Should landlord pay for blockage

brocq_18

​We have had a blockage in the upstairs toilet of our shared house for some months. The landlord was made aware of this very soon after it first occurred but nothing was sorted till over a month later. The blockage then occurred again within a week. When the work was arranged there was no agreement between us or the landlord on who would pay but she organised the plumber.

When the kitchen extension was built the toilet pipes were kept in place and so run through the kitchen behind a hollow wall. This caused the majority of the problem as access to the pipes was very difficult and the wall had to be opened.

We have now been sent an invoice for £160 from the plumber and the landlord has asked us to pay.

There is no proof of the company existing so assume he is a sole trader but we are concerned that the plumber and landlord know each other and may be abusing the situation.

Any insights on next steps would be very helpful.
Nb, the toilet is still not 100% fixed.

csgohan4

Do not pay the LL's problems. It is unlikely you will get any back.

Seems the LL is keen to get cheap quick fixes and not actually sorting out the problem.

Perhaps time to go somewhere where the LL does care?

is your Deposit protected in an approved scheme?

Is the cause of the blockage purely mechanical as in pipes or organic as in someone has had too little fibre?

always_sunny

who caused the blockage?

I would think plumbers to be sole traders to be a normal occurrence and the fact that the LL and the plumber have a deal highly likely. £160 to fix the blockage doesn't seem that high though.

Cakeguts

When you first moved into the shared house was there a blockage in the toilet? If not how long had you been there before it occurred?

If the toilet was working fine when you first moved in and wasn't showing any signs of being blocked that means that someone in your shared house is putting something down the toilet that is blocking it and then denying doing it when asked.

Find out if anyone is flushing wet wipes, empty toilet roll holders, cotton wool, sanitary pads or incontinence pads, plastic bags, large quantities of paper handkerchiefs, or anything other than toilet paper. Toilet paper is designed to break up when flushed. If something is flushed that doesn't break up then it can cause a blockage.

If the toilet was working perfectly when you moved in and then only blocked after several months you and the people you are sharing with have to pay for the repair.

G_M

Whether the plumber is a Ltd company or sole trader is irrelevant.

As is whether the plumber/LL know each other or are even related.

A plumber was needed, a plumber came out, and he submitted a bill. £160 is not unreasonable for a call-out and time to fix.

The question is who should pay?

Depends entirely what/who caused the blockage. If, for example, you've been putting tampons, wet-wipes etc down the toilet, you are responsible.

If it is the design of the toilet, the LL should pay, and also fix the design.

phill99

Most blockages are caused by what you put down a toilet or sink, not the design of the drains or waste pipes.






If you regularly put 'hard fats' down the kitchen sink eg form when you have fried bacon, roast beef etc, then this will often result in blocked waste pipe from the sink as the fat solidifies in the pipes so water is unable to flow away. If this is the case, you re responsible.


If you are using bum wipes and putting them down the toilet, then again you have caused the problem. These bum wipes will not disintegrate in the toilet and will typically result in blocked drains. Although it says on the pack 'flushable', what it fails to tell you is that actually a human body is 'flushable' if you cut it up in to small enough pieces. However it does not mean that the body will disintegrate in the drains.


Flushable bum wipes are the biggest cause of blockages in most cities drains now. If the wipes have caused the blockage, you are responsible for unblocking.


You need to tread up on 'Acting in a Tenant Like manner'

teddysmum

Some of the more expensive kitchen rolls, such as Plenty can also cause blockages , as they are designed to stay intact when wet.

Gilead

If you or shared tenants have caused the blockage then you are liable to pay the plumber for his services. If there is a major issue with replacement pipes etc then it is LL who should be liable.

From the information you have provided so far I would hazard a guess that you (tenants) should pay for the plumber.

penguingirl

teddysmum wrote: »

Some of the more expensive kitchen rolls, such as Plenty can also cause blockages , as they are designed to stay intact when wet.

No idea about the OP's question- but who flushes kitchen towel down the toilet? Now you've suggested it I'm sure people do, but it would never cross my mind to do so.

silvercar

You need to tread up on 'Acting in a Tenant Like manner'

Problem is in shared houses, it is hard to find out who is the one that is not behaving in a tenant like manner.

eggha

penguingirl wrote: »

No idea about the OP's question- but who flushes kitchen towel down the toilet? Not you've suggested it I'm sure people do, but it would never cross my mind to do so.

LOL , as someone who has the "pleasure" of the manhole and drainage from the row of terraced houses at the back of my plot being through my garden i can assure you that it is quite amazing what some people flush down their sinks and/or toilets and think that somehow they will go through a pipe rather than blocking it and causing a flood in my garden

extensive questioning finally narrowed it down to only 2 possible culprits who upon being presented with the semi solid evidence in a bag when I knocked on the door and suggested they may like it back, agreed to think more carefully in future and use their rubbish bins instead