questions & answers

Question: I live in a place that was built in the 60s and the plumbing is still the old school piping (not plastic) but our toilet is brand new. My sister put a baby wipe down the toilet and it plugged up the piping. The plumber came out and said normally a wipe is fine to flush but because the piping is ancient you can't. So it cost $200 to fix the problem and our landlord handed us the bill. Is this right? Shouldn't they be paying for this?

Answer:

Please see our article on the Landlord Tenant Relationship. That article states:

Repairs Costing Less Than ½ Month’s Rent or $300

If a rental unit is in need of minor repair(s), and the damage(s) were not caused by the tenant, tenant’s family or guests, the landlord will probably be responsible for making the repair(s). The law requires you first give your landlord written notice of the problem, stating the landlord has 10 days to make the repair(s). If the landlord fails to make the repair(s) after 10 days and the cost of the repair(s) will be less than the greater of ½ month’s rent or $300, you must hire a licensed contractor and get a lien release and either forward the bill to your landlord or pay for the repair yourself and deduct it from your next rental payment. A copy of the bill and the lien release must be included with your rent.