Tenant having trouble flushing toilet

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Tenant having trouble flushing toilet

Alyssa Voegele
Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote

I have a tenant in Minneapolis, MN that says her toilet only clears 50% of the time.

I can flush it 10 times in a row, but it’s “unloaded”. New Eijer diplomat from March 2024. Former 2 sets of tenants didn’t have issues- I circled back to verify. 3” flush valve and 2-1/8” trapway. Have a handful of them in other places and they are my go to.

I have a bunch of hours and trips into this. New flapper and adjustable flush lever with float. Plunged, toilet augered, cleaned jets, descaled with treatments and rust away tablet. Had the toilet pulled and whole duplex scoped and all clear. Every time I’d do a dozen unloaded flushes and say, works for me so let me know if you have anymore issues.

Last go i said that I’m out of levers to pull and waived the white flag. I honestly think it’s user error. she doesn’t want to let it go and is going to send a certified letter about a “lack of habitability” when she has energy.

Any advice?

Are there other levers to pull for fixing what I’m thinking is her imaginary/user error problem. I’ve honestly had this thing not flush twice in 20 times in the beginning, but it seems like it has gone every time since the flush lever and flapper change.

Is there a loaded toilet test? So I can video the thing working in case she sues.

I’m pretty over it.

if anyone wants to share their polished happy clause, I’m for it although December 1st Minnesota move is likely a $200 hit. Since we get higher rents in the summers.

Thank you in advance for any and all thoughts,

Justin

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Greg W.
Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 181 posts · 51 votes
4d

You said she would "send a certified letter about a “lack of habitability” when she has energy." 'When she has the energy' is the key for me. She sounds like she may have some issues. Cut her loose. Let her out of her lease, no harm, no foul, it's just not working out and you don't want her to be a place where she isn't happy. Then find a better tenant. The only issue is, you are running into winter in MN. You may have to wait until March. Good luck.

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  • Jimmy Samaha
    Staten Island, NY · Member since 2013 · 101 posts · 38 votes
    4d

    Honestly I'd stop trying to prove her wrong and just make it go away. A comparable new toilet installed by a plumber runs maybe 400 to 600 bucks in most markets, and you've probably already put more than that into it in hours and trips. Swap it, move the Eljer to another unit, and the habitability letter never shows up.

    If you want to test it once more first, the loaded test my plumber does is 8 to 10 squares of toilet paper balled up and wet plus a wet paper towel, flush, and repeat 5 times in a row. Do it with her there and video it. Also check the water level in the tank after that float change, if it got set low you lose flush power. And if you ever hear gurgling or the bowl level drops after flushing, have someone look at the vent. A partly blocked vent won't show up on a drain scope and it gives you exactly this kind of hit or miss flush.

    Either way, answer her in writing every time with dates and what was done. That paper trail matters more than the video if it ever goes anywhere.

    1Reply
    • Alyssa Voegele
      OP
      Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      3d

      Thanks jimmy!

      I’d honestly love to prove her right and then fix it. Short of pulling the handle up to soon, it doesn’t really fail unloaded. I’ll try the loaded test a few times and swap the toilet.

      Just crawl up on the roof and check the main stack for a blockage, right? 2nd floor toilet 2’ off the stack.

      The toilet only being 2.5 years old has been throwing me. Do you have a go to toilet? Was thinking this one has been pretty good. Probably have a dozen or so in service at this point. Previous toilet managed to crack its tank at the flush valve screw, so not a repeat problem.

      Thank you for the paper trail advice,

      Justin

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  • Richard (Ryszard) Cieplechowicz
    Member since 2026 · 143 posts · 38 votes
    4d

    After that much clean mechanical work, the usual leftover is either usage or venting. On the usage side it is worth asking what goes in - wipes labeled flushable and thick paper are the two that produce exactly this 50 percent pattern while a dozen test flushes look fine. On the venting side, a partly blocked vent lets a toilet flush sometimes and not others, and a scope of the drain line will not show it. One habit that helps either way: have the tenant note the day and time of each failed flush for a week. A pattern on paper beats another trip.

