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Original poster

Stingy landlord?

161 replies

Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 09:50

Hi everyone, I’m sharing a flat with my boyfriend and we have huge mold and drainage issues. Mold covers the exterior and interior of the property, and the toilet and shower are both thoroughly blocked. The landlord visited following a hole in the ground floor flat’s ceiling (due to our shower flooding), and has told us a plumber will be visiting today - two days after the event!! He says we will have to pay rather than him. Surely this is something a landlord would usually pay for? He also told us that in the meantime we would have to use the swimming pool showers if we needed to shower. TIA for any thoughts.

OP posts:
BMW6 · 15/11/2024 11:24

OP never, ever, hang one of those toilet block cages over the loo rim.

Poo doesn't block toilets. Those ^^ do if they fall in and they get flushed accidentally. Happened to me (tenant) and I got and paid a plumber to unblock.

Too much loo roll can also block.

Clean the hair out of the shower trap once a week.

Rosiecidar · 15/11/2024 11:23

If the property is through an agency they would probably ask the landlord to pay this time and ask the plumber to state the cause and then decide if you should reimburse or not.
Two days isn't long for a repair for a shower but I think a loo is an emergency repair so would need to be done in 24 hours - however if it's your fault you would be paying more because of that

Original poster
Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:22

Lastonightadjsavedmylife · 15/11/2024 11:20

If depends, is she heating the property properly and airing it. So many people don’t do so then get mould due to that and think it’s the landlords fault. It might be, and there is a leak or something, but again, why it’s mouldy is key.

Show quote history

Yep, windows in all areas are open for several hours each day despite it being November and cold. We’ve also got a storage heater (no radiators in this property - landlord’s choice - grr!!) ,which is rubbish but switched on occasionally. The mold is all over the exterior of the block

OP posts:
PrincessNannie · 15/11/2024 11:22

The blocked shower is definitely not a landlord issue - you should have noticed the shower drain slowing and either used drain cleaner or a good old plunger. The toilet issue it depended where the blockage is. If it is outside that flat you may have a case it if it is solely just poo and toilet paper sorry but I pretty much think that is down to you.

Lastonightadjsavedmylife · 15/11/2024 11:21

CheeseyOnionPie · 15/11/2024 11:20

Landlord should pay. Don’t you hand over a penny!

Confused
Lastonightadjsavedmylife · 15/11/2024 11:20

BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:19

Ok read your update, yes unless it’s down to poor plumbing (we had a right angle in a toilet pipe once) that ones on you.
the mold though. That’s what I’d be talking to shelter about

If depends, is she heating the property properly and airing it. So many people don’t do so then get mould due to that and think it’s the landlords fault. It might be, and there is a leak or something, but again, why it’s mouldy is key.

CheeseyOnionPie · 15/11/2024 11:20

Landlord should pay. Don’t you hand over a penny!

Lastonightadjsavedmylife · 15/11/2024 11:19

I think some folks have rushed in to say it’s the landlord.

for poo and hair it’s you’re responsibility.

BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:19

Ok read your update, yes unless it’s down to poor plumbing (we had a right angle in a toilet pipe once) that ones on you.
the mold though. That’s what I’d be talking to shelter about

Original poster
Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:19

Houseplanter · 15/11/2024 11:15

If I was your landlord I'd be furious that you were neglecting my property and expecting me to pay for it.

Hair in the shower? Basic maintenance
Poo blocking the toilet? Too much toilet roll or other things flushed with it.

What else don't you maintain?

I didn’t know that it was us. We tried unblocking the toilet ourselves using multiple different methods. Seems the poo must have been really far down!

And having discovered the cause I’m sure my boyfriend will be happy to pay now

OP posts:
allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld · 15/11/2024 11:17

@Doglover321 sorry but what country are you in??? In scotland the landlords must be registered so contact the council and jump through hoops and keep flats up to scratch. in england, contact your council and they will definitely do something about it!

JurassicPark4Eva · 15/11/2024 11:17

Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

He’s just left. Poo caused the toilet blockage, hair caused the shower blockage??

So you have blocked the toilet and shower? Then yes, this is on you to fix. That's grim.

BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:16

Depending on how happy you are to stay would depend on how I dealt with this. if I needed to stay I would just suck it up, if I was happy to risk a mental price hike or eviction I’d be talking to shelter.

we fix everything in our rentals we always have, it does seem to be an expectation from the landlords.

Lovelysummerdays · 15/11/2024 11:16

Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

He’s just left. Poo caused the toilet blockage, hair caused the shower blockage??

Have you ever cleaned the shower trap? It’s the first thing to check when water starts draining slowly.

A toilet plunger costs about 6.99. Dr Beckmann toilet cleaning powders seem to dissolve toilet paper blockages too. My children use yards of the stuff so it’s a frequent occurrence in our house. Alternatively switch to 2 ply which doesn’t seem to block loos the same way.

Houseplanter · 15/11/2024 11:15

If I was your landlord I'd be furious that you were neglecting my property and expecting me to pay for it.

Hair in the shower? Basic maintenance
Poo blocking the toilet? Too much toilet roll or other things flushed with it.

What else don't you maintain?

BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:14

Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

Yep!!

Show quote history

hes got the contract with the landlord not you. As you have t employed him.

is the plumber quoting or fixing?

Hoppinggreen · 15/11/2024 11:08

Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

He’s just left. Poo caused the toilet blockage, hair caused the shower blockage??

While Pooing in the toilet is of course perfectly reasonable I suppose he could arge that an excess of loo roll contributed to the problem AND that regular hair removal is part of cleaning and general maintanence.
I am not saying I agree, I am just thinking what the LL might try and argue

Original poster
Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:05

So he picked the plumber and wants you to pay his plumber

Yep!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:06

He’s just left. Poo caused the toilet blockage, hair caused the shower blockage??

OP posts:
BourbonsAreOverated · 15/11/2024 11:05

So he picked the plumber and wants you to pay his plumber

Original poster
Doglover321 · 15/11/2024 11:03

Plumber is in there as we speak, so will update ASAP

OP posts:
MissMoneyFairy · 15/11/2024 10:59

Do you know what's caused the damp, mold internally, blockage and leaking shower.

Getitwright · 15/11/2024 10:58

OP you really do need to tell MN if any of the problems, issues are down to you being negligent, unthinking. I have a friend who ran a property leasing agency, and some of the things that tenants did or didn’t do beggared belief to be honest. Yes Landlords do have hoops to jump through, and responsibilities to carry out. But so do tenants, and I often ask myself, if they owned the property, and not the Landlord, would they allow things to get into such a state?

I am not saying this is the case here, no one simply knows enough, but the responsibilities do tip both ways. It’s all about if the property was in a fit and proper state when you took it on, and what of the problems might be due to your actions. Good luck with it.

BMW6 · 15/11/2024 10:56

You can keep clean by strip washing at a sink and wash hair over sink.

What has caused the blockage? If its been caused by you then of course you should pay for unblocking and possibly repair to the floor from flooding. (Why did you keep the shower going when you saw the water was not draining away?)

Hoppinggreen · 15/11/2024 10:52

You only have to pay if you have done damage deliberately or negligently.
In some cases if you have been slow to report an issue or made things worse by your actions it may be argued that its negligent even if you didn't cause it