Des Moines Rental Foundation Checklist

Most rental houses in Des Moines have basements, and tenants are usually the first to see water on the floor or a crack that wasn't there last month. In Central Iowa, where frost and spring storms push hard on basement walls, a quick report can turn a big repair into a small one. Share this list with tenants at move-in.

Report within a week

• A new crack in a basement wall or floor
• Damp spots or a musty smell in the basement
• A door upstairs that suddenly sticks or won't latch
• Window wells full of leaves or water
• A downspout extension that's missing or knocked loose

Report the same day

• Water coming into the basement during rain or snowmelt
• A sump pump that runs nonstop, won't turn on or is making grinding noises
• A long horizontal crack or a basement wall that looks curved
• Water backing up through a floor drain

What tenants can do safely

1. Photograph cracks with a coin for scale and write the date on a piece of tape beside them
2. Keep stored boxes off the basement floor on pallets or shelves
3. Don't unplug the sump pump or a dehumidifier to use the outlet
4. Pile shoveled snow away from the house, not against it

Thaw and storm season

Spring melt and summer thunderstorms bring most basement water in Des Moines. A look downstairs after each big storm is the most useful habit a tenant can have. More: spring thaw and basement leaks.

Central Iowa's freeze-thaw winters and wet springs put steady pressure on basement walls, so a crack that was hairline in fall can widen by spring. Dated photos make it easier to tell.

For property managers

Test sump pumps each spring, keep downspouts extended and check walls between tenants. For repairs, see basement waterproofing, bowing wall repair, sump pumps and drainage and foundation inspections.