Blocked drains, surely not my problem

[fernfurn]

Well the handyman came and fixed a lot of the problems we had with the house we are renting, Did a lovely job of putting a shelf in and a new hanging rail I could reach (not 2700H in the air). Condition Report Manager rang up this am to say she was sending someone to clean the windows. I told her I had just done it this morning. She was upset and said the owner wanted them cleaned so I would have to leave them clean. I have had discussions with them about the maintenance issues and no-one said anything about the windows still being an ongoing issue (Evidently there is a Maintenance Person, a letting agent, a Condition Report Mgr, and she had trouble getting in touch with the owners??? everyone else had talked to them???)
Anyway........... I told them about the drain out of the washtub blocking up and running out over the path and the garden (as the handyman wouldnt fix it yesterday) and they said I should get some draino and a plunger and try to unblock it before they call in a plumber. This has obviously been blocked since before I shifted in so how is this my problem?

 

[Ausprop]

ah it's all good fun. I think they are just saying 'before we spend $150 on a plumber can you just try plunging it?". in reality it probably won't do anything so just do like any other tenant would do, leave it a week, then ring up and tell them you tried it and it didnt do anything and now it's urgent and you want a plumber there that day. the owner won't care as it is a tax deduction and after all you are paying off their mortgage for them anyway.

 

[jaycee]

If all that is required is a quick plunge, it IS a bit silly to call out a plumber, would you not agree ?

If it can be fixed without a trades person, why call one ? Now, if you feel you are being asked to do too much by plunging the drain ... Or, more likely, if you feel the plunging wil not acheive anything, tell the agent that. (or do what Ausprop said - just tell them you plunged it, this way it won;t even take up any of your time

 

[lizzie]

well - as a landlord .... i would expect a tenant to try a plunger/draino before i called out a plumber - and expect my pm to ask them to do so - but this is a problem that was in existence from before you were the tenant ....

still - i'd try the plunger option first.

 

[Pushka]

Ah, but we have been told by a plumber that if drano has been used, and it didnt fix the problem, then they would refuse to fix it until they could be sure all the drano had gone as it is so caustic. As a landlord I think it is our responsibility to call out the plumber; if it is because the tenant had stuffed something down the pipes, then I would expect them to pay, but usually the blockage is from tree roots and the like.

Our sewer regularly blocks up from tree roots and that causes the pipes inside to gurgle; we first call out the State Water authority coz usually it is also blocked from the street to our entry point and this is free; once it hits our entry point it is the householders responsibility to fix it. Usually the problem needs both State Water and our plumber to fix.

If the plunger doesnt fix it then as a tenant I would not be using drano; if I spilled it and got burnt on the instructions of the landlord then I would be seeking some redress!

 

[Ausprop]

what if you were changing a globe and fell... or washing down a window on the porch and slipped on the tiles?

but I agree.. it's all too hard, just call the landlord. that's the beauty of renting in this country... the landlords don't care and almost encourage expenses (so that they can get a part of that $9bn tax bonanza!) so lap it up

 

[jaycee]

what if you were changing a globe and fell... or washing down a window on the porch and slipped on the tiles?

This is all getting a bit silly..... Ausprop is correct, you can stretch out anythig to the ridiculous....

 

[fernfurn]

If it got blocked after I had been using it for a while, I would be more inclined to do something, however, given the state of the whole house when we came in 10 days ago, and this has always been blocked, why should i go and spend $10/$15? on draino and $10/20? on a plunger. The house should be in liveable condition when I took over and clearly was not. I think its blocked with dried out cotton, garbage off the floor from washing it, etc. and because there has been no-one in the house for a while its all dried out. I am filling it with water and letting it out occasionally and seeing if that 'wets' up the whole pipe which will eventually let the water through. Had this problem between tenants in an old rental I had. But, my thoughts exactly about telling them I've done it and its still blocked.

 

[units4me]

Come on.

A plunger only costs a few dollars at bunnings and you can keep it for next time. Give it a quick try and if it doesn't work, tell the agent.

