Leak caused damage to floor

mellymeep

Just after some advice on how I proceed with the situation we're in basically.

When we moved into our new flat we noticed that there was some water damage to the laminate flooring in our bedroom, so much so that when you stood on it you could hear some water moving around underneath them. I put cardboard down to try soak it up as the previous tenant had informed us that it had been like that for a while. We also reported this in our move in inventory to the letting agents. It seemed to dry up fine so we just left it.

Recently it has begun to get worse and worse, we originally thought it was something to do with the shower cubicle and resealed it ourselves, (our bathroom is inside the entrance to our bedroom.) But that didn't help, then yesterday my husband discovered a puddle at the side of the toilet and a pipe with a slow drip, we're not sure how long that has been going on but it must of been for a while because there is what sounds like a massive amount of water underneath the tiles in the bathroom, and it is now leaking up in large amounts through the laminate flooring in our bedroom. I reported the leak to our letting agents emergency number as soon as we discovered it, it took the plumber 6 hours from when I rang to arrive, I was unable to turn the water off during this time because we are connected to the house upstairs where the stop tap is, and nobody was in.

The pipe is repaired now, but I'm just wondering what, if anything, can be done about the water damage? Obviously I've reported it to our agents again and they said they were going to look into getting someone out to look at it, but I'm worried this is going to be blamed on us, and with the cold winter nights coming up we might get a damp problem in our bedroom as it has no windows. Would a dehumidifier help at all? It's not very nice when we have to step into our bedroom and brown sludge is coming up from underneath the floorboards. Is it the landlords responsibility to make these repairs? what repairs exactly would be needed, and how do I request these? We deal solely with the letting agents who are for lack of a better word, useless... so I'm imagining this is going to be a long and drawn out process.

clutton_2

you need to do things in writing so that you have a paper trail in case you need it further down the line...

these repairs are definitely for the landlord to fix

what sort of "brown sludge" ?

a dehumidifer will definitely help

BitterAndTwisted

If you've noted the water-damage on the check-in inventory I can't see how or why you will be blamed for causing it. Follow up everything IN WRITING now detailing what you found and then what happened. That way, it's difficult to see how or why you could be blamed for causing this problem. Any delays to workmen coming out to investigate and effect repairs are usually down to the landlord either dragging their heels or not authorising the agents to undertake the work. Just keep everything in writing and send follow-up letters at regular intervals.

In the meantime, I think a dehumidifier would be a very good idea. As there are no windows in the bedroom it's difficult to see how any moisture in the atmosphere could got rid of in any other way.

tyllwyd

If you've got laminate flooring, there is probably a sheet of plastic beneath it which might be trapping water - if it was my house, I'd take up all the flooring to see what is going on underneath and let it dry out properly. That's obviously a bit more of an issue in a rented house, but I'd have thought it would have to be done by someone eventually.

How can there be water under tiles in the bathroom? I take it this is a ground floor flat, otherwise the water would have been through the ceiling of the flat underneath by now?!

mellymeep

I've also sent this follow up email, if they don't acknowledge the receipt I'll print it out and send it via post as well

Further to our telephone conversation conducted at 11am, Friday 17th September, I would like to put down in writing the concerns which were raised.

On Thursday 16th September around 10am I reported to the Here office a leak from a pipe behind the toilet in our bathroom and was told a plumber would be called out to rectify this. The plumber did not turn up till 5pm that afternoon, which by then, despite actions taken to try stop water leaking onto the floor (towels laid down, a bowl to catch the drip) a large amount of water damage had been done to the tiles in the bathroom, and the laminate flooring in the entrance to our bedroom. When walking upon the tiles in the bathroom there can be heard a large amount of water moving around underneath them, and the same for the bedroom laminate flooring which also has water leaking up through the gaps.

We the tenants would like to request someone come out to look at this damage and what repairs can be done to rectify it. I would also like to request that you acknowledge receipt of this email for our records.

Thank you for your time

The brown sludge just looks like mud that has come up from underneath the floor, we're in a basement flat so I'm assuming its just years worth of dirt and grime that's got stuck in-between the floorboards. I don't think its sewage or anything because there is no nasty smell to it, even so its not very nice to have to keep mopping it up! I've taken photos anyhow, and have photos of what it looked like when we moved in.

I'll make sure to borrow my parents dehumidifier, do they use a lot of electricity? We have bills included in our rent but have a fair usage clause.

I was just worried that because it was only a slow drip they might blame us for not reporting it sooner, I think its obvious its been leaking for a while but from what I can tell its been absorbing straight into the floor, and its now saturated which is why we only just noticed the puddle.

I'm just so wary of being stung, I've been renting for the past 4 years now and none of my tenancy's have been straight forward unfortunately it seem's its impossible to find a decent and honest landlord!

loracan1

I know just how horrible it is because had the same in the kitchen with a leaking dishwasher, only noticed when a heavyset repairman stepped on it. Your laminate is obviously going to have to be replaced - when I took mine up it'd started growing 'mushrooms' on the edges (cleaned up and never returned). I daren't think about the water behind the tiles in your bathroom.:eek:

If the water damage is mentioned on your inventory I don't see how you can get blamed in any way, you informed them as soon as the cause was evident.

Another point - are you upstairs from anyone else?

mellymeep

No we are a basement flat, another point was that all our utilities are connected and the stop tap is upstairs, there was no one in upstairs at the time we discovered the leak so I couldn't use the stop tap either.

BitterAndTwisted

If that leak had been going on for some time I'd wonder what exactly the agents are doing to earn the inspection fees they charge the landlord. A reasonable person would expect something like this to have been noticed on the last tenant's check-out.

Run that dehumidifer 24/7. They're not that expensive to run and you'll be running it primarily for the landlord's benefit in any case. You DO NOT want any condensation to cause mould during the cold weather when it comes.

tyllwyd

But if there is a layer of water trapped beneath/soaked into the laminate flooring, a dehumidifier is not even going to touch the real problem. You need to get the flooring up to get it to dry.

BitterAndTwisted

I agree, but taking the flooring up isn't the tenant's responsibility and doing so could be construed (by someone being terribly unfair) as causing further damage. In the OP's position I'd write (not email) and ask for the landlord's permission to do it failing them sending someone round to inspect it.

pararct

Yes a dehumidifier will assist greatly, you will need to be on hand to empty it once or twice a day.

If water has got into the laminate boards it will almost certainly have blown them and they will also need replacing. Clearly if you are happy to live with them as they are then it is an issue between you and your landlord but needs recording in case the water damage is attributed to you on march out.

Did the plumber say what had caused the original leak? Reading on what you have written it sounds like a bad supply joint rather than waste water escaping through the waste/shower tray. Surely you must have sought an opinion as to whether your floor problem was related to the leaf he repaired?

For future reference it is possible for waste shower water to get behind tiles in a cubicle.
A lot of the older plastic resin type shower trays flex when persons stand in them. As it flexes over time by way of the silicone sealant around the edges it may pull the tiles slightly away from the wall (particularly if a poor adhesive job was done). Water will find a way in.