your entire documentation kit in LossHQ
Property photos, appliance records, lease documentation, and vendor contacts — organized by property, accessible from anywhere, ready when a claim happens.
Start Free — No Card Required →The Bottom Line
The documentation kit is the single most actionable pre-storm step a property manager can take to improve claim outcomes. It doesn't require professional help, doesn't cost money, and takes a few hours once a year. In return, it eliminates the most common causes of claim delays and underpayment. Build the kit this season. For the specific post-storm photography process, see the property damage photography guide.