Piddly maintenence things are in PM's minds at lease renewal/rent increase time, esp with this rental shortage.

 

[lizzie]

for future reference - coca cola works just was well as draino. or some baking soda and hot water.

 

[Dazz]

If the plunger doesnt fix it then as a tenant I would not be using drano; if I spilled it and got burnt on the instructions of the landlord then I would be seeking some redress!

This type of comment is what makes me dismayed with modern Australia.

What's wrong with standing up and being a tad mature about the issue, taking a bit of personal responsibility as a grown adult.

Using the appropriate PPE (gloves, goggles) and a cautious approach, we may be able to avoid all of the ambulance chasing lawyers.

Being a klutz, unaware, careless, clueless, childish coupled with a helpless victim attitude plays right into the litigators hands.

Sigh....

 

[jaycee]

If it got blocked after I had been using it for a while, I would be more inclined to do something, however, given the state of the whole house when we came in 10 days ago, and this has always been blocked, why should i go and spend $10/$15? on draino and $10/20? on a plunger. The house should be in liveable condition when I took over and clearly was not. I think its blocked with dried out cotton, garbage off the floor from washing it, etc. and because there has been no-one in the house for a while its all dried out. I am filling it with water and letting it out occasionally and seeing if that 'wets' up the whole pipe which will eventually let the water through. Had this problem between tenants in an old rental I had. But, my thoughts exactly about telling them I've done it and its still blocked.

Request compensation from the landlord. You shouldn't have to live in such conditions and they don't have the right to force you to perform free labour for them - we have laws in this country....

How dare they ask you to check if a plumber is actually required

 

[Pushka]

Daz, if plumbers refuse to fix a drain that has had drano poured into it, doesnt it tell you that this stuff really shouldnt be touched! And yeah, I have a spare pair of protective goggles, gloves and overalls hanging around. NOT! Why should a tenant have to do this to fix something that is simply not their fault.

When I was a tenant our landlord was self managed; and her IP was heritage listed but had significant maintenance issues. She was too slack to do the maintenance; then when something went wrong was reluctant to call out the proper people to fix it. At one stage we had sewerage, yep, actual poop, being flushed upwards onto the bathroom floor, which, because of its design, poured over into our only shower alcove. She didnt answer her mobile nor respond to my messgae, so after a few hours of poop I called an emergency plumber. The landlord was furious that she had to pay the plumber! And the problem was not my fault at all - her plumber later removed tiles and the toilet to find that a tree root was growing through the pipes, and was just below the S bend. Had I have tried using drano, this too would have come back with the poop and because it is so caustic, would have destroyed the bathroom tiles, let alone any harm for us trying to have shower.

If the drain is blocked, and drano doesnt fix it then there is only one way for the drano to go and that is back at you!

So daz, get over the victim mentality and think of a bigger picture please!

 

[jaycee]

Daz, if plumbers refuse to fix a drain that has had drano poured into it, doesnt it tell you that this stuff really shouldnt be touched! And yeah, I have a spare pair of protective goggles, gloves and overalls hanging around. NOT! Why should a tenant have to do this to fix something that is simply not their fault.

When I was a tenant our landlord was self managed; and her IP was heritage listed but had significant maintenance issues. She was too slack to do the maintenance; then when something went wrong was reluctant to call out the proper people to fix it. At one stage we had sewerage, yep, actual poop, being flushed upwards onto the bathroom floor, which, because of its design, poured over into our only shower alcove. She didnt answer her mobile nor respond to my messgae, so after a few hours of poop I called an emergency plumber. The landlord was furious that she had to pay the plumber! And the problem was not my fault at all - her plumber later removed tiles and the toilet to find that a tree root was growing through the pipes, and was just below the S bend. Had I have tried using drano, this too would have come back with the poop and because it is so caustic, would have destroyed the bathroom tiles, let alone any harm for us trying to have shower.

If the drain is blocked, and drano doesnt fix it then there is only one way for the drano to go and that is back at you!

