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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To contact my landlady about this issue again?

27 replies

waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:01

I live in a block of flats and around three months ago water started leaking through my bathroom ceiling from the flat above. Initially it was just one patch in the corner of the room but has now gradually spread and is now coming through the entire ceiling. At first my upstairs neighbours swore blind it had nothing to do with them as they have a wet room and the floor is sealed up. My landlady went in to have a look at their bathroom and just asked me to keep an eye on it. We thought it may have had something to do with the render outside (water getting in through the window) but it's definitely not that. Over the last week or so it has worsened and the water is now dripping down all of the walls and has completely ruined the ceiling and the painted walls. I'm also worried because it is leaking above the light switch.

I spoke to my landlady on Sunday and she rang the people above to explain it had worsened since they last spoke. The man came down to have a look (to save me sending photos) and then just said he would investigate it. I'm just worried now because it has definitely got a lot worse just in the space of 2 days and I'm not sure how serious their taking it. WIBU to contact my landlady again tomorrow and stress to her it's important that the people above get someone in to look at everything ASAP as it's started to ruin the entire bathroom?

I appreciate they will have to pay to get it plastered/painted again anyway but my landlady is a bit slow with these types of things so I would rather it not get to the point where the whole room is ruined as no doubt I'll have to live with it for a few months before it gets redecorated . We get on great so I don't want to rock the boat but when I'm paying £500 a month in rent I don't think it's unreasonable to expect it to be sorted ASAP. What do you think?

OP posts:
SimonJT · 07/07/2020 23:03

I would contact the land lady again, does the building have a managing agent? If so I would also make them aware

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:06

No managing agent unfortunately. I rent privately but deal with my landlady directly and the people above own their flat.

OP posts:
SimonJT · 07/07/2020 23:07

So the flats are owned by individual freeholders?

In that case is the person above you the freeholder or a renter?

hiddeneverythin · 07/07/2020 23:08

Get them told! I had an entire bathroom ceiling fall on me while I was in the shower one day due to this exact issue. Not cool.

They even claimed they had a wet room so couldn't possibly be a leak either, but it will be a leak in the pipe under the shower

superram · 07/07/2020 23:08

It’s dangerous as the ceiling could come down.

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:12

@SimonJT it is the freeholder who lives there. I believe they've lived there for over 20 years. On Sunday he said he would get someone in to have a look at it but didn't say when. I know it is a large family who live there (2 parents, 5 kids) so I imagine the bathroom is being heavily used which I'm sure isn't helping. I think their a bit reluctant to pull the whole shower up.

OP posts:
SimonJT · 07/07/2020 23:14

So no one else to complain to, if your landlady has insurers inspect the ceiling they will also inspect the area above. If the freeholder continues to cause a leak he/she will then become liable for the cost of repair.

We had this issue in our old flat, it did take a long time to solve and several big floods.

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:18

@SimonJT oh gosh please don't say that, it doesn't give me much hope haha! 🙈🤣

Are they liable now for repairs as it's already caused damage?

I will contact my landlady again in the morning and stress to her that's it's getting worse as the days go on. I just didn't want her to think I'm pestering her as I'm sure theirs only so much that she can do herself anyway.

OP posts:
SimonJT · 07/07/2020 23:21

I know with ours they only became liable when it was confirmed that water was coming from their flat and they then continued to use the sink.

CertainGecko · 07/07/2020 23:24

The landlady can't get annoyed with you over this surely? You're looking out for her property. I wouldn't worry about nagging her about it, if she's got any common sense she'll appreciate you telling her.

RhapsodyandAshe · 07/07/2020 23:25

It will be stated in your tenancy agreement that you need to keep the landlord informed of these kinds of happenings, so yes definitely do so.
Just tell her that you are trying to be a good tenant acting as you lawfully should do.
Hope it gets sorted before it gets worse.
Has the landlord actually seen it for themselves or seen pictures?

