We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
The MSE Forum Team would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. However, we know this time of year can be difficult for some. If you're struggling during the festive period, here's a list of organisations that might be able to help
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Has MSE helped you to save or reclaim money this year? Share your 2025 MoneySaving success stories!
Leasehold - drain pipe issues
Afrochap
Posts: 73 Forumite
I bought a flat from London and Quadrant on leasehold in May of 2019. The building is quite hold as it was built just after WW2.
Last week, I started having issues with the kitchen sink as water wasn't draining away from it and the washing machine started emptying into the sink. My initial thought was that the drain was clogged up and I got a plumber in to look at it and he found out that a pipe that connected to main building's drain pipe is a copper pipe that's rotten and the debris from the rot is clogging up the drain.
Given that the drain pipe is extremely old and being copper which has corroded with age, I called London and Quadrant to send in a plumber. At the the plumber's visit this morning, he said that because the copper pipe comes from my property and it was working at the point of sale in 2019, then I am responsible for the repairs. However, I argued that given the state of the corrosion, it is something that has happened over time and the damage did not start at the point I took ownership of the property 3 years ago. Furthermore, the location of the pipe is behind the walls and my plumber actually had to take a bit of of my kitchen cupboard and concrete behind it to access the pipe in question.
I would be grateful for some advice in regards to who should be responsible for the repairs.
Much thanks for your time and eagerly anticipated response.
Last week, I started having issues with the kitchen sink as water wasn't draining away from it and the washing machine started emptying into the sink. My initial thought was that the drain was clogged up and I got a plumber in to look at it and he found out that a pipe that connected to main building's drain pipe is a copper pipe that's rotten and the debris from the rot is clogging up the drain.
Given that the drain pipe is extremely old and being copper which has corroded with age, I called London and Quadrant to send in a plumber. At the the plumber's visit this morning, he said that because the copper pipe comes from my property and it was working at the point of sale in 2019, then I am responsible for the repairs. However, I argued that given the state of the corrosion, it is something that has happened over time and the damage did not start at the point I took ownership of the property 3 years ago. Furthermore, the location of the pipe is behind the walls and my plumber actually had to take a bit of of my kitchen cupboard and concrete behind it to access the pipe in question.
I would be grateful for some advice in regards to who should be responsible for the repairs.
Much thanks for your time and eagerly anticipated response.
0
Comments
-
The lease will tell you whose pipe it is. If it's your pipe then it's your repair. If it's a communal pipe then it's a shared cost. Doesn't matter what condition it was in when you bought (unless your contract contained some unusual warranty).0
-
PLease tell us what your lease says.
0 -
Almost all leases will say that you're responsible for pipework in your flat.
Unfortunately, the legal position is that it was up to you to check the condition of the flat and plumbing before you bought.
If the plumbing was hidden behind panels, you have to decide whether you're prepared to take the risk of buying without being able to see all the plumbing.
0
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.7K Spending & Discounts
- 246K Work, Benefits & Business
- 602.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.8K Life & Family
- 259.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards