Can my landord charge me for plumbing repairs?
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at
10:55 pm
jlopez0224 asked:
Recently, the super has had to come to the apartment complex four times to snake out the main pipe in the basement. I now get a letter indicating that I will receive a separate invoice for the plumber as added rent. There are 3 other tenants in the building. I have been at the apartment for 4 years and never had this problem before. My question is: Is it legal for a landlord to charge for plumbing, when there is no proof that I was the cause, also there are NO indications of the additional charge on the lease.
Jessie
Recently, the super has had to come to the apartment complex four times to snake out the main pipe in the basement. I now get a letter indicating that I will receive a separate invoice for the plumber as added rent. There are 3 other tenants in the building. I have been at the apartment for 4 years and never had this problem before. My question is: Is it legal for a landlord to charge for plumbing, when there is no proof that I was the cause, also there are NO indications of the additional charge on the lease.
Jessie
Tagged with: Apartment • Invoice • Landlord
Filed under: Do it Yourself Repair
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I know they can charge you if there are, for example, a plugged toilet or sink in your apartment, but when you are talking about the main line and there are 4 people in the building, I don’t see how they can charge just you. I would contact an attorney and see what the laws are in your city.
I don’t know if it’s legal or not but that’s B.S.
its gonna be hard for him to make you pay for it,unless he can prove you caused the back up ,but to be on the safe side call the BBB,people are trying crazy stuff since the economy has gone south
I’m pretty sure that this is maintenance and repair, which your landlord should be paying for out of your rent. Unless it’s in your lease that you are responsible for this, I’d tell him to take a hike. If he insists that you’re to pay, go to the building department or city hall to find out who to report him to.
The answers here are great. With what you’ve stated, I don’t see how he has any right to charge you. You might send him a certified letter stating the facts that you have listed above. You have never had any problems and this problem wasn’t in your apartment.
You should have a renter’s rights group in your state. Also, usually the state has a website that has your rights listed.
Here’s a website for Oregon. Community Alliance of Tenants
My landlord tried to charge all the tenants in our building to clean up garbage left by one tenant. That didn’t fly. They always try though. Sorry you have to deal with it.
If they have free legal consultations in your area I would get one. Call your local law society.
I don’t see how they can charge you anything unless it’s clear that only you, of all the tenants and their possible visitors, keep doing something to clog the plumbing, and I don’t know how they can do that in the main discharge of a multi-unit building. I’d want to know what proof they had, too. Have you checked with any other tenants to see if they got the same letter?