Hedgehog Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) Two years ago, we moved into a rented house down the road from where we'd been before. We knew the area was nice, neighbours are ok (in the end), we're on a bus route, the garden is big and wild and the kids love it, and the landlord has allowed us to have a dog. We have seven people living here, so having one usable bathroom is manageable but not the easiest. However, when you rent a property on the understanding that it has two bathrooms, ie a main bathroom and an en-suite, you expect both to be working, and if they don't you expect the landlord to fix the problem in reasonable time, kwim? I'm not expecting miracles, just common sense repairs as needed. We have had endless problems with the en-suite shower, to say nothing of the leak from the main bathroom into the kitchen diner which ruined a large number of our schoolbooks. :mad: Anyway... first off we suspected something wasn't quite right because there was an odd smell in the en-suite - a damp, mouldy smell that never went away no matter what we did. Six months into renting the house, we suddenly had a leak from the en-suite down into the garage, and a huge black mould/water stain mark on the garage ceiling. Fortunately there wasn't anything underneath that mattered. We contacted the landlord and asked them to send someone to fix it. It wasn't obvious to us what was wrong from just looking. After two or three months, the landlord finally arranged to come around and he replaced some of the silicone around the shower, and some of the floor grout just next to it. All was well for another six months. Then in June 2016 we had another leak into the garage, and the stain on the ceiling (which had never been replaced, because it was in the garage and technically wasn't hurting anything) got a lot bigger. We contacted the landlord again and asked for him to check it out and fix the problem. He send not one, but three plumbers one after the other, all of whom said that with the problems we'd already had and the look of the garage ceiling, they would not rest their professional reputation on a patch-up job, but if they were to do it, they would be ripping the shower tray and tiles out, to investigate what was happening underneath (to this day, we don't know what the state of the floorboards/joists are under that shower) - so that if necessary, the structure of the floor could be repaired or replaced. No said the the landlord, we don't want that expense. We will fix this ourselves. We had to wait until November, when they came back from their extended trip abroad, for them to come around and do whatever fixing they deemed necessary - which was basically to replace a few tiles with non-matching tiles and stuff a load of silicone into some cracks they found. It'll be fine, they said. Fast-forward to a couple days ago, when DH stepped into the shower. Just after turning the water on, he moved his foot a little and there was an almighty crack underneath him. We froze like rabbits caught in the headlights, and then he turned the water off and gingerly stepped out of the shower. We just looked at each like, wth was that? We will not be using that shower any time soon. We are in the process of buying a house in the next village, a fixer-upper, and we weren't intending to move in right away. We're hoping for around six months, definitely to be there by Christmas this year. I can wait for that long. So here's my dilemma. My tired, sick body will not cope well with the stress of having yet further people around to investigate and fix whatever caused the problems in the past which has clearly not gone away, and that part of me would just as soon leave it and not worry about what happens after we move out. The other side of me, which is anxious and wants to be open and honest, is inclined to tell the landlord and let them do whatever they feel necessary to sort it out (which may not be enough to reassure me to use it again, however). Any thoughts? Edited April 25, 2017 by Hedgehog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Well, unfortunately, you need to tell the landlord. It is probably in your lease somewhere that ...you maintain the property and report issues that could cause damage to the property in a timely matter etc.... BUT, I would be very straightforward about telling the landlord that you have a busy household and other stuff going on and you need for him to let you know when people are coming to evaluate or work on the house. Have him condense the work as much as possible. :grouphug: Sorry you have had so much trouble. We are renters in a house that has some issues. I HATE having to deal with the landlord or workmen. Dh tries to fix as much as possible himself and the landlord is happy to let us to do that and deduct materials cost from rent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I spent 14 years in a fixer-upper and I am a landlord. I think you have to tell the landlord about the crack and document each and every step that you have referred to him so you don't get stuck with a big, ugly bill and possible lawsuit when the floor collapses and the landlord says you were negligent. If the shower has been leaking for this long, it's quite possible that the structural integrity of the house may be compromised. Even if the rotting inside the house is, by some remote miracle, not that extensive, you still risk a cave-in from a long-term leak. And I think your landlord is an idiot. He should be more worried about his investment and more worried about his culpability if you or one of your kids gets hurt when the floor collapses. