Can my landlord give me 24 hours to remove my items after a flood in my apartment?

Question

The people above me had some pipes busted in there apartment which ran dow to my apartment and the apartment below me. My landlord bought a condo from a condo community, she did not contact her insurance until 5 days later all of my things was destroyed, I did not have insurance my landlord told me I had to go after the people above me insurance. When the fire department told her no one can live in the apartment, she gave me 24 hours to remove my things or she would remove them, I had nowhere to put my things so she gave me $120.00 to get a U-Haul and storage well it wasn’t enough, I told her she said she is not responsible for my things go after the people above me the best she can do is give me a good reference, so she wrote me a decent reference and asked me not to contact her again..I since then moved from Arizona to Michigan with family members.

Brent T. Geers · Answer

What is your question? Your landlord may be right: generally, landlords are not responsible for tenants' personal belongings. Their insurance usually only covers the physical buildings. That is why it is so important for renters to get renter's insurance. For a small monthly fee, a call to your renter's insurance could have paid for temporary living expenses and replacement of damaged items.  
 
You can try to go after the people who lived above you, but they may be in no better financial situation then you so it may turn out to be a exercise in placing blame, which does no one any good at this point.

Q: Can my landlord give me 24 hours to remove my items after a flood in my apartment?