Troubles are inevitable in everyday life, but plumbing problems have a huge impact on your life and are not something an amateur can easily deal with, so it can be easy to panic.
It is no exaggeration to say that water is the most important thing in our lives, and if you are unable to use water due to problems such as clogged drains or water leaks, it can be extremely stressful.
In this article, we will explain in detail what to do if you have a toilet problem in a rental property.
We will also introduce some tips on how to deal with repairs in rental properties, so please refer to this article.
What to do if you have a toilet problem
If your toilet breaks down, such as becoming clogged and water not flushing, or leaking and flooding the floor, please first check your rental agreement.
In most cases, if your toilet breaks, you are supposed to contact your landlord or management company first.
There is no problem if you arrange for repairs yourself without contacting the landlord or management company, but since the landlord and management company have an obligation to provide a decent living environment, if any facilities break down or deteriorate, the landlord will be responsible for the repair costs.
The information that "something has broken" can also be used to detect other breakdowns or deterioration in advance, so be sure to contact us even if it's after the fact.
In particular, in the case of water leaks, there are cases where the water may spread to rooms on the floor below or even to the next room.
Since apartments and other condominiums are shared living spaces, it is important not to dismiss a water leak as a problem that only concerns you, but to contact the manager immediately.
When a problem occurs, you may feel anxious and may not be able to contact them immediately depending on the time of day, but it is best to contact the landlord or management company as soon as possible and have them understand the situation before you begin to deal with it.
Who is responsible for repair costs?
We will explain who is responsible for the costs if your toilet breaks down.
Repairs are not something that an amateur can easily do, so you will need to arrange for a professional to do the repairs, which will incur repair costs.
The person who is responsible for these repair costs is also stipulated in the contract, but in most contracts the landlord is generally responsible.
Article 606 of the Civil Code also stipulates the landlord's obligation to make repairs, so it would be natural to assume that the landlord would be responsible for the costs of repairing the toilet.
But of course, there are exceptions, so be aware of that.
The tenant will be responsible for repair costs in the following two cases:
- When caused by the resident's intentional or negligent acts
- If there is a special clause in the contract
When caused by the resident's intentional or negligent acts
If the cause of the breakdown is due to the tenant's intentional or negligent acts, then of course the tenant will be responsible for the cost of repairs since they broke it.
The landlord's obligation to make repairs only applies to unavoidable cases such as breakdowns caused by aging or breakdowns that occur despite normal use.
If any damage is caused intentionally or through use other than its intended purpose, the tenant must take responsibility.
If there is a special clause in the contract
When signing a rental agreement, it is always specified who is responsible for repairs, the landlord or the tenant.
Some of these contracts contain special clauses that exempt the landlord from certain repair obligations. The most common ones are as follows:
- Lighting fixtures such as fluorescent lights and light bulbs
- Replacement of tatami mats
- Replacing screen doors, shoji screens, and sliding doors
If the special clauses exempting the landlord from the obligation to make repairs include provisions regarding water leaks, etc., then depending on the nature of the damage, the landlord will not be obligated to make repairs and the tenant will be responsible for the costs of making repairs.
Average repair costs
If there is a possibility that you will have to pay for repairs, you may be concerned about the amount of the repair costs.
However, don't worry, the costs of repairing a toilet or other plumbing problem are not that high.
For a typical clogged drain, it will cost around 10,000 yen (up to 20,000 yen if the clog is severe), but if it is a water leak, gaskets and parts may need to be replaced, so the total cost for materials and labor will be around 15,000 yen.
However, this guideline is only for general clogs and leaks, so if fundamental repairs to the equipment are required, the cost may be much higher.
The worst case scenario is when the plumbing equipment throughout the building becomes defective due to aging or other reasons, making it impossible to repair.
The lifespan of plumbing equipment such as water supply and drainage pipes is said to be 25 to 30 years, so properties older than that may be a possibility. (Apartments that have undergone proper large-scale repairs to the entire building are no problem.)
If the above case were to occur, the landlord would not be able to easily make repairs and would require huge repair costs, making repairs unrealistic and therefore no legal obligation to make repairs would arise.
If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend that you ask for a rent reduction and move as soon as possible.
What to do if your landlord won't arrange for repairs
If your toilet or plumbing breaks, be sure to contact your landlord or management company first.
