Water leak in rented flat

bitsandpieces

Just looked at a corner of my flat and it seems there has been some water leaking into the flat We're not talking a flood here, but enough has got in get a bit of the walls and ceiling wet and to lift and mark a little of the wall paper (it has been raining heavily, so I suspect that is the cause of the leak - I'm in a top floor flat so a problem with the roof seems likely). As far as I can see, there's not more water coming in.

I've dried the paper as best I can and will leave a dehumidifier running. I'll contact my landlord at the start of next week. Anything else worth doing? My landlord doesn't have an emergency contact number (for urgent things like leaking plumbing the arrangement is for me to get this done and then pass the bill on. I don't think this type of thing - wallpaper wet but not a massive leak - merits an emergency call out of anyone, does it? Or, if it does, who would you call?

frank.hopper

bitsandpieces wrote: »

. I don't think this type of thing - wallpaper wet but not a massive leak - merits an emergency call out?

I don't think so either!

bitsandpieces

Does look like the type of thing that can safely wait till morning, at least. If this does need sorting, who even deals with this type of thing - roofers?

sequence

Make sure you put it in writing and keep copies so that the landlord can't bill you for any damage to the wallpaper.

G_M

Almost certainly a roofer. Slipped tile or blocked/broken gutter. Either way easy and cheapish to fix.

However you tell your landlord (email, telephone etc), follow up in writing with a letter reporting the problem.

bitsandpieces

Thanks. Still dripping occasionally, but doesn't look like the ceiling's going to come down or anything. Does it seem reasonable to leave till Monday rather than trying to get an emergency roofer in myself? I suspect that nothing would be done about a dripping ceiling till the working week starts anyway (and this is what I'd have done in my own flat).

I'll make sure to follow up in writing. Irritating when this type of thing happens

G_M

bitsandpieces wrote: »

I'll make sure to follow up in writing. Irritating when this type of thing happens

Yes, but life is irritating! There seems to be an expectation these days by people for everything to work, always, and if it doesn't, to find someone to blame. In reality fo course, sh*t happens!

bitsandpieces

Certainly not denying that shi!t happens! No harm in having a moan about it when it does, though

Lemoncurd

bitsandpieces wrote: »

Thanks. Still dripping occasionally, but doesn't look like the ceiling's going to come down or anything. Does it seem reasonable to leave till Monday rather than trying to get an emergency roofer in myself? I suspect that nothing would be done about a dripping ceiling till the working week starts anyway (and this is what I'd have done in my own flat).

Whenever I've tried to get a roofer out it has taken a few days before they would even look so not sure if there is even such a thing as an emergency roofer. We've had unending problems with ours and tried several roofers, just had to stick a bucket under the leak most of the time.

bitsandpieces

The leak still hasn't been sorted LL seems to be doing an OK job of getting people to look at the problem, but it hasn't been fixed yet. I don't think LL is particularly to blame here (even if it were a place I owned, I doubt I'd be getting things done that much more quickly) but this is causing me problems.

Not sure what I should do here. I'm out of pocket due to running a dehumidifier, I'm not able to use a big chunk of my flat (doing more things away from home is also costing me money - I can't really invite people round for dinner etc) and what was a nice flat now has a big damp/mouldy patch in one room. Would it be reasonable to ask for some money towards this/a rent discount, even if it's not LL's fault? Might the LL have insurance for this type of thing? I've got a good relationship with my LL and like the flat (minus damp) and don't want to cause problems there. This is turning out to be a real pain, though.

BitterAndTwisted

!!!!!! happens. It sounds like your landlord is taking all reasonable steps to address this problem. You could ask for a rent-reduction to take into account the inconvenience and cost of running the dehumidifier but your landlord is not obliged to comply.