Apartment with Multiple Water Leaks

ali2083

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
I don't know how I should react to this, so just looking for opinions. I've lived in the same apartment complex for almost 4 1/2 years, and in the current apartment there for over 6 months. The old place had 10+ water leaks in the time I lived there, all from the apartment above. Frustrating, but resolved each time. The current one has had multiple water leaks every time it rains. Its not the roof as I'm on the second floor of a three story. Seems to be coming in from the windows and then down the walls or from the ceiling. I reported it the first time as it was literally pouring in due to a storm and maintenance said they did everything to repair it that day. Its now coming in again due to rain. Are water leaks like this normal with an apartment complex and I'm just being picky?
 
If it continues to come in, have them check the apartment ABOVE you.

Also, if there's that much water, make sure you're pulling things away from the walls and checking for mold.

At our old apartment, we had problems with black mold to the point that when we moved out, they had to have hazmat suits on to go into the apt to clean it.

Also, if there's a lot of mold (which can be BEHIND the drywall as well), get a health inspector to come out or a company that can do mold detection. If they find that the conditions are unlivable, you'll most likely be let out of your lease and you should attempt to find a new, safer, healthier place to live.

Make sure your renters insurance company knows what's going on too. If you don't have renters insurance, GET IT NOW! It won't replace everything, but it'll be better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
 
I'm going to ask that they check the apartment above me, and also hoping I may run into the resident above me tomorrow as I frequently see them in passing outside. Fortunately where its happening there is nothing against the wall but I have the same concerns about black mold. I had to have them come in a month ago as when I turned on the AC unit for the first time there was mold coming out of it and all over the room. When I moved in the maintenance person had been out sick for a few weeks so they were delayed getting the place ready my concern now is they rushed it and didn't do a great job.

I do have renter's insurance. I am also looking at my lease and debating paying the money to get out early.
 
I'm going to ask that they check the apartment above me, and also hoping I may run into the resident above me tomorrow as I frequently see them in passing outside. Fortunately where its happening there is nothing against the wall but I have the same concerns about black mold. I had to have them come in a month ago as when I turned on the AC unit for the first time there was mold coming out of it and all over the room. When I moved in the maintenance person had been out sick for a few weeks so they were delayed getting the place ready my concern now is they rushed it and didn't do a great job.

I do have renter's insurance. I am also looking at my lease and debating paying the money to get out early.

That's why I recommended getting an outside company to come in and check things. If they come in (via you or request to the landlord they have someone come in, so they pay for it) and deem there is black mold, that's something that can get you out of your lease. It's a health issue. That should be enough to break the lease, plus, they still haven't been able to give you housing that doesn't leak (which you're paying for safe housing... imagine if there's water in the walls what's happening to electrical things and such... it could honestly be a death trap).

You're paying for all this, so make sure they do the job. Be there when they do things as well so you can show them.
 


You're not being picky. At all. You're paying for a place that is healthy for you to live in. That includes watertight and free of mold. Your landlord is not providing it. You need to carefully document all that is happening now and what has happened in the past. If you think there may be a mold problem, get an independent analysis.

Cautionary tale: A friend of mine lived in an apartment where there was a water leak in the utility closet of the unit above hers. The complex management knew about it and deliberately concealed it for well over a year. The upshot was toxic mold, a lengthy and ugly legal battle, long-term physical ailments affecting her and her child (probably for life) and a hefty settlement. It was a nightmare. The contamination level was so bad they had to leave all their possessions behind when they left.
 
You're not being picky. At all. You're paying for a place that is healthy for you to live in. That includes watertight and free of mold. Your landlord is not providing it. You need to carefully document all that is happening now and what has happened in the past. If you think there may be a mold problem, get an independent analysis.

