Gas Water Leak Who Is Responsible

Roary on 22/04/2020 - 22:58
Last edited 23/04/2020 - 13:37

Hi all

To try and remain unbiased I will post my questions from a neutral point of view. Feel free to guess if I am the landlord or the tenant. I will post my status tomorrow if there is interest this area

Recently a property currently tenanted obtained a leak in a water pipe. This was a water pipe carrying hot water underground at the backside of the house. There was a noticeably drop of water pressure from the hot water but none was thought of it and was not reported to the landlord. A couple of days later it was noticed that a large amount of steaming hot water on the ground at this backside of the house. The landlord was notified and he called around and discovered the issue a couple of hours later. The water to the hot water system was turned off and then the following day a plumber returned and fixed the issue properly and restored the water.

Since then there has been large bills for gas and water usage. The landlord is speaking to the water corporate and organising a leak allowance.

Who's responsibility is it to pay the remaining excessive water allowance and the gas bill?
Both bills are approximately $1000. I am unsure how much the water bill will be reduced from the leak allowance.

The landlord is obviously paying for the plumber repairs to the water pipe.

Thanks

Am I the tenant or the landlord?

Update:
Thank you for your responses. Most people were correct I am the landlord. Its quite a grey area but this is will what I will propose to my tenant. Hopefully the water corp will reimburse 100% of the excessive water usage. I naturally will pay all the plumbers bills. He spent about 6 hours there fixing the main leak and then then he had to find a mini leak not related to the incident that was using only 1L/hour. I will offer to go 1/2's in the excess gas bill (about $350 each).
I did call my land lords insurance and whilst they said they would cover the gas and water excess they would not cover the plumbers bill as it is maintenance. The excess is $750 which makes it not worth claiming if the water corp will already reimburse the water usage.
Am I fair? I think I am. They are good tenants (pays rent on time/house is kept very tidy). I am a good landlord, fix issues straight away, let her get a big dog when lease said no pets, let he have a couple of friends move in and share rent/expenses without asking/telling me first.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • MS Paint on 22/04/2020 - 23:03
    +1

    Landlord

    Poll?

  • dasher86 on 22/04/2020 - 23:03
    +1

    Landlord

  • tsunamisurfer on 22/04/2020 - 23:09
    +2

    You are the Tenant.

  • Summoner on 22/04/2020 - 23:10
    +1

    Landlord

  • Stewardo on 22/04/2020 - 23:21
    +1

    Your Roary

  • JimmyF on 22/04/2020 - 23:27

    Who's responsibility is it to pay the remaining excessive water allowance and the gas bill?

    If the landlord fixed the issue straight away, which is sounds like they did. You can't really hold them for a fault they didn't know about. Sometimes shit happens and you gotta suck it up.

    • Summoner on 22/04/2020 - 23:38
      +1

      https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/publications/maintenance-your…

      Your tenant should advise you if they notice a water leak. If they don’t, and the leak is obvious, they may be liable for the cost of water resulting from the leak. However, tenants are not liable for issues or consequential damages caused by hidden water leaks. Once your tenant tells you there is a water leak the cost becomes your responsibility.

      This is from WA, but should be same in all states.

      I think the landlord should suck it up.

      • JimmyF on 22/04/2020 - 23:41

        It was a obvious leak to the sounds of it, as per the OP posting it was only leaking for a couple of days from the drop in hot water pressure till finding the leak.

        Unsure how both bills are $1k each after a few days of the pipe leaking. Tenant should suck it up based on what you posted.

        • Summoner on 22/04/2020 - 23:48
          +1

          There was a noticeably drop of water pressure from the hot water but none was thought of it and was not reported to the landlord.

          The tenant did not realise about the water leak when they noticed the pressure drop.

          A couple of days later it was noticed that a large amount of steaming hot water on the ground at this backside of the house. The landlord was notified

          And notified the landlord as soon as the tenant realised about the leak.

          It seems really debatable, but I think the landlord should suck it up.

          • JimmyF on 23/04/2020 - 09:02

            @Summoner:

            The tenant did not realise about the water leak

            Correct, so how is the landlord meant to know? They're not…..

            And notified the landlord as soon as the tenant realised about the leak.

            and they fixed it as soon as they are told.

        • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:40

          I only guessed it was a few days. I think you are right, on asking my tenant now they noticed the hot water drop a couple of weeks ago.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/04/2020 - 23:46
    +2

    We need a poll.

    You are the landlord.

    the water to the hot water system was turned off and then the following day a plumber returned and fixed the issue properly and restored the water.

    So the tenant didn't even turn off the water after noticing the leak? Plumber only came the next time for an urgent repair? You're both responsible. I would go half on the bills.

    • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:42
      +1

      Actually they did turn off the hot water after they noticed the leak (it was obvious it was hot water as the puddle of water was steaming). I came out only about 2 hours after the told me. Yes we are going 1/2s in the excess bills whilst I am obviously paying plumber repairs

  • xuqi on 22/04/2020 - 23:51

    Landlord is responsible.

  • cjbowden on 23/04/2020 - 00:34
    +1

    I have had a leak just like this twice at my house, and it takes a while to realise something is wrong. I suspect strongly that the leak had been occurring for much much longer than a few days, as my leak ran for 3-4 weeks and my gas and water bill (whilst higher) were nothing like $1000. This is a tough one, as the landlord appears to have taken action quickly. Should they be responsible for charges they had no possibility to avoid (as they weren't notified)?

    • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:43

      Yep I think it was a couple of weeks now I asked the tenant more about it. Great answer

  • tiara on 23/04/2020 - 00:55
    +2

    Landlord must pay for excess water/gas bill over the normal monthly bill. Unless he/she can prove that the tenant was aware about the leakage but did nothing.

    • Slinky0111 on 23/04/2020 - 06:45

      This

      Ps. You're the landlord

      • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:44

        The tenant did admit they noticed the hot water pressure drop a couple of weeks ago.

        • Slinky0111 on 23/04/2020 - 15:41

          Broken water pipe somewhere in the network could explain this. Shitty situation to be in all around.

  • whooah1979 on 23/04/2020 - 00:56
    +1

    The owner of the property is responsible for the building maintenance and repairs that isn’t caused by the tenants.

  • KangarooOz on 23/04/2020 - 00:57

    Landlord

  • ssquid on 23/04/2020 - 03:02
    +3

    A thousand bucks (each?) worth of leakage? How could the tenant not possibly notice? You can fill a swimming pool for less than that.

    • holdenmg on 23/04/2020 - 08:48

      and have money left over for a Pool Fence.

      • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:45

        Property has soft sand where water would mostly get absorbed quickly. There was a large book of steaming water which is the backside of the house. No one hardly walks there.

  • John Kimble on 23/04/2020 - 06:48

    When I was renting and had a similar leak (but not as bad) landlord and I split the electricity bill 50-50. They also paid for the repairs, obviously.

    • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:46
      +1

      Yep sounds fair.

  • BOGOF on 23/04/2020 - 07:38
    +2

    This was a water pipe carrying hot water underground at the backside of the house.

    Genuine question………Under what circumstances would you have a hot water pipe running underground on a residential property?

    • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:49

      I am not a plumber but I do believe that its in regulations. There is an instantaneous gas hot water heater. The outlet goes into the ground and down the house to service the bathrooms, laundry and kitchen.The plumber who fixed the issue definitely did not have concerns about this. Where would you run the pipes? in the roof space?

      • BOGOF on 23/04/2020 - 16:58

        I'm not a plumber either, and I have no doubt it may be in the regulations. However, it was a genuine question, as I couldn't think of a reason.
        Every house i have ever lived in both here in QLD and overseas has always had the hot water pipes within the internal walls. Whether it was gas or electric water heating.

      • ssquid on 23/04/2020 - 19:14

        Do you mean the pipes run into the slab (rather than the ground)?

      • John Kimble on 24/04/2020 - 11:12

        Jeez, they didn't notice the instant gas being on all the time?!

        Perhaps I'm lucky, mine is just between the kitchen and bathroom window, so I can hear it easily.

  • elgrande on 23/04/2020 - 07:57

    Plot twist: OP is neither the landlord or the tenant, they are the property manager..

    • holdenmg on 23/04/2020 - 08:56

      A Hydroponics Property Manager…

  • MellowScan on 23/04/2020 - 07:59

    I need an MS Paint diagram before deciding.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 23/04/2020 - 09:20
    +2

    Landlord.

    Average the last bills. Landlord pays anything minus this average figure.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 23/04/2020 - 09:35
    +1

    If you're the LL, I'd be worried about what structural damage all that water may have done to footings/stumps/foundations etc.
    The water bill may be insignificant compared to structural impact on the building.

    • Summoner on 23/04/2020 - 10:05

      Yeah, I would have builders to inspect the damage, if any, and claim whole thing through landlords insurance. I am pretty sure some insurance covers damage caused by accidental water leak. I hope the landlords insurance covers it.

      • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 14:53

        LL insurance does not cover maintenance or the plumbers repairs. With the water leak allowance means the only thing the insurance will probably cover is the excessive gas bill. At $750 its much the same as the excessive usage and not worth claiming.
        Here in WA buildings are concrete slab/footings and clay bricks. Water wont damage that. The property is on soft sand and water absorption is extremely high. Certainly digging to the actual leak there was no erosion. But fair comment.

  • Roary on 23/04/2020 - 13:37

    Updated the post. Thanks for your comments. Yes I am the landlord.

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