Plumbing Emergencies and Landlords

You have a plumbing problem, but your landlord isn’t answering the phone. Do you call a plumber, or do you wait? You might not want to call a plumber since plumbing issues can be expensive, but if it’s an emergency, you need to call a plumber as soon as you can. How can you tell?

Your Landlord Needs to Fix Plumbing Issues

Whether your sink is leaking or a toilet is backed up, your landlord does have to fix issues within a reasonable amount of time. But reasonable varies depending on the severity of the issue. Check your landlord-tenant code – it will give you a better idea of how long to wait. If your landlord doesn’t fix the plumbing issues by the time outlined in the code, you can get it fixed yourself, and bill them for the repairs.

But most plumbing issues aren’t emergencies. Examples of non-emergencies include:

• A backed-up toilet when it isn’t the only toilet in the household. Ultimately, you may find yourself liable for the repairs of a backed-up toilet anyway, as you may have flushed something (like diaper wipes) that shouldn’t have gone down there.
• Leaking sinks. While this does slowly drive up your water bill, a leak doesn’t mean an emergency. A landlord usually has a fair bit of time to fix things like leaking faucets, showers, and running toilets.
• Low water pressure. Some areas just have low water pressure. Other times, a problem with the municipal water supply can lead to low water pressure. Either way, low water pressure doesn’t usually constitute an emergency.
• No hot water. While you don’t want to be without hot water for a long time, not having hot water isn’t strictly an emergency. Your landlord will still have some time to fix it, and a lack of hot water won’t immediately cause the property – or you – damage.

For plumbing issues that aren’t emergencies, you need to notify your landlord that the problem exists, so they can schedule repairs. But for plumbing issues that are emergencies, you need to call a plumber right away.

You Should Call a Plumber If There’s an Emergency

It’s midnight and you have a plumbing emergency. Your landlord isn’t answering the phone because they’re asleep. What do you do? The answer isn’t just nothing. As a tenant, you have a duty to mitigate damage. If you don’t call a professional, the damage could become worse – and more expensive. So, if your plumbing issue is an actual emergency, call a plumber.

Once the repairs have been completed, you can forward the bill to your landlord. Tenants who don’t mitigate damages can become responsible for additional damage caused by their neglect.

You Should Understand What Is an Emergency

An emergency is anything that is causing active damage to the property or that is making the unit unfit to live in. Here are a few examples of emergencies:

• Your pipes have burst and your home is filling with water. Any time water is flowing into the house, you need to call a plumber
  immediately.
• Your faucets won’t turn on. Before you call your landlord, check to make sure your water hasn’t just been turned off. Sometimes,
  accidents can happen. They may have been trying to shut off another home for non-payment.
• Your sinks or toilets are completely blocked. You can’t use any of the plumbing in your house because the water has nowhere to go.

Do you have a plumbing emergency that needs to be fixed? Don’t worry – we can help. Contact Two Men and a Snake to schedule an appointment now.