Renter in house with burst pipe/ flooding

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. New wrinkle we learned today when a crew came was that there is asbestos (testing from last week came back positive). So now we have begin the remediation process. According to the crew, they will need to seal off the basement fully to do abatement which means we now lose our washer/ dryer.

We’re in Leesburg. So I’ll have to look into the law more, though generally VA is much more landlord friendly.

Honestly I’m most stressed about the time I’ll have to be home to let crews in and out. The landlord lives in Lynchburg so he’s not coming up to let people in.

[Anonymous]

Asbestos and potential mold is not worth it. I would move.

[Anonymous]

They should at least be offering 50% off rent right now. Be on the lookout for mold. But now add Asbestos onto that you should start looking for a new place to live.

[Anonymous]

You should move.
Also you should read your lease. What does it say about workers in and out? In DC, someone has to be at home to let the workers in and of you are at work that is the LL’s responsibility- 100 percent. Just go to work and the landlord ought to do it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. New wrinkle we learned today when a crew came was that there is asbestos (testing from last week came back positive). So now we have begin the remediation process. According to the crew, they will need to seal off the basement fully to do abatement which means we now lose our washer/ dryer.

We’re in Leesburg. So I’ll have to look into the law more, though generally VA is much more landlord friendly.

Honestly I’m most stressed about the time I’ll have to be home to let crews in and out. The landlord lives in Lynchburg so he’s not coming up to let people in.

I have a house in another state that flooded and required mold and asbestos abatement. One thing people may not be aware of is that glue containing asbestos was commonly used in home building up to the nineties. So there is a good chance that there are floor tiles or wall tiles containing asbestos. Our house had to have almost all of the tiling removed from the kitchen to comply with the asbestos removal, even though the kitchen did not flood.

There is a good chance that the repairs will be way more widespread than the basement and will make the house unlivable.. I would prepare to move as soon as you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About a month ago a pipe burst in a wall while we were at work and flooded our entire basement. Our house has a walkout basement that contains 3 of the four bedrooms in the house. The top floor is just the primary bedroom/bath, kitchen, living/den and small dining room. The basement is not livable as there are about a dozen fans still running. Work is expected to begin soon.

Here’s the issue: we rent the house and our 3 children have been displaced from their room. The landlord has said the house meets the definition of livable and the three kids can sleep upstairs while repairs (which could take months) take place. Kids are ages 7-12.

We have rented this house for 4 years and have 9 months more on our current lease.

I’m at a loss of what to do. I don’t want to break the lease and move/ most likely lose being in boundary for our current school, but having five people live in approximately 750 square feet with one bed/bath is getting unmanageable.

I assume we have no recourse here. Yes, we have renters insurance. The landlord is not very open on what their homeowners insurance covers (does it cover us at all?).

Any suggestions on making our current situation manageable or what we should be asking the landlord for?

If it is "livable" but as described I would just move. Id ask to break my lease.

If it is not livable ask to not pay rent so you can use that money to live elsewhere.

Is he right technically?

Yes, he’s technically correct as we have AC, a working kitchen, a bathroom, running water, etc. We are just cramped and will be for the foreseeable future. The other issue is he doesn’t come let the workers in, we have to do that. So I’m also running through PTO as I WOH. I’m just getting frustrated with the process.

Hmmm, I'd invest some time in either researching your rights as a tenant or some money in talking to an attorney. Because there are several things wrong here. First, you overseeing the repars. I'd let the landlord know right now in writing - email - cc' your spouse - that you are no longer available to oversee repairs. That's the LL's responsibility, period.

Sit down with your spouse and figure out what you want here - do you want to tough it out and receive reduced rent? Do you want to move? Do you want to move into temp housing until the repairs are done? Once you've figured that out, read the lease, read the laws in your jurisdiction (or consult with an attorney), and then present a demand to the LL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all. New wrinkle we learned today when a crew came was that there is asbestos (testing from last week came back positive). So now we have begin the remediation process. According to the crew, they will need to seal off the basement fully to do abatement which means we now lose our washer/ dryer.

We’re in Leesburg. So I’ll have to look into the law more, though generally VA is much more landlord friendly.

Honestly I’m most stressed about the time I’ll have to be home to let crews in and out. The landlord lives in Lynchburg so he’s not coming up to let people in.

You need to not fool with this and move out. LL may even have to pay for it. Call legal aid and/or a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

I would move. I don’t think I could trust a landlord trying to pull the “it’s still habitable” crap despite half the house (3 of 4 bedrooms!) being inaccessible. Obviously this person is not acting in any sort of good faith and if you start up a legal dispute it’s going to sour the relationship going forward. I wouldn’t want to live somewhere with this level of distrust. I’ve lived in a number of rentals and was never chummy with any landlords, but I always at least felt there was a certain level of mutual obligation where I would pay rent on time and keep the place clean and they would fix anything broken and cover costs if I’m displaced. I even had a landlord give me a free month rent for being willing to let prospective buyers in and vacating before the end of my lease. This landlord sounds like they don’t give a crap at all about you OP and are fine if you walk away.

[Anonymous]

We have rental properties and have a lock box with a key when we have to do longer term repairs. Our trusted general contractor can let himself in and out with the key. I would not expect my tenants to have to be home to let in a contractor every day.

If the tenant wants to be home, that’s fine. But, it’s unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure they have property insurance that allows rental? And their mortgage allows rental? They might be out of compliance with terms/exposed.

If they have insurance for lost rent, they may be covered if you don't pay them.

What mortgage doesn't allow a property to be rented after the first year of ownership?

I purchased a condo townhouse in 2004. My mortgage terms state that the property is to be owner-occupied and not an investment property. I don't remember any expiration on that. I was considering future rental when I bought.

[Anonymous]

Call Landlord Tenant and ask for your rights. https://www.novahss.org/housing-resources/legal-assistance/10-legal-assistance/15-landlord-tenant

I would think you should get a substantial reduction in rent for the lack of use. Also, they should pay you to manage the contractors. I would stop letting them in/managing it and be firm on hours they can work, etc. Or, refuse repairs until you move out.

What happened to your damaged items?

[Anonymous]

Look at your renters insurance, too - if the burst pipe is a covered peril, you may be eligible for temporary housing until the repairs are done.

[Anonymous]

Start looking for a new rental asap and get out of there! Call the legal aid links posted early on Tuesday morning!!

[Anonymous]

It is not livable. Move. Mold, disruption for what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at your renters insurance, too - if the burst pipe is a covered peril, you may be eligible for temporary housing until the repairs are done.

This. Call your insurance company.