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Responsibility for blocked waste in rented property?

We rent out a flat to a tenant, and the tenant repeatedly reports that the waste from the kitchen sink is getting blocked. We've been paying a plumber to go round and sort it out every time, but he says that the blockages are being caused by things being thrown into the waste (i.e. down the sink plug).
We don't want to be unfair to the tenant, but should we as landlords be expected to pay to have this sort of problem rectified if it is entirely due to the tenant putting inappropriate things into the sink?
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Comments

  • donfanatico
    donfanatico Posts: 456 Forumite
    edited 14 November 2013 at 1:17PM
    ? No this is the tenants responsibility if it is blocked by stuff they are throwing down the sink. Any fat remains usually are ok to go into the toilet bowl (not sure if this 100% ok but we have been doing this all my life and not an issue so far)

    Buster Kitchen Plughole Unblocker should do the trick
  • moromir
    moromir Posts: 1,854 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Absolutely not, the tenant has an obligation to act in a tenant like manner which includes using the property and items in the property for their intended purposes.

    Write to the tenant setting out the causes of the blockages, reminding them that nothing but water should be going down the sink. Any invoices for further blockages of a similar nature will need to be met by them.

    Edit they're not fron a country thats used to having a garbage disposal unit in the sink are they?
  • itm2
    itm2 Posts: 1,512 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Hung up my suit!
    moromir wrote: »
    Absolutely not, the tenant has an obligation to act in a tenant like manner which includes using the property and items in the property for their intended purposes.

    Write to the tenant setting out the causes of the blockages, reminding them that nothing but water should be going down the sink. Any invoices for further blockages of a similar nature will need to be met by them.

    Edit they're not fron a country thats used to having a garbage disposal unit in the sink are they?

    The tenants are Polish - I have no idea if garbage disposal units are common in Polish sinks
    ???
  • eh? But they are not in Britain so they need to know. One hopes it is ignorance of the fact rather than a deliberate act, but they still need to be made aware.

    df
    Making my money go further with MSE :j
    How much can I save in 2012 challenge
    75/1200 :eek:
  • Mat_Lock
    Mat_Lock Posts: 2,386 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Tell them to buy some MELT drain unblocker at their own expense and use it regularly. best stuff ever !!

    I am a tenant and I regularly use this stuff so we don't have any issues.
  • clark24
    clark24 Posts: 794 Forumite
    They are blocking the sink and expecting you to hire someone to come round and unblock it on a regular basis?

    Do they also want you to pay someone to de-lint the tumble dryer, change the loo roll and defrost the fridge freezer? lol
    There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.
  • dodger1
    dodger1 Posts: 4,579 Forumite
    ? No this is the tenants responsibility if it is blocked by stuff they are throwing down the sink. Any fat remains usually are ok to go into the toilet bowl (not sure if this 100% ok but we have been doing this all my life and not an issue so far)

    Buster Kitchen Plughole Unblocker should do the trick

    It probably won't affect the pipes in your property but it definitely affects them further down the system,

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2012/oct/26/10-things-you-should-never-flush
    It's someone else's fault.
  • dodger1 wrote: »
    It probably won't affect the pipes in your property but it definitely affects them further down the system,

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2012/oct/26/10-things-you-should-never-flush

    yuck...so what does one do with cooking fat?
  • beecher2
    beecher2 Posts: 3,677 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    yuck...so what does one do with cooking fat?

    Empty it into a container until it solidifies and then bin it.
  • Jomo
    Jomo Posts: 8,253 Forumite
    yuck...so what does one do with cooking fat?

    If it is likely to solidify when cold, let it do so then throw to the bin! Or you could pour it into a jar and reuse if you so wish?
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