    1Reply
  • Rosina Persaud
    Member since 2023 · 69 posts · 8 votes
    4d

    Justin, at some point this stops being a plumbing question and becomes a math question. Across 236 doors in Memphis, our rule is simple: after the second trip for the same fixture complaint, we stop diagnosing and replace the unit. A toilet costs less than a third and fourth service call, and it ends the argument about usage that you cannot win even when you are right. Do the loaded test once, on video, log every visit with the date and the work done, and answer in writing, short and factual. Then swap the toilet. The complaint disappears, the file shows you responded every time, and your Saturday is yours again.

    1Reply
    • Alyssa Voegele
      OP
      Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      3d

      Thanks Rosina,

      Dang. That is a bunch of units. I have an engineer brain and the 2.5 year old toilet has been throwing me.

      With that many units, you must have a go to toilet. Can you please share it with me?

      Thanks a bunch!

      Justin

      0Reply
  • Greg W.
    Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 181 posts · 51 votes
    4d

    You said she would "send a certified letter about a “lack of habitability” when she has energy." 'When she has the energy' is the key for me. She sounds like she may have some issues. Cut her loose. Let her out of her lease, no harm, no foul, it's just not working out and you don't want her to be a place where she isn't happy. Then find a better tenant. The only issue is, you are running into winter in MN. You may have to wait until March. Good luck.

    3Reply
    • Alyssa Voegele
      OP
      Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      3d

      Thanks Greg!

      Do you have a go to “happy clause” message or one you can point me to? I’ve sent one or two at this point along the way, but it’s been a bit and I figure there is probably a better one out there than the one I cobbled together a few years ago.

      Thanks a bunch!

      0Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    4d

    Well, you could always stop off at Taco Bell for a Grande meal, then go by and test the unit yourself - that would eliminate (no pun intended!) the "loaded" vs "unloaded" issue!

    Beyond that, just get a different brand of toilet, make the change and end it. Or release the tenant from their lease if they want and re-lease, perhaps to a vegan!

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    • Alyssa Voegele
      OP
      Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      3d

      Thanks JD,

      Hahaha. I appreciate your posts.

      I’m just an engineering nerd who typically loves to solve a problem and understand it all enough to be dangerous. It being only 2.5 years old is the main thing throwing me.

      Do you have a go to toilet and happy clause message you can share with me?

      Thanks a bunch,

      Justin

      1Reply
    • JD MartinBusiness Member
      Moderator
      Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
      3d

      I really like Kohler toilets. I have them in my own house for the past 32 years and they are still going just like new. I've had to change a couple of flapper seals in them but otherwise you'd never know they're 32 years old, other than the 3.5 gallons per flush which I am hanging on to for dear life because it takes water for solids to move, if you get what I mean, and the difference in water consumption (in my house, which is just 2 people) is nothing compared to both the cost of new toilets and the potential for solids to be left behind in a piping system designed for plenty of water. I'm currently working on a new build and just bought 4 Kohler Leewards, which are standard height vs the chair heights.

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  • Richard F.
    Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4d

    When you pull the toilet, flip it upside down and rock it back and forth to see if anything is caught up in the toilet itself. I've found plastic lids that let a snake by because they flip out of the way even though they are too wide to pass completely. I also had a case where the tenant thought toilets were food disposers, and we found several large oxtail bones rattling around inside that would catch paper products, but let liquid pass. Whatever you find, charge the tenant for the toilet and all the service calls, since your prior tenants never had issues.

    1Reply
    • Alyssa Voegele
      OP
      Flipper/Rehabber · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 1 vote
      3d

      Thanks Richard!

      This is fascinating to learn. I hadn’t heard of this, but will be trying it during a swap. It toilet augered so easily on visit 2 and was super clean. When I had it pulled and scoped, I looked at the underside for anything sticking out, but didn’t think to rock it. Usually just trying to not spill toilet water all over with them.

