Renter's Rights Question

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cunning linguist, master debator
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Guys,

If anyone is knowledgeable on the subject I need some advice. Im a renter and my sewer is out (crushed pipe in the backyard) and toilets wont flush. Landlord came out and plumber cant come back out til Monday to fix...however I have 3 kids and we all have to use restroom....also, Monday we are expecting a blizzard, who knows when this gets fixed....what recourse do I have? Honestly the owners have been great the three years weve lived here...also we have paid rent on time every month so thats not an issue...we dont have relatives to stay with or anything...any ideas on what to do?? thanks a bunch!

Ed
 
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Insurance should cover it, If you have it ??

Or The Landlord should.

You Can't Live like that... so maybe you can ask if they will cover a few days in a Hotel ?
 

cunning linguist, master debator
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thx Betall...thats what I was thinking...hoping hed offer but he said theres nothing he can do.....I didnt wanna get ugly but how can one be expected not to use a toilet with 3 kids??? the 8 and 9 yr old boys are like Sir Craps Alot!!! lol
 

cunning linguist, master debator
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i do have renters insurance but the pipe damage due to ground shifting due to drought this summer...
 

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If all else fails id pay for the hotel myself and take it off the next rent check. Give him the receipt, doubt he can do anything about it
 
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If all else fails id pay for the hotel myself and take it off the next rent check. Give him the receipt, doubt he can do anything about it


I would call him and tell him, listen... I can't use the bathrooms, Have 3 Kids...
Would like to check into a Hotel, would your Insurance cover it ? or are you willing to Pay ?

Here in NY, if the Landlord doesn't fix something like this or Heat, etc..... They call 311 and report it.

If he says No to any of the Above. I Would go anyway, and send him the Bill. If he would pay, I'm sure whatever Housing Dept. in your State or Town would know how to Follow up on getting it paid back.

I'm sure they have a web Site for Housing Laws in your State.
 
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Here's another thing, if there's water in the toilets. Pour a Big Pot of water down and the toilet should Flush.

Unless of course you have NO water at all ??
 

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Here's another thing, if there's water in the toilets. Pour a Big Pot of water down and the toilet should Flush.

Unless of course you have NO water at all ??

The main sewer line is broken...that means he cannot flush anything or use any water at all unless he wants to run the risk of having something back up into the house. OP...I almost deal exclusively in the rental market now...you can tell the owner he has two options :

1) You leave and go get a hotel till Tuesday and he pays everything

2) You find another plumber who will come out tomorrow and do the repairs. It is bullshit that the guy wouldn't fix it today or tomorrow. What you have is an emergency...and apparently a lazy ass who will not fix it. I promise if you call around you will find someone chomping at the bit to get some work - just forward the bill to the owner.
 

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Stand your ground. Your landlord needs you more than you need him. A 3 day stay at a hotel or a decent motel isn't that expensive in the long run. Your best bet is too deduct the costs out of the rent and provide him a copy of the lodging bill.

Any decent long time property owner who is leasing out the property will realize the cost of losing a good tenant is costly. They would have to clean and paint and depending how long you have been there replace the carpet to prep the place for a new tenant. Not to mention not being assured of finding a new tenant right away. I have seen decent houses sit vacant for 6 months looking for renters.

No renter should be asked to go without running water and plumbing for no longer than a half a day. If you were paying a weekly rate at a motel and the toilet was out they would move you to a new room immediately. Don't let your landlord treat you like he owns you. You are his customer.
 

cunning linguist, master debator
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Thx guys. I'm kinda upset he didn't offer. We pay 1085/month which is good money here. Think we deserve working toilets. I'd pay to get it fixed but says in lease have to use who they designate. Also doesn't mention what'd happen if they don't live up to their end of contract. I also think this will cost them over a grand to fix at least. Thx for the input. Most of the people on this site are great!
 

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hos is right, he needs you more then you need him. explain the situation, paying your rent on time will help your case. trust me he doesnt want to lose a tenant that pays good money, and pays it on time. i wouldnt go staying at the ritz, but a decent hotel is pretty reasonable in this situation.

dont be mad that he didnt offer, its just buisness. putting a family in a hotel will cost a couple hundred bucks, thats money that hell never get back. especially since you seem like a nice guy im sure in the back of his mind he thinks you might just bite the bullet on this one. so hes not really being an asshole, hes just trying to make a good business decision. but if he is that good of a business man he would understand losing you as a tenant will cost more money in the long run
 

I'll be in the Bar..With my head on the Bar
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What you need to do is find out the law in your area. Varies widely ...... Personally id get the hotel, pay for it myself and find out Monday what relief you have under the law in ur area.. DO NOT withold your rent until u find out whats legal....this could compromise all your rights in some cases
 

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Go to his house at 2 AM in the morning and bang on the front door and tell him you need a place to poop.
 

Rx Local Motion
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1. If the line is open or cracked in the backyard...
Just use the toilet & water like normal.
All the sewer will be in the back yard...
Just makes it harder for the plumber to repair :grandmais
2. If it was a good plumber?
He should've @ least cleared the sewer line, before he left.
 

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This thread is a total hoot. All these conservative corporate big business posters lining up behind the consumer little man as being incapacitated with children crap (good touch- as if children crap stinks more than any other) bubbling around his renter ears. Dear renter, you have a warm safe house. Get yourself some buckets and some imagination and deal and then trot off to your ambulance chasing lawyers office on Monday morning (your case is a pile of crap).
 

cunning linguist, master debator
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hipockets if u didnt have a place to crap for 4 days youd be a bit bothered I believe....but I believe the reason youre such a prick is because youve had something shoved up your ass for too long...I now know how you feel 24/7
 

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Relax lovey. If the worst problem you have faced in your life is finding a place to deposit your excrement then I guarantee that your future self will be introduced far more serious issues.
 

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This thread is a total hoot. All these conservative corporate big business posters lining up behind the consumer little man as being incapacitated with children crap (good touch- as if children crap stinks more than any other) bubbling around his renter ears. Dear renter, you have a warm safe house. Get yourself some buckets and some imagination and deal and then trot off to your ambulance chasing lawyers office on Monday morning (your case is a pile of crap).

makes NO sense at all........anyone in their right mind, paying over 1k a month, has full expectation of working toilet, barring an act of god...this is not a case of it being physically impossible to fix, its just "inconvenient" for HIS PLUMBER to fix it this weekend...he has every right to be upset and to expect to be provided another plumber or an inhabitable place to stay for the weekend...
 

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Relax lovey. If the worst problem you have faced in your life is finding a place to deposit your excrement then I guarantee that your future self will be introduced far more serious issues.

who said its the "worst problem" he's faced? it's still a problem in any case......
 

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