I got a call this morning from a tenant who has a clogged toilet and she admitted she created the problem by trying to flush too much too much TP. I told her she could call my plumber but she would have to pay him directly which would be around $75.00 for a service call. She told me she did not have the money to pay for this.

Let me tell you what she is saying without saying, "I caused it but since I spent all my money on my nails and as long as I can get away with being helpless I will be expecting you the rich landlord to take care of this."

I would encourage her to spend an hour using the plunger I left since she doesn't have money for a plumber. Fill the bowl up halfway with water to help put pressure on the clog, press the plunger down slowly as hard as possible maintaining contact with the toilet all the way around and then yank it up hard as possible, repeat this process until it comes loose.

I pay to make sure my house is taken care of. I don't want to rot out my floorboards because they can't afford to take responsibility for their actions.

She pays. $75 is cheap for a plumber to come unclog a toilet. I thought my plumber was cheap as he charges me $150 while the going rate around me is $250-$350.

I’d give the option to pay plumber directly or pay you over four months with an extra $25 per month to cover the cost and fees. So pay $75 now, or $100 over four months.

MikeA,

As I said, I would tell her I will pay the plumber if she can't but there will be a $50 service fee on top of the plumbers bill and she will be expected to pay it with next months rent.

I suggest that you do not leave her with a clogged toilet.

Myself, I would go over there with a good plunger and teach her how to use it. Also teach her to flush halfway through if she needed to load the toilet up for some unfathomable reason.

Leave the plunger there on a saucer behind the toilet and tell her that if she calls again with a clogged toilet, it is going to cost her $75 to have someone come and work the plunger for her. If she expects someone else to work a plunger for her a second time after that, that she will be evicted and sent to rent elsewhere where the landlord doesn't mind plunging toilets for his tenants.

This is the beauty of month-to-month leases.

1. I pay the plumber.

2. When tenant pays the rent, I tell them due to your negligence I'm raising rent next month what ever the plumber charged.

3. When that is paid, it may take two months, then the rent is reduced to the original amount.

She pays, but I can understand she may not have the funds immediately…although that’s a clue for the future that if anything goes wrong in her life she will miss a rent payment. I’d make it due with next month’s rent and add a modest service fee of maybe $20…this will force her to think about whether she can come up with it now some other way. I’d document the issue in writing and inform her (hopefully your lease says this already…point to the lease clause) that all funds received are first applied to fees, damages etc and if she therefore does not pay it she would be considered late on her rent.

Sounds like a good gig,

The real problem here is not really of who pays, but of a faulty management structure that did not plan for this situation.

When choosing tenants, the LL must evaluate if the applicant can meet the financial obligations of living in the unit. There are more obligations than just rent. There may be repairs at tenants' expense, legal fees, utilities, illnesses, deaths, loss of jobs, other obligations, ... . Choice of tenants who can barely afford such a dwelling carries a risk that tenants who can pay rent but lack extra-expense-capability which results in problems like this.

1 months security deposit covers a months rent, but nothing else. Calculation of 3 times monthly rent as minimum income requirement doesn't allow for a better analysis of applicant's ability to pay. For those landlords who rent to minimum income applicants, these problems will always be present.

Jason,the problem becomes in low income neighborhoods they might simply do nothing,i have seen people fill the toilet then start using the tub and blame the landlord.

The "COST" of plunging or snaking a toilet is minimal, compared to the "Disaster" a back up can cause when not dealt with immediately in a multi-unit or two story property.

Example: a downstairs unit notices before heading out to work the toilet is going down very slowly. So the tenant rushes off to work because each time they contact the property manager or owner, they get the third degree treatment and little help! They plan on calling but forget and the main line in part of the building is clogged so WATER from an upstairs unit gets trapped before the toilet blockage in the crawl space (or slab), causing the water to flow out of a downstairs drain (Shower, Sink or Toilet). This goes on for hours and will do extensive damage -- costing up to $10,000 to remediate.

Instead: I look at my records and say to my tenant, "This is your first time with a toilet blockage, and you admitted it was your fault! Because you were honest, I'm NOT GOING TO CHARGE YOU THIS TIME, but give me permission to have my plumber enter today to deal with the blockage".

This way I put my tenant on notice that I forgave my "Charge" and I got permission to enter so I can send my manager, handyman or snaking company over to deal with it. 90% of the time I'll just do it myself since I'm a licensed plumbing contractor.