Cautionary tale: A friend of mine lived in an apartment where there was a water leak in the utility closet of the unit above hers. The complex management knew about it and deliberately concealed it for well over a year. The upshot was toxic mold, a lengthy and ugly legal battle, long-term physical ailments affecting her and her child (probably for life) and a hefty settlement. It was a nightmare. The contamination level was so bad they had to leave all their possessions behind when they left.

Our situation was somewhat similar. Management let us out, so we went. However, we had to get rid of a lot of furniture because it had mold on the back of it. We were told to not even worry about trying to clean that they were gutting the whole unit.
 


Thank you for all the suggestions! I've got everything documented and have already sent the maintenance request in. Unfortunately they only consider it an emergency if the place is flooded. It has stopped now as the rain has stopped but I have photos and videos of what was happening.

The good news (for now) is after reading my lease i realized in August I can give them 3 months notice to leave without being charged.
 
3 months is too long.

You have physical proof that there are things wrong. Things that aren't getting fixed. Your health and well being is on the line. Like I said earlier, you know of only part of the problem. There's more than likely a lot more wrong that you CAN'T see. Obviously it's a Saturday night, so not much can get done now, but start pressing. We've all pretty much said to get an outside company in to assess things.

You have a lease agreement. It's a legal document. If they can't live up to THEIR end of the terms of the document, you should be able to get out with 30 days notice, if that AND you would hopefully get your full security deposit back too.

Play hardball. You're in the driver seat with this right now.
 
I don't think I need to go for an outside company yet. In the prior place when a water leak impacted the carpet and I said I was concerned about mold they immediately ripped out and replaced the entire carpet. I don't think they're trying to hide anything or do anything wrong, I was more just looking to see if this is something people normally just deal with. From my conversations with the leasing office and maintenance a lot of residents here don't report anything - from water leaks in their bathrooms to broken heaters.

I have every intention of letting them know my concerns about mold as well as where the water is coming down the wall to make sure there is no damage within the wall or to any electrical.
 
I don't think I need to go for an outside company yet. In the prior place when a water leak impacted the carpet and I said I was concerned about mold they immediately ripped out and replaced the entire carpet. I don't think they're trying to hide anything or do anything wrong, I was more just looking to see if this is something people normally just deal with. From my conversations with the leasing office and maintenance a lot of residents here don't report anything - from water leaks in their bathrooms to broken heaters.

I have every intention of letting them know my concerns about mold as well as where the water is coming down the wall to make sure there is no damage within the wall or to any electrical.

Um... if that's their response, to replace the carpet.... GET OUT!!! Don't wait a a week, a month, 3 months... GET OUT ASAP!!!

They'd rather replace the carpet than fix the problems is what I'm reading here. If that's true, heavens knows what else is wrong.

If this is/was their true reaction, instead of fixing things, you're starting to cross grounds into legal action. What else is going on there that could be an advantage to get you out sooner?

Also, if nothing gets done, most area news stations have an "On Your Side" reporter that will come out and investigate things and shed light on problems to the public and help get you answers.

This isn't safe. You're not safe.
 
Not going to repeat what others said (it's all true and good info), but will repeat this: no, water leaks in an apt complex like that are not normal, and you are not being picky. Read your lease terms and see what you can do; that's a long time to endure these issues. Moving and finding a new place is probably not what you have in mind and it's absolutely a huge pain, but please consider the mold possibilities here and do everything you can to either get the landlord to fix things or leave!
 
Last edited:
And any and all notifications should be in writing, signature proof of receipt!
 
That's a lot of leaks in your old apartment. In your new one, remember, finding the source of leaks can be maddening. Water travels in strange ways, so where the water is showing up may not be anywhere near where it is getting in. I'd give them a chance to pin it down.
My wife's best friend works for a company that owns hundreds of apartments and dealing with water leaks is one of their biggest issues. The ceiling collapsed in the bathroom of her own apartment because of a clogged a/c condensation tube that allowed water to pool. Owner spend a lot of money sealing up the roof only to discover that wasn't the source of the leak.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top