Who Should Pay for Blocked Toilet?

handlemaster

sbsquarepants wrote: »

If it's an apartment, it could be caused by someone else in the block. A couple of years ago the apartment beside mine flooded with sewage - cause was baby wipes blocking the outlet outside. The people who lived there swore they never used baby wipes (and they had no kids in fairness) but the family upstairs had 2.
The end result was nearly 30 grands worth of damage, floors had to come up, furniture was destroyed, plaster had to be chopped out and re-done it was a serious mess!
Miraculously we got away unscathed, due to whatever quirk of plumbing worked in our favour.
Long story short - it may not be the tenants fault at all. Sometimes shít just happens - excuse the pun!

some use baby wipes to remove make up or fresh in up

kippy

ZENER wrote: »

Tenant pays. Had this situation twice in the same property recently.

Distance from toilet to suir is about 4 feet, no other connections to the pipe. It's a downstairs loo that's been there 8 years without a single issue with past tenants. It had been blocked for 3 days but he decided to call us on a Sunday evening about it.

Anyway, I went to look at it and it was just blocked with loo roll and crap. They didn't even attempt to clear it other than repeatedly flush the toilet which caused a flood. I unblocked it myself but told them that the next time they'll have to call the plumber themselves and pay him for his time.

It's disturbing that some people don't have a clue about basic things like unblocking a loo or a shower pan.

Ken

There are a lot of people out there that don't have the most basic of skills or knowledge or indeed "common" sense. Keeps the trades busy no doubt!

MadDog76

secondrowgal wrote: »

Do you know what's scary? That you have to actually list this type of thing in a lease...

I once stayed in a hotel that had a label reading "please do not use in the shower" attached to the hairdryer .......... I can only assume that at some point somebody actually did that!

Tigger

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Any landlord that feels the need to run about after tenants digging baby wipes out of their toilets and pulling hair out of their showers is a fool.

apartment toilets can be blocked for many reasons its not like its a house

The_Conductor

I've had a rethink about this- and have changed my mind.
Its unlikely that one visit where someone flushed a wet wipe (or similar) down the toilet resulted in the blockage. Its just as likely that it is a cumulative event- previous events over the preceding months or even years- could have led to the blockage. As such- as a landlord- while I'd be deeply unhappy about it- I genuinely couldn't say that the tenant was the cause of the blockage- it is just as likely that someone tossing something some time ago initiated the blockage- and it cumulatively got worse- until there was a straw which broke the camel's back.......

Unfortunately- and contrary to what most people would consider to be 'common sense', many people have no idea what are reasonable things to dump down a toilet or a sink. I've had to clear a blockage which consisted of congealed butter from a kitchen sink recently- the person in question (who does use this forum and will remain unnamed)- was trying an Indian desert that featured copious amounts of butter (apparently) and thought nothing of disposing the remants down the sink- which caused an instant blockage- as the pipe was considerably colder than room temperature.

Unfortunately with the toilet-it could be something that was flushed a long time ago and snagged somewhere in the pipe that started the blockage- which was then exacerbated by other matter- before finally becoming fully blocked.

I'd pay it (in full)- spell out the reprecussions of a future blockage (tenant pays in full)- and make damn sure it is specifically mentioned in all future leases...........