Real_Politik
20-10-2009, 15:39 PM
One of my tenants complained to my agent of a broken soil pipe - on inspection by the emergency plumber, this turned out to be a waste blockage (so no evidence of anything that shouldn't be there) in a shared sewer pipe at the end property in the row.
The AST agreement has the usual clause requiring tenant to unblock drains etc. if blocked as a result of their own actions/inactions. I'm aware of the repairing obligations under s11 of the LTA 1985 but don't have any practical experience of how they're implemented in situations like this. There's no damage to, or defect in, the drains.
The plumber's bill has been deducted from my rent and my agent's view is that it's up to me to try to reclaim my losses from the other property owners in the absence of DNA evidence that it was my tenant's monster stools causing the problem.
This is annoying (and complicated by the fact that I've found out the drain which blocked is a Section 24 sewer and is therefore the local water company's responsibility - they won't pay, however, as they weren't contacted in the first instance).
Would anyone have expected an agent to bill the tenant, or have experience of anything similar?
The AST agreement has the usual clause requiring tenant to unblock drains etc. if blocked as a result of their own actions/inactions. I'm aware of the repairing obligations under s11 of the LTA 1985 but don't have any practical experience of how they're implemented in situations like this. There's no damage to, or defect in, the drains.
The plumber's bill has been deducted from my rent and my agent's view is that it's up to me to try to reclaim my losses from the other property owners in the absence of DNA evidence that it was my tenant's monster stools causing the problem.
This is annoying (and complicated by the fact that I've found out the drain which blocked is a Section 24 sewer and is therefore the local water company's responsibility - they won't pay, however, as they weren't contacted in the first instance).
Would anyone have expected an agent to bill the tenant, or have experience of anything similar?