Clogged Sink & Deposit - Landlord Forum thread 324945

Clogged Sink & Deposit by Bill (Vermont) on September 25, 2014 @20:00

After problem tenant moved out as we were cleaning her messes we noticed the kitchen sink was really slow, upon taking the sink apart we found 6 straws vertically (all in a circle so water went through very slow) in the pipe. The only way these straws could make it down one of the 4 little holes would be if someone deliberately put them there. Should I charge for having to unclog the sink from the deposit? Thank you in advance.

[ Reply ] [ Return to forum ]

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Bill on September 25, 2014 @20:03	[ Reply ]

Yes, charge for it. It is more than damage. It is vandalism.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Anonymous on September 25, 2014 @20:24	[ Reply ]

Depends on how much time you have to spend in court defending yourself over such a minor deduction that could be from a previous tenant.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Katiekate (New York) on September 26, 2014 @09:14	[ Reply ]

My lease states that tenant agrees (place for signature on this paragraph) that all drains are flowing freely upon move in, and that tenant will maintain all drains open and flowing freely at the tenants expense, and return the unit with all drains open and flowing freely. Should a problem arise during the tenancy..I remind them of this paragraph which they signed. Should any drain have an issue after tenant has moved out..I get the plumber out to figure it out and fix it. The cost is then deducted from the SD. The only exception I make for this is when I have wealthy parents who pay the bills as I present them,,,I will send my guys out to fix this stuff as it happens and send the bill to Mom and Dad.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Dave ((Michigan)) on September 26, 2014 @10:23	[ Reply ]

I wouldn't charge them. I don't know if they had kids but my 3 year old would do something like this. It will be hard to argue this wasn't done on accident and it took you all of 5 minutes to correct the problem? I think a judge would say 5 minutes cleaning a drain in between tenants is not excessive.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Wilton (IL) on September 26, 2014 @10:42	[ Reply ]

My lease says tenants are responsible for plumbing blockages or obstructions. Depending on how the rest of the place was left, I might charge. If everything else was fine and that was the only item to charge them with, I wouldn't.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by Anonymous on September 27, 2014 @01:05	[ Reply ]

I would charge for this, as well as the other messes she has left you. It is then up to her to challenge you in court. I keep my charges reasonable, so calculate how long it took you to take the drain apart, and retrieve the straws. I guarantee it will be more than 5 minutes.

Re: Clogged Sink & Deposit by MrDan (Georgia) on September 28, 2014 @12:58	[ Reply ]

It would be better to include the cost of clearing the drain in the overall cost of cleaning the unit. Listing the charge seperately might seem the right thing to do, but avoiding a tenant that might nitpit each deduction could save you some peace of mind. Just include the cost into the overall cost of cleaning her messes.