Private Rent - Who pays for a blocked toilet?

adonis

Did you see how the plumber unblocked it? if he just used a plunger in the toilet get yourself one and do it yourself, if he has to lift a manhole and put rods down it is a bigger problem.

teddysmum

Do you use the moist toilet 'paper' as the packs warn to flush only one at a time ?


You can get a stronger flush , now and then, by emptying a bucket of bath water down the pan.

gibbs1984

adonis wrote: »

Did you see how the plumber unblocked it? if he just used a plunger in the toilet get yourself one and do it yourself, if he has to lift a manhole and put rods down it is a bigger problem.

Directly outside my flat there is a drain where my pipe connects to all the others in the block, he was in there with a long rod poking about.

I had tried for hours to unblock the toilet using a plunger, washing up liquid and hot water, a mop with a plastic bag over it as a stronger plunger, nothing worked.

The plumber did say to me to occasionally use washing up liquid as it helps the waste slide down the pipe so sounds to me like there just isn't the correct fall or pressure.

gibbs1984

teddysmum wrote: »

Do you use the moist toilet 'paper' as the packs warn to flush only one at a time ?


You can get a stronger flush , now and then, by emptying a bucket of bath water down the pan.

I use the 3ply toilet paper from Aldi, I will now be using the 2ply.

G_M

Some misconceptions above:

1) smoke alarms are required in tenancies that started after 2015. This tenancy started earlier.
2) same with CO alarms.
3) not all CO alarms also act as smoke (or fire) alarms. Check
4) you can check yourself if the deposit is protected: Deposits
But you should have been sent the 'Prescribed Information' witth 30 days
5) the landlord authorised the plumber in resonse to a call-out/complaint by the tenant. The LL should pay his plumber. But that does not affect ultimate liability for the cost (which as I said depends on the cause). If the tenant caused the blockage, the LL can demand payment from the tenant.

If the tenant refuses to pay, and the LL continues to maintain the tenant is responsible he could do one or more of:

* evict the tenant (S21) if the tenancy is periodic
* wait till the fixed term ends and then evict (S21)
* try (difficult) to evict using S8 ground 12
* deduct the amount from the deposit at the end of the tenancy (and if tenant disputes, wait for arbitration decision)
* sue the tenant

gibbs1984

G_M wrote: »

Some misconceptions above:

1) smoke alarms are required in tenancies that started after 2015. This tenancy started earlier.
2) same with CO alarms.
3) not all CO alarms also act as smoke (or fire) alarms. Check
4) you can check yourself if the deposit is protected:
But you should have been sent the 'Prescribed Information' witth 30 days
5) the landlord authorised the plumber in resonse to a call-out/complaint by the tenant. The LL should pay his plumber. But that does not affect ultimate liability for the cost (which as I said depends on the cause). If the tenant caused the blockage, the LL can demand payment from the tenant.

If the tenant refuses to pay, and the LL continues to maintain the tenant is responsible he could do one or more of:

* evict the tenant (S21) if the tenancy is periodic
* wait till the fixed term ends and then evict (S21)
* deduct the amount from the deposit (and if tenant disputes, wait for arbitration decision)
* sue the tenant

Thanks, I will double check that my deposit is protected.

5) Yep, the landlord has paid the £70 and is asking me to reimburse them.

I'm on a 12 month contract which renews every October so only a couple of months away so there is the possibility that they won't renew although since I've been a good tenant who has never been late with rent or caused issues I doubt they'll cancel the tenancy over £70 but you never know.

When I phoned the landlord they said they'll call a plumber and said I would be liable if it was down to misuse but I don't put this down to misuse.

I don't want to be petty and bring up the smoke alarm and other little things that I've paid for when it's the landlords responsibility but I don't pay fair rent to have to fork out for drainage issues like this.

teddysmum

gibbs1984 wrote: »

I use the 3ply toilet paper from Aldi, I will now be using the 2ply.

Too thin toilet paper can have nasty consequences, but most use 3 ply with no problem. The manufacturers warning about the moist 'paper' is probably because it is more like Plenty kitchen roll, which is less likely to disintegrate when wet, than most other brands.