Does a Leaking Toilet Constitute A Reduced Deposit?

Ben1989

About to buy a house but currently renting. In the next coming days we'll be telling our LL that we've purchase and require to rent no longer (we're on a rolling contract).

However, there is damage to kitchen ceiling. This damage was caused from a leaking toilet inlet pipe. I fixed this myself but is it our responsibility or did we 'cause' this damage? Who's 'fault' is this? Is it ours because we use the toilet? Or the LL for faulty/corroded pipework?

Just wondering if this will effect our deposit.

Thanks

need_an_answer

Did you advise the LL of the leak?

How did you come to repair it...because your request was ignored or simply because you thought you would not bother the LL?

Personally I b elieve you shouldn't have repaired it without the LL's knowledge/go ahead.

You could be charged for making good the damage to the ceiling.

What damage is there to the ceiling?
You might find it cheaper to repair that to the standard of the check in inventory rather than ignoring it and facing a trades bill to repair that will be deducted from your deposit.

It would be classed as damage to the ceiling and not wear and tear.

Ben1989

I let the LL know immediately and he couldn't make it in until the following day (it was the weekend). So I repaired it myself quite easily and he was happy with that. The trouble is, the water leak caused the ceiling in the kitchen to be stained and certain sections are peeling away

need_an_answer

It may well be cheaper for you to repaint the ceiling rather than opt for the LL to do that.

Was the damage to the ceiling noted by the LL when they visited the following day.

Presumably the damage was evident at the point you repaired the toilet.
Did you not make the LL aware that whilst you have repaired the source of the leak it had clearly manifested elsewhere for some time before

SmashedAvacado

This is a landlord responsibility almost certainly, and the landlord ought not to be able to claim any deposit from you. The damage was not caused by you - it was caused but he failure of a landlord's fixture where the liability for repair rested with the landlord (and your obligation was fulfilled when you informed the landlord of the problem)

ndcroft

A leaking toilet is down to the landlord unless you have caused the leak in which case you can get it repaired by a repair company like Superior Bath Repair or a handyman before handing it over. Thats what i did and so long as its a good company that repairs it, i dont see why they would hold your deposit.