Renter Vs. Landlord: Who Pays The Plumbing Bill?
Whether you are a tenant who has just rented out a property, or you are a landlord renting out your House, you might find yourself unsure about who is responsible for plumbing repairs that might occur. It is not uncommon to find damaged plumbing in your home or apartment. When that happens, it’s important to know who is going to be picking up the bill.
Before you rent out your home make sure you consult a real estate agency, a lawyer, or a maintenance company regarding plumbing services and repairs, make sure it’s clearly stated in the contract who is responsible for fixing the plumbing. Typically, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to fix any plumbing issues that may occur. The best thing you can do as both a landlord and a tenant is to discuss and agree on this before moving in. That way if anything comes up both parties will know who is responsible for what.
If you are renting your home out to tenants as a landlord it’s important that you look into all the plumbing work before having people move in. If you are unsure if something is safe then it’s important to get a plumber in to check everything before renting the home out. If you are a tenant moving into a property you should also look for any obvious problems before you sign any type of contract. Look for signs of damp walls or piping problems, which may lead to long-term issues.
One of the biggest problems that tenants are faced with is blocked or flooded toilets. This ultimately comes down to the tenant’s responsibility. Since it normally occurs when they place something down the toilet which was not supposed to go there. There may also be damage done to the toilet flush mechanism which will also come down to the tenant’s responsibility. If the toilet for any reason needs to be replaced entirely, this can be costly to repair, and depending on the age of the bathroom the landlord may agree to split the cost for a new toilet.
Another common problem that can lead to expensive water bills is a leaking toilet. Normally this is easy to spot but sometimes not reported until too late and can end up costing both the tenant and landlord a hefty water bill. It’s important to look at the reasons as to how the leak began to determine who is going to pay for it. The landlord should cover the cost of a broken and leaking toilet however it’s the tenant’s responsibility to report it as soon as possible to avoid paying a large water bill.
The responsibility of plumbing costs really comes down to who started the problem and what is stated in your rental contract. So make sure to check who is responsible for repairs before moving into, or renting out, a rental property.