16th June 2020
Q: My tenant’s toilet keeps getting blocked! What should I do?
A: First, we need to get to the bottom of why this is happening.
Perhaps the toilet is prone to blocking as it has been fitted incorrectly (very unlikely). In which case it is your responsibility as the landlord to have this investigated and unblocked.
Or, perhaps your tenants are flushing items like cotton buds, wet wipes etc down the toilet. If this is the case, then your tenants are responsible for any costs associated with the unblocking. If you like, as a gesture of goodwill, you may unblock the toilet at your cost as a one off, but you will need to explain if the same situation happens again then they will be liable for the costs. Always follow up such conversations in writing (for example by email).
If this is a flat where you have residents sharing a waste pipe, you may find that the neighbours above or below are the ones blocking the waste pipe. If this is the case then all you need to do is contact the building manager, and they will deal with the issue.
If you are having issues with your buy to let property, please do get in touch.
