I am renting a flat and I have a problem with the owner of this flat. The outflow of water from the bathtub was blocked completely suddenly. The landlord is now on vacation in a different state and sent me a message that I should use an old hanger to get my hair out of the tub. The pipe is clogged somewhere deeper. What can I do now, but most of all who is responsible for the repair - me or the owner of the apartment.
Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
5y
Usually this sort of thing is (or should be) addressed in your lease. For example, my lease states “Tenant shall be charged for repair of drain blockages or stoppages, unless caused by defective plumbing parts or tree roots invading sewer lines.”
So, having not read your lease, we couldn’t say for certain who is responsible for the cost. However, the answer to your question may be found in the verbiage of your lease.
It depends on how long you've been there and what caused it to become blocked. If you just moved in, it could have been something the previous tenant did. However, if you've lived there for a long time, did you or a guest do something or is it a shared system with other units in the building?
I'd start by trying what the landlord said and if it doesn't work, let them know.
I have never had plumbing problems in this apartment. The owner, informed about the problem, suggests cleaning the hair strainer, but in my case the problem is more serious because the pipe is deeper clogged.
I live on the top floor. Only my wife and I have access to the bathroom. The initial problem appeared a few days ago - the drain from the bathroom sink was blocked. I cleaned the pipe under the sink, poured "Drano 10 min" several times and everything returned to normal. But three days later I saw that the water from the sink was pouring out of the bathtub because the main pipe was blocked. And at this point, pouring "Drano 10 min" again did not help. The pipe is so clogged that the water drains very, very slowly. I don't know what could have clogged the pipe. Certainly not hair, but it is difficult to throw something larger into a washbasin with a strainer or into a bathtub with a strainer. Therefore, I am surprised by what happened!