Problem with the house we rent (wwyd)

[joannqn]

So, how would you all deal with this?

We like the house we are currently living in. While the kids' bedrooms are a little small for two kids, it works fine for us. We love the location. We love our neighbors. We are VERY happy here, except for one thing...

Back in March or so, we discovered that the carpet was wet in the girls' room. We reported it, and the property management sent out their handy man. He thought it was the french drain so he fixed that. It wasn't that. Then we discovered that the boys' room was also wet. We thought maybe it was the hose plumbing since it was between the two bedrooms. They sent out a plumber, who said the hose was just fine. After that, we started doing more thorough investigations with the help of our previously a contractor and still does lots of building work for friends neighbor. We discovered that the master bedroom carpet and living room carpet is also wet. It starts at the outside walls (near windows) and moves out from there as the rain continues. We've looked in the attic, crawl space, and under the carpet in a few places, and there is no obvious indication of where the water is coming from. The roof appears fine. We reported what we found to the property management, and there has been no action taken other than to close the maintenance ticket. We asked them why they closed the ticket, and they said that they've sent two people out and they haven't found the problem (but they did note the wetness). On the last quarterly inspection, the inspector also noted the wetness in all four rooms. Still nothing has been done.

Well, the rain has returned. Things are wet again. We emailed them a couple days ago and haven't heard anything yet.

We really don't want to move...we would stay here as long as we could if the leak was found and properly fixed. I doubt we'd have neighbors as awesome as the one's we have now. Then there's the cost involved in moving. Then there's the time issue of packing, unpacking, and trying to homeschool four grade levels all as the same time. We REALLY don't want to move, but we can't exactly live in a home that is wet 24/7 nine months of the year and molding and mildewing either. 

So....

(And did I mention that the dishwasher has been broken for months....)

[Guest inoubliable]

I'd move. It's a pain but you don't want to deal with the health issues that can come from living in a house with mold. Trust me. This is one reason why *we're* moving. 

[Um_2_4]

This sounds like a BIG problem, not a simple leak if it is multiple rooms. Is this by any chance a pre-fab or modular home? (rhetorical question)

I would prepare yourself to move... you do NOT want to experience the long term effects of breathing in mold/mildew.

 

ETA: If you have a lease that may need to be broken, document, document, document. Do it all in writing, letters, dates, who came, their findings, your concerns re: mold/mildew...., if it does it EVERY time it rains, etc

see if you can found your states "fair housing council", they can advise you anonymously (at least here in CA they can) and then mediate for you if needed. In my state, I could get an estimate from several (I think 3) contractors, then send them the info and they fix it (within x days) or I pay and deduct from rent if it is unlivable or a health hazard.

[joannqn]

Not a prefab house.  It's a rambler, not too old, that was remodeled not long before we moved in.  The remodel was generally poorly done.  The kitchen cabinets looked like gorgeous cherry wood, but it is now obvious that the cherry is just a painted on varnish of some sort (it's flaking off).  The trim and doors weren't painted at all...just the primer that covered them...so not washable in any way.  (I have permission to paint, just haven't had time.)  The windows are all new...maybe they weren't installed properly...we know they leak if you spray down the side off the house with the hose....so there's no way to clean the siding.

There is also the issue that there was very heavy moss covering the roof when we moved in.  It took a year and a half to convince them to get it cleaned.  So, it is possible that the roof is leaking even though it looks ok.

[Um_2_4]

Not a prefab house.  It's a rambler, not too old, that was remodeled not long before we moved in.  The remodel was generally poorly done.  The kitchen cabinets looked like gorgeous cherry wood, but it is now obvious that the cherry is just a painted on varnish of some sort (it's flaking off).  The trim and doors weren't painted at all...just the primer that covered them...so not washable in any way.  (I have permission to paint, just haven't had time.)  The windows are all new...maybe they weren't installed properly...we know they leak if you spray down the side off the house with the hose....so there's no way to clean the siding.

