Whos responsible for slow draining bathroom sink and black grout? Landlord or Tenant?

[Bounce]

Hi

I was wondering if anybody could help me and tell me who could be responsible Landlord or Tenant?

One of my properties, the tenant has been in there about 2 years and normally has always called me direct for any little problem.

I then went through months where they were in arrears etc etc, and now we seem to have resolved that and back on track.

They haven't been maintaining the garden and its in a state, which I have been on at them to now sort.

But recently they have now been contacting me for any little problem.

1. Some of the grout has gone back in shower (Photo attached).
2. Drain in bathroom sink seems to be draining slowly.

I have said that I will send my plumber, but this time have said, if the reason it was draining slow was down to hair etc then they would be responsible to pay the plumber, if its a fault with the sink, drainage I will cover the cost.

In regards to the grout going black, surely this should be a given that they sort, as there is a window etc in the bathroom for them to open....

I have a number of rental properties, mainly all managed by agents, apart from this property, and this is the one that I seem to get contacted all the time about silly little issues sometimes, and sometimes they message late at night like 1.30am the other eve!!!

Am i right in saying this, or is it all landlords responsibility?

[Wannadonnadoodah]

Get the tenants to buy https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p80592 or similar and try it. The amount of gross stuff they manage to pull out is astonishing.

Tenants must think that time they message you is reasonable, you need to tell them it's not or get another sim card and put it in an old phone.

I'd call the grout (which isn't grout it's silicone sealant) wear and tear after 2 years, others say it's damage.

[Bounce]

Sorry yes sealant - Wear and tear, so I assume they should do this right?

I have told them about trying to rectify the drain themselves, like use a plunger etc...They reckon they have tried everything, so I said well I will attend with a plumber this time and see what his findings are, and if its something that was caused by you or could have been rectified by you, then I am sorry but you would need to cover the cost (I am trying to teach them not to contact me about every silly little issue, like they have done in the passed and sometimes have been rude enough not to be in when a time was agreed for a workmen to go around, which meant they have had to rearrange) and their response was also 'Old properties do have problems from time to time!!'

[mariner]

IMO slow draining bathroom sink due to hair and mucous. T could try using 'Buster' drain cleaner. Similarly T can treat shower with warm soapy weak bleach and an old toothbrush, taking care not to remove existing silicon sealant.
Other propriety cleaners are avail.

[KTC]

T could try using 'Buster' drain cleaner.

+1 to this suggestion. Works great in my (well my partner! ) experience.

[Bounce]

Thanks.

Would you say it's tenants responsibility then?

[DPT57]

Yes, it definitely is!

[mariner]

T may disagree and you can't deduct cost from Tenancy until end of T.
Nothing to stop local LL demonstrating how easy outlined basic cleaning is as a one-off..

[MisterB]

the discoloured silicone might be down to lack of cleaning by the tenant. a build up over time of dirty water/soap/shower gel etc could be the cause - you should try cleaning it first/bleach etc - not too strong though

showing them how to clean properly is the best solution, but expect some comments/resistance.

I would consider contacting them at inconvenient times to see how they respond .....

[theartfullodger]

IMHO s11 LL&T Act 1985
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/11
- says landlord is responsible for all water/drain matters (legally, implied covenant). So, push comes to shove & if drainage is way-way-way too slow tenant could attempt (say via env health) to force landlord to fix.

If landlord does so, pays bill but believes tenant is cause of slow drainage (yup, it happens!) then LL is at liberty to bill tenant and/or attempt recovery of £££ via deposit scheme and/or courts.

However, best for all if LL & T negotiate and LL to provide guidance.

As to grout i guess don't think there is a legal "who is responsible" position, depends on original check-in state (photos, evidence), state when tenant eventually moves out & if blackness is deemed "fair wear & tear" (possibly if say 10 year occupation, unlikely if only a 1 month AST).

Suspect I may be in a small minority of landlords with these viewpoints.

[Palomino]

I would have thought T is responsible for the silicone so a good clean first would be my advice. Failing that a replacement. Remember reading on Shelter site that it was T's responsibility to replace around bath so can't see why same shouldn't apply to shower!

Re the sink, I would try and clear it first yourself as per suggestions here and failing that call in a plumber. Depending on cause would charge T if negligence led to blockage.

[ram]

And how many "residents have been in the property before your current tenant ? that could have slowly blocked bathroom sink ?
How many old is the bathroom sink waste pipes.

I had a flat and I Never put anything down the bathroom sink other than water, but it got blocked, with previous "residents" hair, old bits of rag etc.
Fortunately, after removing the u-bend under the sink,i could remove the many years of accumulated stuff from the pipes going to the outside.

It was not me that blockede the pipe, but the years of previous residents.

Go fix it.

[mariner]

ram, so you have never washed hair, shaved or spat in sink after brushing your teeth?
You make a good point about clearing the hand-basin U bend; well within expertise of most people but Ts cannot expect to rent a previously used property withj immaculate waste pipes. Lord Denning implied that cleaning waste pipes to external sink was resp of the T 'acting in a T-like manner'.

[Bounce]

This tenant has been in there over 2 years and only now has this problem come about, so in my opinion anything it will be the current tenants stuff down the drain that's blocking it not pervious tenants.

[ram]

ram, so you have never washed hair, shaved or spat in sink after brushing your teeth?
You make a good point about clearing the hand-basin U bend; well within expertise of most people but Ts cannot expect to rent a previously used property withj immaculate waste pipes. Lord Denning implied that cleaning waste pipes to external sink was resp of the T 'acting in a T-like manner'.

No, i do not wash my hair in the sink, and spitting does not block a sink.
You say "Ts cannot expect to rent a previously used property with immaculate waste pipes"
Why not ? as the pipes when new were immaculate. They get blocked slowly over many years.
Accumulation of grease, Landlords / painters pouring paint down after a repaint. Soap, etc.clean out the u-bend

In my case, what I found was not of my making, but previous tenants, then previous owners who NEVER clean out the u-bend, as they think they dont slowly block after scores of years use by them and previous owners.

It's up to landlords to check and clear any build up that may eventually cause a blockage, after each tenant, so that they know it must be the next tenant that blocked the pipes, if they then get blocked,, but landlords never will.

The first thing I do for rented property ( not me renting ) is to do above, then I know who blocked the sink
Over the top, you may think, but it proves who blocked the sinks / internal drains without a doubt. No need to ask who is responsible.