Minor Leak shown on Ceiling under Bath
Hi,
I have a town house that is currently rented and was remodeled 2 years ago.
Recently my tenant reported a small wet spot about the size of a palm on the ceiling that is under a bathroom in the second floor. The wet spot on drywall feels soft but it must be a very minor leak because it is not actively growing.
What should I just remove the drywall and have a plumber inspect and repair the piping, then once repaired I would close the dry wall again?
I’m afraid of doing this because this is in the middle of the living and this is tenant ocupied.
Should I move the tenant out to a hotel and pay for it or just ask if they can stay somewhere for a couple of days? Or just have this hole in the ceiling while they are living there?
Any advice will help
Thanks
Felipe
Most Popular Reply
Hi Felipe,
Before you rip any drywall down I would have a plumber come and take a look. They may be able to fix the leak from the bathroom without having to gain access to the ceiling. If they don't need to gain access I would still repair the ceiling by just cutting out the little spot and patching the drywall. The difficult part is having to go there multiple times times to finish the drywall and paint it. If you do have to open up the ceiling make sure that you check for mold or dampness in that area. I don't think you need to offer a hotel. The repair should be able to be taken care of same day. I've had a full bathroom shower ripped out, pipes replaced and new shower installed in two days. Where the tenants didn't have use of their shower for less than 24 hours. I actually spoke to fair housing and they said that was a reasonable time period. A cosmetic hole for a couple days does not make the property in habitable and no need to offer a hotel. Your first step before making a hole is getting a plumber out there to pinpoint the leak and hopefully they can identify that without cutting into the ceiling.