Calgary is located in the “hail alley”, the area with the most hail storms in Canada, and it’s also known as the hailstorm capital of Canada, so Calgarian homeowners and landlords are no strangers to summer hailstorms that cause millions of dollars in property damage, including the 2024 severe storm that caused over $3 billion in insured damages in just over an hour of the storm. Summer 2026 is expected to be another season of severe and damaging hailstorms that can compromise roofing, siding, windows, gutters, and outdoor infrastructure, leading to safety issues, costly repairs and long-term maintenance problems if left unaddressed.
In property management, proactivity is always the keyword. That’s why preparing your rental for hail season and knowing how to respond after a storm can help landlords minimize repair costs, minimize the risk of insurance bottlenecks, and avoid tenant complaints or liability concerns. We’re going to explore how hailstorms impact rental properties and provide practical tips on how to act after a harsh weather event to protect your investment and preserve its value.
The Most Common Types of Hail Damage to Rental Properties
Hailstorms can affect nearly every exterior component of a property, and the damage can range from minor and cosmetic to structural. While you can spot some damage easily, other issues may remain hidden until they develop into more serious and expensive problems. Understanding the most common types of hail damage can help you respond quickly and efficiently as a landlord and protect your investment.
Roof Damage
The roof is one of, if not the, most vulnerable part of any property during a hailstorm, and is often the most damaged after one.
When it comes to hail, size plays a relevant role in the potential damage: While smaller hailstones of one inch or less can cause minimal damage to roofs with sturdy materials, the bigger stones of two inches or more can cause cracks, loosen, or completely remove shingles, leaving some areas of the roof exposed to moisture and future weather damage. Even when shingles remain in place, hail can strip away their protective granules. This granule loss weakens the roof’s ability to withstand UV exposure and moisture, shortening its overall lifespan and accelerating deterioration.
Another factor that will affect hailstorm damage is the wind. Wind-driven hail can magnify damage because it makes hail hit the roof at an angle, breaking tiles, removing shingles, and damaging roofing membranes, leaving the property vulnerable to water infiltration and other outdoor elements.
Some roof damage isn’t obvious right after a storm, such as damage by wind-driven hail, and depending on the material, hail impacts can leave dents, cracks, chips, or punctures across the home’s exterior.
- Vinyl: Vinyl siding is very susceptible to cracks, holes or chipping during hailstorms, and to warping and splitting after repeated exposure to severe weather.
- Aluminum and Metal: While more durable than vinyl, aluminum and metal siding are also susceptible to hail damage, often in the form of denting and surface deformities.
Other siding materials, including steel, fibre cement, or engineered wood, are more sturdy, but can still sustain some damage after hailstorms.
- Steel Siding: The most common issue with steel siding during hailstorms is denting, and large hailstones can leave visible impact marks across the surface, particularly on thinner panels. In case of severe storms, hail impacts may also damage protective coatings or paint finishes, increasing the risk of rust and corrosion over time if repairs are neglected.
- Fibre Cement: Highly resistant and more durable than other materials, fibre cement can also be a victim of severe hailstorms that can still cause cracking, chipping, or surface fractures, especially if the siding was poorly installed or weakened by age.
Cracks in fibre cement can become entryways for water intrusion. If moisture passes through the siding, it eventually leads to mold growth, rot in underlying materials, or insulation damage. Even the small cracks should be inspected and repaired quick to prevent long-term issues.
- Engineered Wood: Considered an optimal blend between aesthetic and high durability, it can still suffer damage during extreme storms with high-speed winds and large hailstones. Common hail damage on this material includes chipped paint or protective coating, denting, splitting, crackling, puncturing, and warping or buckling from larger hailstones.
Windows and Glass Damage
Windows are a common casualty during hailstorms, as bigger hailstones can crack or shatter the glass, becoming an urgent safety concern for tenants, not only because the property can be exposed to the rain, debris, or pests, but broken or damaged glass also presents liability risks if sharp glass or unstable frames are not repaired quickly.
And even if the window glass looks untouched after a storm, the seals and frames can still be damaged. Weakened seals can let moisture and air in, reducing the insulation performance and increasing energy bills.