 

There is also the issue that there was very heavy moss covering the roof when we moved in.  It took a year and a half to convince them to get it cleaned.  So, it is possible that the roof is leaking even though it looks ok.

 

Red flag above, that needs to be corrected ASAP! You've lived there a year and a half? And this just started?

Yeah, water damage is one thing that made us walk away from some houses we liked. It can be costly to repair and that mold can hide.

We had friends get a deal on a house  then pay almost 50K to fix water damage from a leak and mold that had SPREAD. and they had no idea about the mold damage before they bought, an inspector didn't even spot it.

[LucyStoner]

You live somewhat close to me in the puget sound WA area, right? 

 

You can't afford a non-rainproof house in this climate. I bet you already have mold issues.  Has anyone pulled up the carpets?  If you don't, you soon will.  I'd move.  

 

 

[joannqn]

We've pulled up a couple of corners in wet areas...just the corners not the whole room though we pulled up nearly a quarter of the master bedroom...and there wasn't any mold to be seen.  In fact, the subfloor wasn't even wet.  It's so odd.  

We will move if they won't fix it or if an extensive mold problem is found.

[ElizabethB]

Does the owner know? That can cause serious damage to a house, I would make sure the owner, not just the manager, knows and has a chance to fix it, with an emphasis on long term water damage costs and legal problems with mold.

[Laurie]

 

 

 

(And did I mention that the dishwasher has been broken for months....)

I'm cringing at the "D" word. 

This summer we discovered that our dishwasher had a hidden leak...no water ever came out from the front side where we would've seen it.  Instead, the dripping ran along the back wall and got under the vinyl flooring.   Much of our kitchen floor had to be pulled up as well as part of the basement ceiling.  The insurance company sent their "leak detective" out to make sure that the dishwasher was indeed the source of the problem.   (I could see the drip once I took the front panel off the dishwasher and looked underneath with a flashlight so I was already convinced that this was the source of the problem.)   He told us that it had probably been leaking for a couple of weeks and yet it did all that damage in such a short time. 

 

We looked online and found that other people with the same dishwasher also had water damage from the same kind of leak.  (Kenmore Elite)

 

Is the water supply to the dishwasher turned off?  Have you checked under the dishwasher to make sure the floor isn't wet? 

[Shelly in IL]

How is the landscaping ariund the house? Is it built up over the foundational cement? We had this on this house. We moved the dirt from up over that line and never had another problem.

[joannqn]

The dishwasher problem is the control panel.  It won't complete the whole cycle and stops with water sitting in the bottom.  

There is a few inches of cement/concrete or whatever the foundation is made of above the dirt before the siding begins.

[tammyw]

I'm cringing at the "D" word. 

This summer we discovered that our dishwasher had a hidden leak...no water ever came out from the front side where we would've seen it.  Instead, the dripping ran along the back wall and got under the vinyl flooring.   Much of our kitchen floor had to be pulled up as well as part of the basement ceiling.  The insurance company sent their "leak detective" out to make sure that the dishwasher was indeed the source of the problem.   (I could see the drip once I took the front panel off the dishwasher and looked underneath with a flashlight so I was already convinced that this was the source of the problem.)   He told us that it had probably been leaking for a couple of weeks and yet it did all that damage in such a short time. 

 

We looked online and found that other people with the same dishwasher also had water damage from the same kind of leak.  (Kenmore Elite)

 

Is the water supply to the dishwasher turned off?  Have you checked under the dishwasher to make sure the floor isn't wet? 

 

This happened to the house we're renting also! In fact, we had to move out for 2.5 weeks, they had to rip all the flooring on the main level (because it was a kind of wood flooring they no longer made and had to replace all of it) and then  move back in. Total pain in the butt. There was a lot of mold under the cabinets/dishwasher/etc. I could smell it, and that was the only indication there was a problem. It obviously took a good while before we smelled it, as it was clearly there for a while.