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) I do think you need to tell the landlord, though if he knows you will be moving shortly - you could offer to live with it and then he could fix it after you've moved out. That might be a semi-win for all. So glad your DH is ok, and no one fell! I live in an area with many old homes, big properties that have been around since, well, colonial times. There are many "old money" families, and many live in these historic homes. Often there's not a lot of upkeep done, as the families are struggling to keep the relatively large properties together. I grew up with many of these families, and one version of the holiday cocktail party chatter was trading falling bathtub stories. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about so-and-so who was sitting in the claw foot tub on the second floor and finished her bath on the first floor. :) Edited April 25, 2017 by Spryte 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Spryte - that probably shouldn't be funny, but I just laughed out loud at the thought of some fine lady crashing through the floorboards in her bathtub! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Spryte - that probably shouldn't be funny, but I just laughed out loud at the thought of some fine lady crashing through the floorboards in her bathtub! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk :D It's hilarious to listen to the one upmanship that happens! So and so crashed through one floor? Well Miss Margaret's tub went clear through to the wine cellar. Or there's Miss Whoever who skidded out her door and down the front steps. The stories get bigger and better every year. It's like a rite of passage! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 We rent and I usually fix most stuff myself because trying to get these slumlords to actually pay for needed repairs would be a full-time job, but a shower that might go through the floor would be a bit much even for me. ;) I would inform the landlord how bad it's gotten (with no small amount of rage, because jeez) and send pictures. It sounds like you guys will have a place to move to if he gets annoyed and evicts you, so go get him. Of course it wouldn't be your fault, but I'd feel horrible if I didn't say anything and then someone else moved in after I moved out and they or their children got hurt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 :D It's hilarious to listen to the one upmanship that happens! So and so crashed through one floor? Well Miss Margaret's tub went clear through to the wine cellar. Or there's Miss Whoever who skidded out her door and down the front steps. The stories get bigger and better every year. It's like a rite of passage! I think you just made my day 😂😂😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Of course it wouldn't be your fault, but I'd feel horrible if I didn't say anything and then someone else moved in after I moved out and they or their children got hurt. Yeah - exactly. I might not even know about it, but the possibility of that is what makes me feel I should tell the landlord now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 We're landlords and it boggles my mind that he'd wait months to address issues and really doesn't seem to care how this affects you or his property. Water damage is serious!!! One of our tenants reported a slight leak in one of the bedroom ceilings and our maintenance guy was there within 24 hours. There was a problem with the roof which he fixed a few days later when he could work it into his schedule. I guess we could have waited a few months and let it turn into a mold and rotting wood problem. Uh, no. I'd report it and emphasize how dangerous it is, the crack, the mold, all of it. Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 I'd document, tell landlord, and when you have moved out and gotten any deposit back, tell the city or whatever the local government is about this problem and how the landlord has not addressed it fully, the landlord may be fined or at least forced to repair the shower and get approval that it is done by licensed professionals and up to code before he can rent it out again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Are you concerned at all about living with black mold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Are you concerned at all about living with black mold? Heck yes. But getting rid of it is a whole 'nother issue, and believe me we've tried. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) Notify him in writing (certified mail) that the ongoing unaddressed water leak in the bathroom has apparently caused structural damage because this morning your husband heard a crack in the shower. As you have notified him of water damage several times previously but they refused to address such issues, you are now forced to notify them in writing with proof of delivery so that you are ensured that only the landlord and not you are personally liable for any injuries due to unaddressed structural issues with the house. Also send a letter to your village or county or whatever local authority there is over slumlords. Also certified. In the meant time, get that fixer upper in livable condition ASAP. It's highly probably that every sickness you have had is related to the black mold. ETA: You could also notify the landlord's insurance agency, but that might result in immediate eviction. Edited April 25, 2017 by Katy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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