Other Home Areas Commonly Damaged By Hailstorms
- Gutters and Downspouts: Hail can dent, clog, loosen or break drainage systems during severe storms, increasing the risk of flooding and foundation damage.
- HVAC and Exterior Equipment: Outdoor HVAC units and utility equipment like compressors and pumps are highly exposed during hailstorms, and the hail impacts, even minor ones, can reduce the unit’s efficiency and increase wear over time.
- Landscaping and Exterior Structures: Fencing, decks, outdoor furniture and even garages can suffer damage depending on the severity of the storm; while more frail landscaping elements, like trees, shrubs, and flowers, often suffer severe damage or are destroyed.
How Landlords Should Respond After a Hailstorm?
You can’t control the weather as a landlord, but you can control how you handle a hailstorm’s aftermath. Responding quickly after a hailstorm is essential for minimizing property damage, ensuring tenants’ safety, and avoiding more expenses on repairs later on. A proactive response will also help you navigate insurance claims more efficiently and keep potential operational disruptions to a minimum.
1 – Contact Your Tenants and Inspect the Property Immediately
You should contact your tenants to confirm their safety and make the first inquiries about damage and inspect your property as soon as it’s safe to do so, and keep safety first by avoiding climbing onto damaged roofs or entering seemingly unstable areas without the proper equipment or professional assistance. Instead, begin with a ground-level assessment of the roof, siding, windows, gutters, outdoor equipment, and common areas.
Documenting the damage is extremely important. Take photos and videos of all the issues you see, including dents, cracks, missing shingles, broken glass, damaged landscaping, and pooled water around the property. Detailed documentation will also be helpful to back up any insurance claim you may need and provide a clear record of the property’s condition post-storm to help professional contractors to understand the type of damage they’re facing.
2 – Prioritize Repairs
Once the initial inspection is complete, give priority to the most urgent repairs to prevent further damage that could threaten tenant safety and the property’s structure.
But what repairs should be considered urgent, though? Anything that comprises the property’s integrity and its habitable condition. For example, roof leaks should be treated as a top priority, as water intrusion can quickly lead to mold growth, insulation damage, and structural deterioration. Broken windows and damaged doors should also be repaired quickly to prevent additional weather exposure and keep the tenants and their belongings secure.
Other dangers that can risk tenant safety, such as unstable balconies, damaged walkways, exposed electrical components, or fallen debris, should be addressed as quickly as possible. Acting fast can help reduce liability risks while maintaining a safe living environment for the tenants.
3 – Contact Insurance Provider
You should contact your insurance as soon as you realize there’s damage covered by your policy. Early communication helps speed up the claim process and will clarify what types of repairs and losses may be covered under the policy, helping you budget for the uncovered ones.
It’s important you read the fine print of the policy, including deductibles, exclusions, and any hail-specific coverage limitations. Some policies may have strict deadlines for submitting claims or specific documentation requirements.
Having your records of inspections, repair estimates, photos, invoices, and contractor communications at hand will streamline the bureaucratic process and reduce potential insurance disputes.
4 – Work With Qualified Contractors
We’ve discussed the importance of hiring licensed and experienced contractors for major repairs, and it’s especially important to do so after major storms that left severe damage, because only an insured and licensed professional can offer you a quality, guaranteed repair that follows safety protocols and stays compliant with the building code.
Protecting Your Rental Property From Calgary’s Hailstorms
Hailstorms are an unavoidable part of living and investing in Calgary, but the damage they cause doesn’t have to become a long-term financial burden. A fast response, combined with regular maintenance and inspections, can help landlords minimize property damage, protect tenants, and detect and fix latent issues due to post-storm damage to avoid more expensive repairs in the future.
However, it’s true that storm preparedness and recovery can be a lot to handle for independent landlords; here’s where the professional property management’s role enters. From coordinating inspections and emergency repairs to selecting and managing verified contractors and tenant communication, working with an experienced property manager will make the response process more efficient and significantly reduce the stress that severe weather events can create for landlords.
If you need support in managing maintenance, inspections, or tenant concerns after a hailstorm in Calgary, we at Amhurst can help you protect your investment and keep your property operating smoothly year-round. Get in touch here.
