Two-Family Homes in Rahway: A Roof Guide for Owners

Rahway has a lot of two-family houses. When the roof leaks, it's your tenants' home that's affected first.

Two-family homes are a big part of Rahway's housing, especially near downtown, the train station and the older neighborhoods. Many owners live in one unit and rent the other; some rent both. Either way, the top-floor apartment is the one under the roof - and the one that feels a leak first.

Roof problems common on Rahway two-families

• Flat or low-slope rear sections. Many two-families have a pitched roof at the front and a flat roof over the back of the building or over rear porches. Those flat sections need a membrane like EPDM or modified bitumen, and their seams and wall joints are frequent leak points. See flat roof repair.
• Stacked porches. Upper and lower porches mean porch roofs that tie into the house wall - another classic leak spot.
• Several chimneys and vents, with two kitchens and two or more bathrooms sending pipes and fans through the roof.
• Old layers. Rental properties often get a quick roof-over rather than a tear-off, so two layers are common.
• Attics nobody looks at. If the attic is only reachable through the upstairs unit, problems can go unnoticed for a long time.

When a tenant reports a leak

1. Respond quickly. In New Jersey, landlords have a duty to keep rental units in livable condition, and an active roof leak can quickly affect that.
2. Ask for photos of the stain or drip, and where it is.
3. Help limit the damage - buckets, moving belongings, turning off power to any wet fixture.
4. Get the roof looked at, and let the tenant know when someone is coming. Give proper notice for entry.
5. Keep records of the report, your response and the repair. That protects both of you.

Planning repairs and a new roof

• Coordinate access. The roofer may need to get into the attic through a tenant's unit. Arrange it in advance.
• Treat the flat and pitched sections as one project if both are near the end of their life, so they're tied together properly.
• Check the permit situation. A detached two-family home is treated like a single-family house for a straightforward re-roof, but decking or structural work changes that. See our Rahway roof permit guide.
• Warn tenants about noise, debris and parking during the job.

A simple yearly check

Once a year, and after major storms, take a look at the roof from the street, clean the gutters, and look in the attic if you can get to it. Ask tenants to tell you about any stains early. A small leak caught in October is far easier on everyone than a ceiling coming down in January.

If you need a roofer, see roof leak repair or roof inspections.