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:31

I don't think she will be annoyed at me. I just don't think there's a lot that she can do about it except wait for the people above to get someone in to have a look so I don't want to pester her as he's already said he will get someone in, I just hope it's sooner rather than later. I imagine it has gradually worsened as time has gone on. It has literally only started dripping through within the last week.

OP posts:
Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:32

I will contact her in the morning and see what she saids! She is a very good landlady but a bit slow sometimes with sorting problems out.

OP posts:
HansBanans · 07/07/2020 23:35

I would definitely contact your landlady again OP. I'm not 100% sure if it's the case in England (assuming you live there based on freehold convo up thread) but in Scotland you have the right to withhold your rent until repairs are carried out (once the repairs are carried out you need to pay over all of the withheld rent though). If the landlady isn't willing to cooperate I'd imagine she soon would if she didn't get her rent money! But I'd recommend double checking this legislation is applicable in England also!

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:35

Sorry @RhapsodyandAshe yes she has seen photos!

OP posts:
Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:37

Thank you @HansBanans but I'm based in Wales. Sorry, I should have said at the start of the thread!

OP posts:
HansBanans · 07/07/2020 23:37

@waternightmares ah ok, sorry! I hope you get it sorted soon x

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:38

Thank you @HansBanans X

OP posts:
canigooutyet · 07/07/2020 23:44

Contact her again and keep getting on at her, she is the one who you pay rent to. She could also send in a plumber to inspect your place. As well as the huge risk of the ceiling falling in, there could also be damage to the electrics.

Do you have environmental health in Wales? In England they would be interested in this and will put pressure to get it dealt with asap.

Have you turned your water supply off just in case it's not piping connected to your place. Found lots of odd botch jobs in this place when we had the plumbing and rewiring done.

Pipandmum · 07/07/2020 23:45

If the bathroom above is tiled they can go through the ceiling below. It's a lot cheaper to reboard and plaster a ceiling. Tell your landlady you do not feel safe. She needs to get someone in to check it - she doesn't have to wait for the people above to do something. It will be an insurance issue. Its obviously a leaking pipe, if it just serves the flat above then they are responsible. Document your dealings with your landlady and people above (this can be a written account: monday at 11am I spoke to above owners etc). I'm a landlady I would be straight on to this - water can cause a lot of unseen damage too.

Original poster
waternightmares · 07/07/2020 23:51

I'm sure we probably do have environmental health here. I'm not clued up on these sorts of things though unfortunately @canigooutyet . The main leak (above my mirror) is exactly where their shower is apparently so it seems a bit of a coincidence.

@Pipandmum I don't think she wants to pay to get it sorted in all honesty. I think she see's it as their problem so would rather wait for them to pay to get someone in to sort it, even if it means the leak gets worse and caused more damage in the mean time 🙈

OP posts:
canigooutyet · 08/07/2020 00:00

Tough she doesn't want to pay, a part of ownership is spending when repairs arise.

Shelter is also a great place to get advice from.

Environmental health would be a local authority service. They deal with leaks, damp, rodents etc, well in my borough they do anyway.

Also search your legal rights as a private tenant and her obligations. Send her a copy when you contact her as a reminder she needs to remedy this and she needs to call her insurance company. She has 48 hours (or whatever it is) to get someone out otherwise you will have no option but to go to the next steps.

Any impending sob story is not your concern.

canigooutyet · 08/07/2020 00:02

This took 2 seconds to find.

www.rentsmart.gov.wales/en/tenant/

safariboot · 08/07/2020 01:18

If the situation's evidently worsened, YANBU to update your landlord.

Unfortunately it seems like if your landlord and the owner-occupier argue over the issue, you're the mug stuck in the middle with the leaks.

If the situation's getting serious, consider contacting the council. They may give your landlord a kick up the metaphorical arse.

k1233 · 08/07/2020 01:23

I'd definitely go back to her saying it's much worse and you're getting concerned about electrocuting yourself. There's no reason she can't get someone in to look at it. If it keeps going she's going to have a huge repair bill.

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