Just so You Know, Plumbing Emergencies Are a Landlord’s Responsibility!

If you live in a rented apartment or house, you’ve probably hesitated to call a plumber for maintenance or even emergency repairs for fear that you would have to pay for the service. Well, we’re here to tell you may not have to! In most cases, your landlord is the one responsible for paying any fees associated with plumbing emergencies!

This is a big secret that landlords typically don’t want their tenants to know, but we’ve found all the information you need to know on who’s really responsible for that plumbing bill!

If it Affects Your Standard of Living, The Landlord Pays

Your landlord’s job is to provide you with a habitable living space, and plumbing emergencies like clogged toilets and flooding can get in the way of that.

That’s why the responsibility of providing plumbing repairs, or even replacements if need be, falls on the landlord and not the tenant.

It is a good idea to discuss this issue with your landlord before signing your lease agreement, and an even better idea to make sure it is stated in the lease agreement who has to pay for plumbing maintenance and repairs. That way, everyone is clear, and your landlord has no choice but to comply.

Your lease agreement may stipulate that the landlord will cover any plumbing costs above a specific amount agreed upon by both the landlord and the tenant. Others may contain a “repair and deduct” clause, which states that your landlord will deduct the cost of any repairs done in your home from that month’s rent.

Your Property vs. Rental Homes

Owning property has many benefits, especially if you are trying to put down roots and start a family. Renting also has its benefits, though.

Not the least of those benefits is the fact that you are not responsible for the cost of plumbing repairs in your home.

When you own a house or building, the property is yours, and its upkeep falls solely on your shoulders, but when you rent, the responsibility lands on the building’s owner or, in some cases, the manager of the building.

What Are The Local Rules About Plumbing Emergencies?

In many cases, your landlord has a legal obligation to pay for necessary repairs due to a plumbing emergency. While the details about what specifically your landlord needs to pay for vary from state to state, and even from city to city.

Check your state laws and city ordinances for more information about where your responsibility as a tenant ends, and your landlord’s responsibility picks up.

Also, keep in mind that your lease agreement is a legally binding contract, so your landlord is required to adhere to any agreements made about repairs in that contract, or you have the right to pursue legal action. So don’t be afraid to call for repairs because you don’t want to incur the costs!

Your landlord is responsible for all plumbing services that maintain or repair your rental home’s plumbing system! Trust McLoughlin Plumbing Heating Air Conditioning with all your plumbing needs!