      Thanks again,

      Justin

      0Reply
  • Mike Carter
    Homeowner · Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2026 · 11 posts · 2 votes
    3d

    You have already covered a lot of the usual causes, so I would focus on the two things that can still give an intermittent result. First, check the tank water level and how long the handle is held down. If the level is a little low after the float change, or the flapper drops too quickly, you can get a weaker flush that looks fine on an empty test but struggles with a real load. Second, a partly blocked vent can behave exactly like this, and a drain scope will not always show it, so it is worth checking whether the bowl level changes or you hear gurgling elsewhere when it flushes. I agree with keeping a short written log of each visit, what was checked, and the tenant's report. That record, plus one loaded test done together and noted in writing, usually settles whether it is a fixture issue or a usage issue, and it gives you a clean basis for deciding whether to swap the toilet rather than making another trip.

    0Reply
  • Jimmy Samaha
    Staten Island, NY · Member since 2013 · 101 posts · 38 votes
    3d

    Justin, yeah the roof is the easy check. Run a garden hose down the vent stack and watch. If the water backs up, or you see leaves or a bird nest up top, that's your answer. Only do it if the roof is safe to walk though. Otherwise have the plumber do it while he's there for the swap. With the toilet 2 feet off the stack I'd still look, it's cheap to rule out.

    On the toilet, I don't have one brand I'd swear by. The two that come up a lot with landlords are the American Standard Champion 4 and the Toto Drake. The Champion has a 4 inch flush valve and a wider trapway than the 3 inch and 2 1/8 you have now, so it's a little more forgiving with a heavy load. Either one runs roughly 300 to 450 before install.

    If the Eljer has been fine in your other dozen units I wouldn't overthink it. Swap this one, keep the Eljer as a spare for another unit, and see if the complaints stop. Either way you've got your answer.

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  • Matthew MorrowBusiness Member
    Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 775 posts · 266 votes
    3d

    @Alyssa Voegele if the toilet's new and works every time you test it, I'd look past the toilet. A partially blocked drain line or a venting issue can cause exactly that kind of on-and-off problem. I'd have a plumber run a camera down the line. Sewer scopes are one of the things I'd never skip, and this is a case where one could save you a lot of trips. Keep the tenant updated in writing on each step so there's a record you took it seriously. Hopefully it works out without too much headache.

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  • Marcus Auerbach
    Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3d

    That's why you don't buy cheap stuff. Ever.

    You bought the cheapest toilet at Menards for $169, but you are expecting quality? Next time spend $100 more on a quality toilet. Yes, there is a difference in flushing. Yes, they also clean better.

    I just have to laugh when I read the suggestions here: climb on the roof with a garden hose. Flip the toilet on it's head. Camera scope the sewer line. OMG, you guys!!! Seriously??

    Just replace the cheap piece of c#$% with one that actually works!!

    0Reply
  • Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
    Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 546 posts · 227 votes
    3d

    You’ve done more troubleshooting than most landlords would, @Alyssa Voegele . At this point, I’d stop debating whether it’s user error and create a clean, independent record.

    Have a licensed plumber perform a witnessed “loaded” performance test using an industry-standard test method or manufacturer guidance—not improvised materials—and provide a written report. Ask them to verify the bowl’s water level, tank fill level, refill-tube placement, venting, flange alignment, drain pitch, and whether the toilet model is appropriate for that installation. If practical, replacing the toilet with a different proven model may cost less than more trips and eliminate the dispute.

    Document every visit, repair, video, invoice, scope result, and tenant communication. Respond calmly in writing: acknowledge the complaint, summarize what has been inspected, offer a specific plumber appointment, and ask her to report each failure promptly with the date, time, and what occurred. Avoid calling the issue imaginary or blaming her.

    If she sends a habitability notice, take it seriously and have a Minnesota landlord-tenant attorney review your response and any proposed mutual-termination agreement. A modest negotiated move-out may be economical, but it should be voluntary, written, and compliant with Minnesota law.

    Not legal or plumbing advice.

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  • Leo SteinBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 177 posts · 41 votes
    2d

    One thing that helped on a stubborn toilet was a loaded flush test, since empty flushes prove very little. Use a normal amount of toilet paper, flush a few times in a row and video it with a timestamp so you have a record. If it passes loaded, send the tenant a polite written summary of everything you did with dates, and offer a licensed plumber visit at your cost as a final good-faith step. A plumber's note saying it works to spec is the best document you can have if she escalates. General info, not legal advice.

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