Clogged pipe: is it up to the tenant or the owner to manage?

Clogged pipe: is it up to the tenant or the owner to manage?

You've found the perfect apartment to rent. However, a few months after signing your lease, you experience drainage problems in the kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. Before calling a plumber, you naturally ask yourself a question: who is responsible for paying for the clogged pipes, the tenant or the landlord?

Obstruction and clogged pipes: the responsibility of the tenant or the landlord?

If you have caused the obstruction of one of your pipes, the cost of the intervention by a specialist in unclogging will be your responsibility. Indeed, a blockage can occur if you throw wipes in the toilet, for example. Wipes can cause a breakdown in the sanitation system. In the bathroom, the accumulation of hair and debris in the shower or sink can also eventually clog the pipes. In this case, it is usually sufficient to empty the shower trap or sink siphon to solve the problem. Repeating this operation regularly is the best way to avoid a significant obstruction.

Design defect and clogged pipes: the responsibility of the tenant or the landlord? 

The obstruction of pipes is not always the fault of the tenant. In the event that the blockage occurs due to a design defect, it will be the responsibility of the property owner to take care of the plumbing work. The landlord's responsibility will be engaged if the network is cracked, if the fittings are inadequate, or if the slope has been miscalculated. These problems can be encountered in both old and new buildings.

Limescale deposits and clogged pipes: Who is responsible, the tenant or the landlord?

If a plumber examines your pipes and identifies calcium deposits, you may wonder whether it is the tenant or the landlord's responsibility to pay for the repair if the pipes become clogged. In theory, it is the tenant who is responsible. However, if this diagnosis occurs just a few weeks after signing your lease, you can turn to the landlord for help. It would be unfair to impose these costs on you so soon after moving in.

Clogged pipes in a condominium building: Who is responsible, the tenant or the landlord?

Sometimes, blockages in the pipes are due to a blockage in the common system. If a specialist's intervention did not reveal any blockages in your pipes, and the problem persists, ask the condominium syndicate to take care of it. In some older buildings, this type of situation is recurrent. Therefore, it is sometimes advisable to look for a new apartment to rent. It may be time to discover the many property listings available on SherlockHomes.

This article cannot be exhaustive and does not engage the responsibility of its author.