Hurricane season runs June through November. Here's exactly what should happen at your villa before, during, and after a named storm.
Most storm damage at short-term rental villas is not roof damage. It is patio furniture in the pool, a torn screen enclosure, a clogged deck drain, and a week of lost bookings while someone figures out who is responsible for what. All of that is preventable with a routine that starts before the forecast cone ever touches Osceola County.
72 hours out: document everything
Before anything is moved, photograph and video the pool deck, screen enclosure, exterior walls, roofline, and landscaping. Timestamped before-photos are what turn an insurance claim from a negotiation into a formality. If you only do one thing from this list, do this one.
48 hours out: secure the outside
- Move lounge chairs, side tables, umbrellas, and grills into the garage or a secured interior area
- Submerge or strap down anything too heavy to relocate
- Clear pool deck and gutter drains so water has somewhere to go
- Remove or lower pool safety fencing and shade sails that act like sails in wind
- Bring in door mats, planters, and decor that can become projectiles
24 hours out: protect the systems
Set the AC a few degrees cooler than normal so the villa stays dry if power drops. Unplug televisions, game consoles, and routers to protect them from surges. Turn off the irrigation controller so it does not run in the middle of a flood, and shut off the pool pump at the breaker if flooding is expected.
After it passes: inspect before you re-book
Walk the property with the before-photos in hand. Check for screen tears, roof tile displacement, water intrusion at sliders and window sills, and standing water around the foundation. Photograph anything that changed, then put the furniture back and confirm every system — AC, pool pump, irrigation, WiFi, and smart locks — is online before the next guest arrives.
The hardest part of this list is that it has to happen on the ground, on short notice, while you may be thousands of miles away. That is exactly the gap our storm preparation service fills: before photos, secured deck, post-storm inspection, and everything put back in place.
Want this handled for you?
We do this work every week for villa owners across Osceola County. Request an info packet and we'll show you exactly what's covered.
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