Part of the business. Things happen.

We dont make a big deal about the small things. And especially anything with water. We want the tents to call.

Just send someone over. And charge them if they caused the problem. And just allow them to pay you within 30 days.

Not something I am going to add a fee to or make a profit from. We call and pay the plumber.

We have absorbed the cost of our regular handyman that we trust & knows our properties. Usually it is a one time thing and we let it go. $&# happens, but it has usually been a child or grandchild that caused it.

Just pay for the plumber and take it out of their cleaning deposit when they move.

I've had multiple rentals for almost 40 years - never had to evict anyone and never even been to court for my rentals.

At least she had the honesty to say it was her fault....that's better than 90% of the tenants out there.

What does your rental agreement say about it?

Me:

Honestly - if it's the first time - I would go show her how to use the plunger & charge my $50 "frivolous" fee. (If she were polite and cooperative, I "might" waive the fee once.)

If that didn't do it, I would send the plumber and charge his fee - way more than $75!

Whatever fee is due for the service will be due on or before the next rent due date.

(But, truly, if it's the last 10 days or so, it is too late to make the change with Clearnow, so it would float to the next month.)

All money received is applied to any outstanding balance due, THEN to the current rent. If rent is unpaid (or partially paid), a notice of unpaid rent is sent, followed by a late fee and if it remains unpaid, a notice of non-renewal (month-to-month).

BTW:

If you take expenses like these "out of the security deposit when they leave", as some here repeatedly suggest, there will be no money left for damages after they leave.

I agree with Moshe. This isn't a plumbing problem: this is a tenant selection problem.

Hire the plumber, and when she doesn't pay you evict. Your lease should address this. There is no reason not to follow through.

Some folks live too close to the edge. You don't want them in your place when they fall over. She's going to be gone in 1-2 months anyway. No reason to delay the inevitable.

Sid,

I am sure you are aware that a large percentage of Americans (all classes too) do not have the financial resources to handle a $400.00 emergency. Of this same group, many of them can't even handle a $100.00 emergency. This is what I am dealing with here. This tenant has been with me for 4 years, she is on bi-monthly rent and she has a gambling habit (lottery) but that is beside the point.

Just my inexperienced thoughts.

If you punish her, next time she may not be so honest.

Lots of good points made here. I agree, it’s important not to rent to people who live paycheck to paycheck and/or who can’t manage their finances to cover a small charge like this.

But then again different markets cater to different kinds of people. When I tell my tenants my plumber will charge them $150 they almost always tell me, great, you just saved me $150 (because they’ve typically called a plumber themselves already and found out that’s what the going rate is).

Perhaps in my earlier years I would have covered the first event, or offered to split the cost, but not any more. They all pay below market rent, are still money makers but what has changed is me. I don’t need more money. I need peace and tranquility. And I’m not going to go over and plunge someone’s toilet out of the kindness of my heart. So while I’d fix the problem, they will pay, one way or the other.

I get toilet unclogged for her first. Always deal with water emergencies. Then fall back on Lease. I do all drains for first occurrence and first 30 days. Afterwards, tenant is responsible. I pay plumber and bill tenant. I would reward this tenant for honesty and cover. Unless, this is repeat behavior. Teach to plunge, tell her what not to flush AGAIN, and let her know she now OWNS responsibility for the drain.

Along with plunging I have found that if there are two toilets on the sewer line, flushing the second toilet may help move the clog. In chemistry lab, to create suction we run a lot of water out of a faucet with a side port. Hooking a hose to the port gives you a reliable suction tube. So flushing a toilet on same line helps with a bit of suction.

As I scroll thru the post Roy has done exactly what I would do. - Fix the problem and get on with life.

If she has been a good tenant for 4 years - count your self lucky - And she did call you and not some jack leg who would make the situation worse.- for me it is all part of doing business. she is a check to check - so this sort of stuff is going to happen.

Roy,

I NEED good contractors.

($75 plumber service call?? Keep that guy HAPPY!)

I will pay his bill and add it to her rent over 30 days.

Back to real life, I tell the res to look up the problem on YouTube and buy a toilet snake at WalMart. Easy repairs and much cheaper than a plumber.

Brad20K,

Bleach is cheap and does a great job eating TP.

Are the sewer lines cast iron?

Several thoughts on this situation. Great way to do spot check on property while meeting plumber there.