My lease is ending at the end of this month (April 2009). About a week and a half ago, my landlord called and asked if I wanted to renew my lease and I said yes. I had not received it yet. A few days later I told her about a clog that we had in the bathroom.
She called a plumber. When I came home from work the day that the plumber came, the basement was a complete mess. There were buckets of poop and baby wipes down there, puddles of poopy water, and there was poop on the wall and our freezer. And the clog problem was not fixed. I called the landlord to ask if the plumber was going to come back and she said he was not going to come back until the next day. She said that he left the buckets down there so that we could see what was clogging the toilet. She didn't even care that it was totally unsanitary or that it made the house smell like a barn.
She started freaking out about the baby wipes and how we should not flush tampons and condoms down the toilet. I told her we did not flush any plastic stuff down the toilet and that we didn't know that the wipes would be a problem. She started strongly implying that she wanted us to pay for the plumbing services because of how "expensive" it was going to be. I don't know how expensive it is, but she said it was going to be really expensive and "what do you have to say to that?" She kept repeating herself so I handed the phone to by boyfriend so that I didn't end up telling her off or say anything stupid.
She started lecturing by boyfriend too. She then made the comment that "maybe you should find another place to live." We never have had any other problems with these landlords. We have never caused any damage or any other issues. We have always paid on time and even sent holiday cards. We have been really nice to these people and have been patient with them even when they didn't fullfill some of their duties.
Can she really tell us that we have to move when we only have 3 weeks left on our lease? We are not prepared to move and really do not have enough time to find a place, get the money together, and make all the arrangements and take all the time to move in this amount of time. Do you think that she was just over reacting to the situation? Do we have any rights to stay there any additional time if she wants us to move because 3 weeks is not enough time to give notice that you have to move, especially since 10 days ago, she was asking about the renewal of the lease.
What should I say or do so that I do not have to go thru the aggrivation of moving right now?|||If the professional plumber states that the baby wipes caused the clog...you will be responsible for the repairs.
As far as a notice to vacate. Most states require the landlord to give a 30 day notice.
If you really don't want to move, call the landlord and make arrangements to pay for the repair/damages.|||The repairs are going to be 3-5k, depending on the size of the house and if you flushed these down multiple toilets. It could be worse then that. Nothing other then TP and bodily waste should be flashed down a toilet, not only because the pipes are not designed to handle insoluble items, but neither is the water treatment center where the water from the sewer ends up.
She has to give you 30 days, you can leave the week after your lease expires.|||Well not sure where you live but I am thinking that no matter where 3 weeks cannot be enough time...usually it is within 30 - 60 days and I would assume she would have to provide you with a letter or document of some sort stating that the lease will not be renewed.|||Please tell me that you are kidding ...
It does not matter whether you thought that flushing baby wipes would be a problem - it is a problem.
You caused the clog. The landlord has proof and a witness that you caused the clog. She let the plumber leave the buckets so that you could see, first hand, the damage you caused and the mess that you made. Nobody (even plumbers) wants to have to deal with other peoples' human waste ... it's gross.
A plumbing clog is damage and you are responsible to pay for the cost to repair any damage caused by you.
The majority of wipes are NOT flush able and it states so on the back of the box - some even have pictures showing that wipes should not be placed in a toilet. Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms and a multitude of other items are not safe to flush down the toilet.
Toilets are for human waste and toilet paper only!
Being nice, sending holiday cards, paying rent in time have nothing to do with this. The landlord did not overreact because you are obviously under the belief that you should not have to pay for the plumbing services.
You owe for the repair. Pay up because the landlord can sue you and win a judgment against you for the cost of the plumbing services.
The fact that your lease is up and the landlord does not have to renew leaves you with no choice in the matter. Once given the proper notice, you are going to have to vacate.
http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Penn/h鈥?/a>
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