However, there may be times when you cannot get through, or when they do not respond to your calls.
Next, we'll show you what to do if you can't arrange for repairs right away.
If you are unable to contact the landlord or management company late at night, etc.
If the malfunction requires immediate attention, but it is the middle of the night and you cannot contact the landlord or management company, or you cannot get through after calling several times, you may want to arrange for the repairs yourself.
As a general rule, you will need to contact your landlord or management company, but if the situation is so urgent that you cannot wait for their instructions, there is no problem with arranging the repairs yourself.
When an emergency requires immediate action, it is not good to wait to be contacted and allow secondary damage to occur.
Also, if you arrange for repairs yourself, make sure you get a receipt when you pay for the repairs.
Even if it is an emergency and you have to arrange for a contractor yourself, you can ask the landlord to cover the costs later as long as you have a receipt.
On the other hand, please be aware that there are cases where you will not be reimbursed if you do not have a receipt.
It is difficult to determine the level of urgency that will be recognized, but for example, if water is leaking even though the tap is turned off and the floor is flooded, it would probably be recognized.
On the other hand, cases where there is no problem if you temporarily stop using the broken item, such as a clogged toilet or water leaking from the drain, are unlikely to be approved.
If the problem can be temporarily resolved by refraining from use or an alternative can be found, it is best to contact your landlord or management company and follow their instructions.
If there is no progress despite contact
Contact your landlord or management company and arrange for repairs, then wait for the repairman to arrive.
However, there may be delays in arranging for repairs because the management company's designated repair company is fully booked or they have forgotten to respond in the first place.
You will need to be present when repairs are made, which can make it difficult to plan your schedule, or you may end up living an inconvenient life without the problem being fixed.
If you have contacted them but the situation has not progressed, please try the following:
Urge
If the repair date has not been decided even after you have contacted them once, contact the landlord or management company yourself again to urge them.
Then, set a deadline, such as "Please arrange for repairs and let us know by a certain date" or "Please let us know the planned repair date by tomorrow."
If you still can't get the repairs scheduled the way you want, you can arrange it yourself and negotiate to have the costs covered.
In addition, if the cause of the breakdown is not due to the tenant's intentional or negligent acts, and the landlord or management company's response is so poor that the facilities cannot be used normally for a long period of time, a rent reduction may be allowed.
This is also stated in Article 611 of the Civil Code.
Contact our 24-hour support service
If you applied to use a 24-hour support service or management service company when you moved in, it would be a good idea to consult with them.
This service is available 24 hours a day, so you can use it regardless of the time of day, and if your case is urgent, they will respond immediately.
The support provided will vary depending on the operating company, but in addition to plumbing problems, they can also handle electricity and gas problems, lost keys, broken windows, and air conditioning breakdowns.
Although there is usually a fee for using such services, they can be extremely helpful in times of emergency.
If you are planning to move into a new rental property soon, if the apartment you will be moving into offers 24-hour support services, consider using them.
What to do if other equipment repairs are required
So far, we have introduced how to deal with problems with toilets and water areas.
However, troubles in daily life are not limited to plumbing.
Problems are bound to occur, such as "I lost my keys while I was out and can't get into the house," "Some of the lights in the room won't work," "The air conditioner is broken," or "There's no hot water."
If any of these problems occur, first check the contract and contact the landlord or management company.
Responsibilities and costs are generally all determined in the contract.
Also, even if the problem is something that the tenant is responsible for repairing, the landlord is the owner of the property, so be sure to contact them before repairing it on your own.
summary
This time, we explained what to do if you have toilet trouble in a rental property.
In most cases, the landlord will cover the cost of repairs if the toilet malfunctions are not caused by the tenant's intentional or negligent actions.
So, be sure to check your contract and contact the appropriate person right away.
If they don't respond, press them, and if their response is particularly poor, take firm action such as requesting a reduction in rent.
If you need emergency response, you can arrange it yourself, and there are also convenient services such as 24-hour support services, so by doing some research in advance you will be able to respond calmly when an emergency occurs.
Since trouble can happen to anyone at any time, we recommend doing some research in advance and simulating how to deal with it.
However, it's best to avoid any trouble.
If you live your life with the awareness of keeping things clean, you will be less likely to have problems, so be sure to use preventative products and make it a habit to clean frequently.
