Has any LL here, male or female, ever asked a female tenant not to flush tampons down the toilet? This maybe written in your lease somewhere but I am in an awkward position right now in that I may need to have this talk with some female tenants of mine.

Yesterday, I paid $250.00 to have a video sewer line inspection and I was there to watch the color video screen as the technician pushed the video cable through 75 feet of the house drain line. There were no tree roots or collapsed drain walls as I was expecting. All I saw were an excessive number of tampons that were creating the blockage. The plumbing technician told me "There is nothing wrong with your drain line,...you just need to have a talk with your female tenants and ask them not to flush their tampons.

If you were in my awkward position now, how would you approach your female tenants on this issue? Would you call them or visit them in person? Send a text maybe? This drain will clog again if this issue is not dealt with. My plumber charges $75.00 to snake a drain too.

Thanks Jason ! I will get started on that letter now.

Use the term "feminine hygiene products" instead. Maybe include a broader list also...for example paper towels used to pick up dog poop should also not be flushed.

Ken,

I have a separate plumbing page for my lease.

It covers stoppages, and basically if you havent eaten it don't put it in the toilet. Use only toilet tissue, no "flushable" wipes, q-tips, dental floss, condoms, paper towels, floor sweepings, napkins, feminine products, cooking grease, etc...

It also covers MINIMUM charges for stoppages due to misuse.

Roy "awkward" is having to pull the stuff out -- taking pictures and if possible showing tenant.

We have a separate page of the lease-- full - in big print along with signature page. Feminine products- male products- toys- hanging deodorant metals, chicken bones, pork chop bones, "T" bone's, sea shells, little mirrors and a biggie no rice down sink -- etc etc etc..

When plumb bill comes it goes directly to the tenant along with the maintenance visit charge for my guy. 45.00 first half hour -- 25.00 each additional hour.

I had a similar conversation with my tenants a few months ago during an inspection of the dwelling.

In MO. we call em white mice. Have a talk with her or send a letter. I always spoke to them face to face with the bill from the sewer company. They usually try to blame it on a guest. :)

Recently I had a female tenant flush wipes down the toilet and wipes will do the same as white mice. Wallet training will fix the problem.

Years ago, Vee put out a list of what (Not) to put

down a Toilet. (Well done and Comical)

This clause should be noted in every lease and mentioned

before every lease signing.

Using your own words, "this isn't Rocket Science".

How much maturity does it take to look at any Tenant,

(eyeball to eyeball) and explain why nothing goes down

plumbing drains except TP and Human Waste.

And then again when it does happen, along with a Bill.

Once I had a tenant complaining of slow discharge in one toilet.

I pulled the toilet out, carried it to the yard, flushed it this way and that way...and down went pennies - yes copper pennies.

RB,

I vaguely remember that list that Vee posted here ago. I wish he would re-post it or tell me where to find it.

Yes, this is not Rocket Science, but it is still awkward to have to tell adults (who should know better) as what they can and cannot flush down a toilet.

As a woman, this is not something that we "don't mention" any more. I mean, there are advertisements on the television for tampons. The best way to cover it is to explain that the "cleaning pulled some feminine products out. The only thing that should be flushed is actual toilet paper and human waste, even if the package says flushable. Facial tissue won't even break down like toilet paper, and it is important for it break down quickly."

Send them the plumbing bill for, "blockage caused by feminine hygiene products."

Some land lords create exhaustive lists of what you CAN'T flush. That's too complicated and could leave something out, which then they could use to argue. "We'll you never SAID I couldn't flush rolled up newspapers...."

I make it clear in my lease:

"Toilets are only designed to handle biological human bodily waste and toilet paper. TENANT agrees not to flush ANYTHING ELSE down the toilet. All blockages not due to line collapse will be paid by TENANT."

ANYTHING ELSE includes....anything else. I thought about getting really specific and saying "Only flush human feces, urine, and/or toilet paper"....but my current verbiage has avoided any blockages for almost 5 years. So far, so good.

Not only am I a landlord of over 100 rental apartment units, but I'm also a licensed plumbing contractor. I have told clients, tenants and just about everyone about the proper things that can and can NOT be put down a toilet.

I have even printed up laminated signs and placed them on the wall above the toilets -- in English, Spanish and other languages.

A tampon, paper towel or Kleenex in a sewer line is one thing, but in a septic system -- it can be murder to the system.

In my homes with septic systems I have installed an in-line waste filter to catch solids. I do not show my tenants where the filter is located, it's under ground and I have to dig down a foot to reach it. SO instead of having to spend $5,000 on a septic system repair, I can retrieve the flushed down item and document the tenants abuse of the system.

Not awkward at all. This is normal body function and these are the regular tools used to deal with the normal body function. No reason to be awkward about telling her to NOT put it down the toilet and also (this is important) CHARGE HER FOR THE PLUMBING BILL.

ROY at least the charges for the sewer scope and snakeout were reasonable. And at least now you know for certain that the drain line is intact and in good shape!

I do this ALL THE TIME.

It's in my lease and I bring it up. I simply tell them they cannot flush items that are even deemed "flushable". This includes things like any feminine products, kitty litter or wipes of any kind.

My plumber calls it a case of having white mice. He recently had to snake a clog and we counted 8 of those buggers dangling by their strings looking just like little white mice!

I reminded my tenant to remind her daughter not to flush any feminine products as there seemed to be some wipes or pads as well as the mice. She sent me payment for the plumbering bill the next day.

I never have these issues with houses occupied solely by men. It's always with women and teen aged daughters or little kids using wipes.

I have qualms about mentioning it and remind the guys to pass the word on to their visiting lady friends as well.

This is in my lease:

Yes Elliot,...this is my 1st multi-family,..which does complicate things here. What I have here is a 3/1 house with 2/1 detached garage apartment in the rear. All utilities (even water) are metered separate. However, the garage apartment sewer line does connect into the main house sewer line. I do know for a fact this tampon blockage originated from the main house tenants.

Roy. The notice goes to all who live on the property

We had the same thing to happen. Tenants were furious at us for the toilet overflowing all over house when the septic cleaning guy back flushed it for some reason? Not even sure how that happened, except I think he told them to keep running water into it to see when he had it clear, IDK. We were away when he was there.

When the report came back that old rough pipes AND tampons were the cause, my husband showed it to the husband but we paid the bill. They were the ones that had to clean the house though, so it was a pretty good lesson (or not) because shortly after they moved into a place they purchased, they had to replace the drainfield, but it was an older home and had maple trees in the yard. They cut down all of the pretty maples so I guess that was why.

I once had the plumber lay out all the sewer white mice in a row next to the clean out, like little trophies. He took pictures and LEFT THEM THERE.

I emailed the pictures to the tenants.

Gevans,

My plumber will installing a 'clean-out' at this property soon. The next time there is a clogged drain here, I will open the clean-out screw-in top and let the mice out. I will do as you did,..take pictures and send them to them.