Am I responsible for supplying a new toilet?

Question

I have a tenant that says the toilet keeps clogging. I sent a handyman out and he says the toilet works, it's just older so it can get clogged more easily. I'm not sure if the tenant throws too much toilet paper or not. Do I need to supply them with a new toilet or can I request the tenant to just be more careful and flush more frequently as needed?

Bill B. · Answer

New toilets TEND to clog more than older toilets. The only toilets that are known to clog are the first generation of low flow toilets. A plumber can probably log on here and tell us what year that was. Then you can check the year the toilet was made in the water tank. A GREAT toilet is $99 at Home Depot. It’s certainly nothing worth arguing about, it’s cheaper than one service call.

Mike Morris · Answer

I’d replace it with a cadet 3. Spend the $150 on the toilet and the dollar on the wax ring and next time he calls you with a clogged toilet charge him. Some of those old toilets have very poor flush action.  Replace it , expense it on the taxes and move on.

Account Closed · Answer

Time, money, convenience, toilets.

Where do you want to spend your time and money? Repeated service calls or by simply solving the problem?

If it's a good tenant, replace the toilet. If it's a pain in the B*tt tenant, give them 30 days notice, find a new tenant and replace the toilet.

Corby Goade · Answer

Wow- there is some interesting advice here for sure...You can't just tell a tenant to move out because you don't want to fix or replace a toilet that is causing issues.

In general, I agree with the consensus above. Your time, energy and money are better spent elsewhere. Replace the toilet with something more efficient and move along. In the grand scale of landlording, this is a super small issue and not worth the time or energy that you've already expended.

Chris Good · Answer

I personally would replace it and give the residents fair warning that if it clogs after its replaced, they are responsible for unclogging it or paying your plumber to do it for them.

Theresa Harris · Answer

How much is it to buy and install a new toilet?  Don't get a low flow one as you're asking for trouble.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

I have a toilet in my personal home that clogs regularly, no matter who uses it. Not all toilets are created equally. I would spend the money to replace it and be done with it.

Eliott Elias · Answer

Request the tenant be more careful. If the toilet clogging is a direct result tenants negligence then you request they pay for it

Am I responsible for supplying a new toilet?

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