Blocked sink and dishwasher: landlord wants us to pay half of plumber's bill - is that normal?

[franch]

We have never put anything unusual in the waste disposal/dishwasher/sink (all of which are badly blocked) and their plumbing is clearly a problem as we've had to call plumbers out before for some major drain problems, plus they've had this kind of thing happen before. But according to them our waste has exacerbated the problem so we should pay half. Is that usual?

Lucky I'd say. We have to pay all bills of that kind! Unless it's structural damage to the actual building, we have to pay.

I've never had to pay for stuff like this.

And I wouldn't.

And if anyone tried to force me I'd be putting in my notice once my 5 months were up.

Is that the legal position Bucharest? We paid for pretty much everything when we were landlords - we must be a soft touch! They are lawyers unfortunately so we will probably come off worst - but if it's normal procedure I won't worry about it.

x-post expat. That's interesting. We're only here temporarily anyway - can't wait to get out to be honest. DH doesn't think we should pay either - we haven't put anything strange down there (I'll hopefully get the plumber to back me up on this) and have looked after everything, maintained the dishwasher filters etc

Yeah, it should be written in your tenancy agreement what you pay for.

And never ever rent from lawyers.

Yep you're right on that one expat

I wouldn't expect to pay it either unless the plumber (who preferably isn't a mate of the landlords) has actually said that the waste had caused some of the problem.

If they couldn't prove that I had been partly responsible I'd tell 'em to fark off.

I agree FAQ - luckily it's the same plumbing firm as came round last time and if it's the same guy he was very much on our side (as they were trying to pin the blame on us then as well, but couldn't).

well in that case I wouldn't pay.

i'd move out as soon as i could, franch, tbh.

because i've know A LOT of people who've rented from lawyers and every one of them has gotten screwed in one way or another.

If it were my property I'd call out a plumber and obtain written eveidence from plumber as to what the blockage was. Usually I find that it is sanitary towels, tampons, condoms and food that cause it. This is down to the tenant to pay.

No sanitary towels, tampons or condoms down our kitchen sink as far as I know inscotland - ew

Food only in waste disposal - and then not much - a few peelings and teabags.

You're right expat - and when we were landlords our tenants were lawyers - we must be mugs

our landlord threatened us with her friend who was a lawyer in the Temple,(OOOoooooooooooh, big whoop) when they tried to rip us off.

we brazened it out and took them to small claims, they soon backed down.

if you are in the right and the contract backs you up they could be the prime minister and still have to pay.

Unethical but have you tried a couple of goes with caustic soda down the drain?
Plus is it a shared drain? Can they prove that it is your waste?

Landlord has already tried her own super duper unblocking stuff 3 times but has admitted defeat.

It was the shared drain last time. This time it's very much the sink and dishwasher pipes and yes it is our waste down there - but it's normal waste! Honest!

Dont pay. I'm a landlord (lady?) and would never expect a tenant to pay for this sort of thing (unless its stated in your cobtract of course.. have you checked all small print on what you signed?)

Great idea! Get the plumber to put it in writing that it's not your fault that it's blocked.

Then tell the landlord you're not paying half based on that evidence.

Or pay it and then take them to small claims if it's not in your agreement to pay for half the bills when they're not from your fault.

And find another place to live.

Seriously, I know some folks who were seriously screwed by lawyer landlords.

One had to take her landlord to court to get a new boiler. Went months with no hot water, still having to pay rent of course or the landlord threatned to take her to court.

We (so far) do not pay for anything like this. We did have a minor problem with the washing machine and had a callout, and the technician said that it was due to the drain outside being blocked with leaves and residue from the large amount of softener that goes through (I usually run it 2-3 times a day). We still didn't have to pay for the callout, but it was down to me to clear out the rancid pile of leaves and rotting snails [bleurgh].

It depends. You need to read your tenancy agreement, however if the landlord is suggesting that you pay half means that you aren't liable as one wouldn't 'offer' to pay for something that wasn't their responsibility.

If the drains are a recurring problem, then that's the landlord's responsibility as maintenance lies with the landlord, not the tenant.

Thanks for all your advice everyone. Will let you know how we get on.