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Original poster

Neighbour and washing machine leak - how much to pay - WWYD?

11 replies

DamnedWashingMachine · 11/11/2022 13:09

I'm trying to figure out what I should be paying my downstairs neighbour to repair a water mark caused by a drip from our washing machine hose. (The building insurance excess for our block is well over £1000 so no point in either of us trying to claim on that.)

Luckily, it seems that the leak was spotted and flagged to the building management company by this neighbour on the same day it appeared. The management company contacted me and I was able to stop using the machine immediately and call out a plumber. According to the management company and another neighbour who has seen the water damage, it's a very faint mark about the size of a palm.

If it were in my flat, I would let it dry out and repaint it myself after applying a coat of stain block. My neighbour is an elderly man and can't do this so I offered to contribute proportionately towards the cost of a painter coming in. He agreed and has obtained a quote of around £500 (for the ceiling of a small 1-bedroom flat).

This seems a bit steep to me (I had our entire 2-bedroom flat painted by the same painter a couple of years ago for under £2000) although my neighbour isn't short of money and might think it's cheap. Originally, I expected around £200 and probably would have just volunteered to cover the lot. Now I'm undecided on what is best to offer.

Also worth noting that I have a civil but cool relationship with this neighbour for various reasons so there isn't the option of offering to repaint myself or having a friendly chat to work something out in a more personal way.

WWYD?

OP posts:
DoItAfraid · 11/11/2022 13:18

I think that quote is reasonable tbh.

can you ask him to get another quote for comparative reasons?

KenCoff · 11/11/2022 13:20

You need to pay the whole cost of repairing and painting, however much that is. That's what the insurance company would do.

So the choice is either you ask him to get 3 quotes and organise a painter himself, who you will then pay. Or you organise the quotes and painter yourself.

Bear in mind the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up a lot in last couple of years and its difficult to get trades people. In my area there's a waiting list so it may be they quote high as don't really want a small job

MightyAtlantic · 11/11/2022 13:21

Tricky one, ordinarily like you I'd expect to cover the whole amount but £500 is quite expensive. Maybe offer to pay half?

ChatterMonkey · 11/11/2022 13:22

I think you are going to have to pay whatever quote he gets, it sounds like a reasonable amount tbh.

The difficulty is that its for someone else's house. If it were my own, i would look on Nextdoor app or similar to get a handyman out to do it, but if he wants to get a proper painter and decorater, you need to go with that.

Defiantlynot41 · 11/11/2022 13:22

Do you have household contents insurance? If so, you can make a claim under the occupiers liability section of the policy. It's not the buildings insurance that needs to be involved here

Original poster
DamnedWashingMachine · 11/11/2022 13:30

Thanks for the helpful comments. From what people are saying, it sounds like the quote might be reasonable given the rising costs of pretty much everything over the last few years. (I had my flat repainted pre-pandemic.) I'll probably check in with the painting company before I pay up but suspect I'll just have to grin and bear this one.

@Defiantlynot41 Really? I'll look into this - thanks. We were both convinced that it was a building insurance issue. (Looking through similar problems re leaks on online forums everyone seemed to be talking about buildings insurance.)

OP posts:
Defiantlynot41 · 11/11/2022 13:38

Yes, really! As longs as your policy covers occupiers liability. If the damage was to your own property it WOULD be the buildings insurance, but as it is a neighbour's property you are legally liable for causing the damage and therefore the contents policy will operate ( a bit complicated, but basically the damage was as a result of you "using" the property, which makes it occupiers liability and not owners liability, which is part of the buildings insurance) as most people are owner occupiers the distinction is rarely made.

KenCoff · 11/11/2022 13:57

I know you say you don't want to do it yourself @DamnedWashingMachine but is there a friend or relative who is handy and could do it for you?
We had a leak from our shower down into our kitchen last winter. and had to repair a bit of the ceiling. Our kitchen is quite small and DH and I painted the ceiling, 2 coats, in half a day. It really isn't a big job.
I suspect most painters don't want such a small job at the moment

ChatterMonkey · 11/11/2022 14:00

KenCoff · 11/11/2022 13:57

I know you say you don't want to do it yourself @DamnedWashingMachine but is there a friend or relative who is handy and could do it for you?
We had a leak from our shower down into our kitchen last winter. and had to repair a bit of the ceiling. Our kitchen is quite small and DH and I painted the ceiling, 2 coats, in half a day. It really isn't a big job.
I suspect most painters don't want such a small job at the moment

Issue with that though is the man whose flat it is might want the job done by a professional. And is entitled to that. It would be different it it was the op's own flat that was damaged, but if the man wants a professional to do the work, then the op will need to go with that.

Original poster
DamnedWashingMachine · 11/11/2022 14:14

@ChatterMonkey @KenCoff Yes, the issue is equally that the neighbour probably wouldn't want me (or anyone other than a professional) in their flat. We're polite to one another but not on friendly terms. It's a tiny job for an able-bodied 40-something who already has all the equipment and materials in the cupboard (me) which is probably why my mind is boggling at £500+. But if this is the cost of a proper painter right now, given rising prices and a surcharge for a small job, I'll have to go with it. I'm checking my neighbour's quote and seeing if he's willing for me to get a couple of others.

OP posts:
howrudeforme · 11/11/2022 14:22

Ok similar situation .

little leak with some water damage to downstairs neighbour ceiling.

im waiting for her to contact me. I’m happy to pay. She is a chancer (with previous). My tenant has already sent me photos of her damage. I’ve already got quotes (under £200 and it sounds a lot like the damage to your neighbour).

if she contacts me I’ll ask her to get quotes and compare to mine. She won’t want my repair person in her flat and I know that any quote she gives me will be dodgy.

the work it to repair a two cracks and replaster and paint a very small area of her ceiling (13 inches square).

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