 

I would insist they fix it or else you are moving immediately. You pay rent and have the right to live in a mold-free house (and water means mold even if you can't see/smell it yet).

 

This management company is ridiculous for having closed that ticket without solving the problem. NO. They need to keep hiring people until they find the source of the problem. I seriously wonder at the stupidity of some people. Do they really think it's just going to magically go away or that you're just going to stop caring? UGH.

 

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.

 

Also, the fact that you said the house leaks if it's washed from outside - that's probably the problem. They weren't installed properly, water is coming in and getting down in between the walls, and then leaking to various room.

[Swimtaxi234]

Scary story ...

 

My dear friend had asthma as a child, but she had been healthy for 15 years until they moved to a rental last summer.  After living there for 9 months, she couldn't figure out why she had been sick.  

 

I think it was in late March that my friend was rushed to the ER for an bad asthma attack and then admitted to the hospital.  When she was release and recovering, they found wet carpet in a closet.  When they looked closer, they found dark black mold growing up the walls.  They sent samples to the lab and the results were so intense with bad spores and the amount of spores that they immediately moved to a new house with zero carpeting.  It was so bad that the landlords released them from their lease.

 

Thankfully my girlfriend has been so healthy in the past few months and hasn't needed to use her inhaler or take meds.

[Χά�ων]

Make sure the flashing around the windows was installed properly.

[Lady Marmalade]

Has anyone cleaned out the gutters?  We had water problems when we moved in, and most of them vanished once DH cleaned out the gutters.  The only remaining water issue is a leaky pipe that he can fix when he has a free day.

 

 

[Cinder]

If you have a fireplace check there. Or any vents that lead to outside. They may not be properly sealed and water might be leaking in along the pipes/conduits. After what you said about the windows leaking I wouldn't be surprised to find other problem areas.

 

 I too would be worried about mold. Hope you get it resolved soon. 

[joannqn]

I don't know how to check the flashing but my neighbor said they appeared to have flashing.  

The room with the fireplace is the only carpeted room that is dry.  It is also the only carpeted room that doesn't have a window; it has a slider instead.

The gutters were cleared when the roof was cleaned.  We noticed the problem soon after the roof was cleaned, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was the roof...or the windows.

[joannqn]

Since our lease is up, DH sent both the property management and owner an email.  It gave a timeline of when and what has occurred so far and indicated that, while we'd love to sign a multi-year lease and stay here indefinitely, we cannot if the issue continues.

 

Fortunately, there are plenty of houses big enough and within our budget in the area.  Most seem to accept cats and dogs, which is necessary for us too.  And our foreclosure was a couple of years ago, our credit rating is decent, and we've had a three year history of paying our rent by the due date.

[Harriet Vane]

I would move. Sorry.

[Katy]

I would move too.  Wet = mold & health issues.

 

Not fixing wet = irresponsible management.

 

Not fixing dishwasher either = the final straw.

[Guest]

Move now. Do not wait for a response or a fix. You have mold and mildew even if you cannot see or smell it yet. That stuff is bad, bad, bad. Wash your hands of this place and move on.

[Cinder]

Another thought but I don't know if you'd be able to check this yourself. My mom recently discovered a leak in her wall and had a plumber come out to look at it. He had to cut the wall open to check the pipes; nothing. Well, mom lives in a duplex and after checking all the nearby pipes and finding no leaks the plumber suggested that probably the water was coming from a crack in the other side's shower/tub (based on location of leak and volume of water found). I don't think she was able to verify this yet as the neighbors have been unresponsive--which makes her suspect the plumber is right and the neighbors know it but don't want to have to do anything about it.

 

Anyway, long story to say that maybe a bathroom fixture is what's leaking?

[kroe1]

If the windows leak, then sometimes caulking can fix the problem. It is a very inexpensive bandaid. I am shelling out $6000 for some windows that failed in our dining room. Luckily, I saw the plaster peeling around the frame before there was too much damage. Caulking has stopped the leak until the new windows arrive.