Blocked drains

Hi all,

Recieved an email from the PM this afternoon, stating that the tenants had a plumber come over afterhours to unclog a blockage in the shower drain.

Got a nice $500 bill for them to plunge it and use a snake down the drain.

Just curious if it were the tenants fault (due to say hair), would they be liable for this expense? To be honest I'm probably not going to put the payment onto them regardless given I should just be happy to have a paying tenant in a time like this, but would be nice to know for future reference.

I imagine the plumber wouldn't be able to tell me exactly what the blockage was without using a camera, so I'm guessing I would be liable regardless.

Anyone had experience with this in the past?

 

Considering purchasing a home emergency service with RACQ.
$199 to cover basic plumbing and electrical emergency repairs and you get 4 call outs per year, 24/7.

Has anyone used services such as this for their properties?
At first glance, this looks much more appealing than dealing with independant plumbers/electricians after hours call out rates.

 

The blockage (if it was hair) has probably built up over many years, and unfair to blame the tenant unfortunate enough to be there when the problem manifested.
It’s basic maintenance, and tax deductible.

 

Wondering what state the tenant is in.

NRMA offered that service but after just a couple of years, withdrew the product.
I had to use them at Boxing Day one year for a power outage.

 

RACV in Vic offers this service for about $200 per year and 8 callouts.

Haven’t used them myself - but given that I recently paid $300 for a plumber to clean a short section of gutter and run a line of silicone around a down pipe recently - I wonder if I should consider them too...

 

The property I'm refering to is in Brisbane.
Though I'm based in Melbourne and have heard good things about RACV Emergency Home Assist.
I'm thinking I'll chat to my PM tomorrow and find out their experience with RACQ and/or other similar providers.

 

This is likely a issue that needs no plumber and certaintly no eel.

Bunnings sell a 2 litre bottle of drain unblocker. in the plumbing aisle. It dissolves hair in pipes and usually can take 2 attempts so 1 bottle should do although other drains should be done at same time. Tenant can do it themself. At their own cost. Pour in. Wait 1-2 hrs. Flush with hot water. Unless someone is putting things in pipes that arent meant to, hair is the chief culprit in most cases.

Tell the tenant its up to them to fix and if a plumber is needed and its blocked due to hair they will pay the fee. If its something else they will also likely pay.

I have a wife and 2 of 3 kids who are girls with long hair. This stuff works so well !! No more gloves and gross odours. I do it twice a year. Runs perfectly afterwards

 

Yes I'd normally offer to drop off or buy draino for tenants in this situation before stumping up for the plumber bill.

Legally this sort of thing is under repair/maintenance obligations of the landlord unless you can show that the tenant was negligent somehow.

 

I don't see how it is reasonable that the landlord pay for the after hours premium here. Perhaps it reasonable to pay for the business hours repair should it have been necessary although this seems unlikely. I would have asked them to use drain cleaner.

The tenant does not have the decision right for these expenses - extract from the VIC act...

--
Urgent repairs

(1) A tenant may arrange for urgent repairs to be carried out to the rented premises if—

(a) the tenant has taken reasonable steps to arrange for the landlord or the landlord's agent to immediately carry out the repairs; and

(b) the tenant is unable to get the landlord or agent to carry out the repairs.

(2) If the tenant carries out repairs under subsection (1)—

(a) the tenant must give the landlord 14 days written notice of the repairs carried out and the cost; and

S. 72(2)(b) amended by No. 67/2010 s. 167(1).

(b) the landlord is liable to reimburse the tenant for the reasonable cost of the repairs or $1000, or if a greater amount is prescribed for the purposes of this section, that prescribed amount, (which includes any amount in respect of any GST payable on the supply to which the urgent repairs relate), whichever is less.

 

You wouldn't need to put a snake down the drain if it was only hair from my experience. $500 sounds a bit excessive , I would have asked what was actually done.