What would you do?
Mrs. EliteFlyer and I have been living in a first floor apartment for several years in relative peace with my landlord who lives upstairs. There is no formal written lease in place. When we moved in, he stated that with regard to repair-related expenses, he would take care of the "big things" and we should take care of the "small things."
As the months went on, it never became clear what this policy meant: There were in fact some big things that he refused to fix and some small things that he paid for. For example, when the included washer broke, he refused to replace it, claiming he rented the apartment "as is." On the other hand, on the occasions that the faucet in the bathtub would break and continuously flow, he would (reluctantly) call a plumber to fix it.
My wife and I have taken good care of the apartment, keep it clean (unlike some of his previous tenants) and prefer to have a cordial relationship with our landlord, particularly because he lives in the same house. Thus, we have repaired some items at our own expense with out even calling him (such as buying a new shower head and hose and doing some minor repairs on the toilet and sink drain).
This past week, the heat was out for several days, and we called to let him know. The reality is that it was not working in his apartment either. He repaired it without incident. Then today, I noticed that the faucet was leaking in the bathtub again. This seems to happen every 4-6 months, and I suspect that each time he repairs it, he has the plumber buy the cheapest supplies possible. I never recall having a leaky bathtub so often growing up!
I called the landlord, and he blew up at me that he is not responsible for "small things like the plumbing." He goes on to tell me that he thinks its wrong that we expect him to do "everything" while we sit back and do "nothing." I politely, but firmly told him that it is is house, and his water bill, and my call was intended as a courtesy to him. Moreover, such is the nature of a lease: I pay rent every month and this is not my home to do routine repairs on. Of course, if I damage something, I will repair it.
We left the conversation there. I would not be surprised if he ends up getting a plumber himself, but I am considering just calling a plumber and taking care of it on my own if he does nothing in the next few days. Our rent is at a decent price, and I would prefer not to rock the boat too much. In the three years we have been here, the rent was only moderately raised once, and that was a few months ago. Perhaps its worth overlooking who is technically or legally in the right here and just repair it myself.
What would you do?