So daz, get over the victim mentality and think of a bigger picture please!

LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dazz]

Why should a tenant have to do this to fix something that is simply not their fault.....and the problem was not my fault at all.

Your honour, your honour.....it wasn't my fault, fault fault fault.....I'm looking for fault your honour.

It's a blocked drain for CS. No victims, legislation, liability etc needed. Drama queens need not apply.

When I was a tenant our landlord was self managed; and her IP was heritage listed but had significant maintenance issues. She was too slack to do the maintenance; then when something went wrong was reluctant to call out the proper people to fix it. At one stage we had sewerage, yep, actual poop, being flushed upwards onto the bathroom floor, which, because of its design, poured over into our only shower alcove. She didnt answer her mobile nor respond to my messgae, so after a few hours of poop I called an emergency plumber. The landlord was furious that she had to pay the plumber! And the problem was not my fault at all - her plumber later removed tiles and the toilet to find that a tree root was growing through the pipes, and was just below the S bend. Had I have tried using drano, this too would have come back with the poop and because it is so caustic, would have destroyed the bathroom tiles, let alone any harm for us trying to have shower.

Let alone indeed.....you might have broken a nail dear, or worse heaven forbid....unable to sip a latte.

The exact same scenario you describe above happened to us whilst being a tenant. It's not an earth shattering event...it happens quite frequently. We chose to take a different approach and cleaned it up, fixed the problem permanently and moved on with our life and our tenancy. No drama or histrionics necessary.

Get over a victim mentality and think of a bigger picture ??

I guess we view the world from a different perspective. Maybe I'm not as worldly wise as you Pushka. I often struggle to view the big picture, it requires alot of foresight and intelligence, both of which I am lacking in.


Real clever side comment jaycee, good call.

 

[jaycee]

(?)..........

 

[Pushka]

God daz, you do know it all don't you. Can't you participate in a discussion without resorting to personal sarcastic and irrelevant comments like fingernails and lattes? You really think that sexist talk has a place here?

And yeah right, when you were a tenant you dug up the tiles in your landlords bathroom, and removed the toilet and then set it back again and retiled.

I guess we view the world from a different perspective.

Hallelujah. Guess we agree on that then.

(PS, I think you misunderstood jaycee's post) Apparently I did, go figure!

 

[jaycee]

Sorry Pushka,

my post was sarcastic. I think it is completley reasonable for someone to say "can you plse check first"..... They did not ask you to do anything that is reuired to be performed by a licensed person / anything like that... should you not want to do it, you can simply tell them tried that, didn;t work: very simple....

To complain about the cost of a plunger, seriously..... If there was a smudge of dirt on the kitchen benchtop & on 1 tile in the bathroom, would you refuse to clean it & note in on the property condition report ?

 

[Pushka]

To complain about the cost of a plunger, seriously..... If there was a smudge of dirt on the kitchen benchtop & on 1 tile in the bathroom, would you refuse to clean it & note in on the property condition report ?

Um, jaycee, I didnt complain about the cost of the plunger but said that the use of drano was the issue. In fact I supported the idea of trying the plunger idea first viz

If the plunger doesnt fix it then as a tenant I would not be using drano;

So trying to lay the argument to me that I have victim mentality is pathetic, a red herring. I do not expect everyone to fix my problems; I do however, expect other people to fix theirs, and blocked drains which do not clear with the plunger are the LANDLORDS problem!

Smudge of dirt on tiles, sheesh!

 

[jaycee]

Pushka,

All I was alluding to, was I do not think it is unreasonable to check if a tradesperson is required… I am sure that is all the pm meant when they made the suggestion (they probably thought, I personally would try something like draino first (hell as the owner, I'll even pay for the drano!), so that's what I will suggest - if that doesn't fix it, means a plumber is necessary). Perhaps C should have expressed her concern when the pm propsed this ridiculous imposition on her and gagued their repsonse, that could give us something more meaty to discuss….