Neighbour wants to check for flooding

jo187 · 08-05-2022 1:21am #1

Hi all

I Live in an apartment block. Just got a door bell ring there at 1:00 am?

I didnt open the door and ask who was there. I was told it was my neighbour from downstairs. Never met any of my neighbours so no idea who this guy is.

Said there have been flooding for a day or so and was trying to catch me. He wanted to come in?

Needless to say I was a bit off foot by all of this. I told him he couldn't come in as it was late. He was clearly annoyed.

Agreed for him to come back tomorrow at 10 am. Really just to get him to go away.

I find the whole thing odd. We have a pretty good mangment team in the block. If he called them today they would have got in touch with me and sorted it.

When he comes tomorrow I'm not letting him in. I will ask him why he didn't contact the mangment team? And why does he want to come in?

Am I being unreasonable? Like was is he going to do? Does anyone else find it odd?

HorseSea · 08-05-2022 2:45am

Very odd. If he was flooding for a whole day and couldn't get you, surely he'd call the management company before waiting to 1am to catch you.

I think you did the right thing.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 10:33am

So he came back this morning again trying to get in to find the leak?

I asked why he has not contacted property management. He said he sent the pictures to his landlord and his landlord was not happy?

He said the blame is on us and we have to pay to fix it? It was quite aggressive overall. I brought up the fact he came to our place at 1 am. Even do apparently the flooding being going on for over a day.

I think the landlord has said it's not his problem and said to him to sort it. He obviously doesn't want to pay out of his own pocket for a plumber, hence why his desperate to come in here and find the leak.

I doubt his a plumber and don't fancy a stranger coming in trying to fix something that might not even be coming from our apartment.

I contacted our property agent tomorrow but realistically surely a plumber has to go to him first? To see where the leak is from?

Overall it's been his attitude and tone dealing with this issue. He stormed off saying if this how you want to deal with it this how it will be, yes I want to deal with it the right way and get the professionals in.

Very strange hopefully not the start of a problem with this neighbour.

HorseSea · 08-05-2022 2:03pm

Seems strange, did you check your own place to see if the leak may be coming from you? I would contact the management company yourself and a plumber if needed. You could try to isolate where the water is coming from by turning off your water and seeing if that stops the leak in his apartment - although that would not be conclusive it's not coming from you if it does not stop it.

Madeoface · 08-05-2022 2:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058244892/neighbour-wants-to-check-for-flooding

Did you check for potential flooding though? If its genuine you could knock out the electricity below. Can happen more often than people think.

wandererz · 08-05-2022 2:17pm

There should be an emergency number for the management company that you can call out of hours.

Check any notice and rules and regulation signs downstairs for the number.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 2:18pm

Yeah I had a look no obvious signs of anything unusual. I get a professional to look at it tomorrow.

I think he needs a plumber on his end do? It's really been how his gone about it.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031924#Comment_119031924

That's a good idea, what seems odd is that he hasn't? Or even gotten a plumber in.

Dav010 · 08-05-2022 2:25pm

Leaving aside the peculiarity of knocking on your door at 1am, if water is flowing down his walls from the apartment above, then your apartment is the likely source and him calling a plumber is useless unless he has access to your apartment to locate the leak. Surely it is also in your best interest to repair a leaking pipe as your floors will be damp causing damage to carpets/wood.

macvin · 08-05-2022 2:26pm

It could easily be from an apartment further up or down and the water has travelled and found a place to "disperse".

But its not for the neighbour who is simply a tenant to start making accusations or to do anything other than to ask you if you would check.

Management company is correct route and it would be for them to send a qualified person to locate to source of the leak

elperello · 08-05-2022 2:35pm

If the water is coming from your apartment that is where the plumber needs to be.

It could be a leaking fitting, a shower tray not sealed correctly, a faulty appliance etc. etc.

An experienced plumber will be able to find it, access to both apartments may be necessary to trace the source.

His approach at 1am shows he is not a very tactful person.

If you are alone in the apartment could you get someone to come over and be there when the plumber want's access?

daithi7 · 08-05-2022 2:35pm

Op,

Don't allow yourself to be put off by this neighbours call at an ungodly hour &/or manner in the am.

A leaking ceiling can upset people.

if your place is indeed the source of the leak, you are responsible for fixing that ASAP, and for any & all resulting damage in his place.

-You should check all of your own appliances, plumbing, sinks, shower trays, baths (they can crack),etc, etc etc first.

Then assuming you don't see anything visibly leaking in yours, you should contact the management company to figure it out. They should send a plumber who will visit both apartments & maybe others, as well as inspecting other parts of the building.

It could be the plumbing or drain pipes blocked entering his apartment, or if water is dripping from his celling, it's most likely to be something leaking from yours. These things happen. You are responsible for this, and you are responsible for acting to identify & fix it , now that he has brought an issue to your attention. So act on it regardless of his demeanour would be my advice.

Don't delay, prevaricate or become obstructive, because it's not neighbourly or facing up to an issue that may well be your responsibility.

Good luck.

Dav010 · 08-05-2022 2:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031975#Comment_119031975

Many years ago, the apartment I lived in was both on the receiving end, and cause of leaks from the apartment above and to the apartment below. I very much appreciated the quick response from the owner above once we told him water was pissing down trough the light fittings on our ceiling, and when a leak in out cistern caused part of the ceiling below to collapse, we took rapid action to close the valve and stop the water.

If the source is the op’s apartment, it should be easy to locate, I’d be pretty pissed off if I was told I’d have to wait for someone in the MC to organise a plumber before leak was dealt with when a simple closing of a valve may be all that is necessary. Not much neighbourly goodwill going on here.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 3:06pm

Thank you.

I get plumber in first thing tomorrow. Just the whole way his gone about it is strange.

Clearly his Landlord won't pay for a plumber and he doesn't want to pay for it. He had all day Saturday and maybe even Friday to get this sorted. He could left a note in the letter box or under the door and explained what's going on.

There not much I can do on a Sunday and coming at 1 am and demanding to come in was getting off on the wrong foot.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 3:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119032067#Comment_119032067

I have no trouble helping my neighbour. There 3 other apartments on our floor. Easily leak could be from there.

Strangely we had the same complaint a few years ago. A plumber came and checked and said the leak wasn't us.

I don't think it's neighbourly to come to someone door at 1 am and demand to come in when this has been going on since Friday.

HildaOgdenx · 08-05-2022 3:38pm

Getting a plumber in won't come cheap - I would be contacting the management company first and foremost.

It can also take time to get a plumber to call, but in the meantime, I most certainly would not be allowing a complete stranger in.

macvin · 08-05-2022 6:01pm

One of the main causes of leaks is degradation of the silicone around shower enclosures. You'd never notice it in the shower itself.

But also most apartment blocks have concrete floors, hence the chances that water has run along the floor and dropped into the ceiling below.

A call to management company is the priority - that what your management fees are for.

Dial Hard · 08-05-2022 6:19pm

If there was water coming through my ceiling my first port of call would be the apartment above too, followed by a plumber, the landlord, management co. too.

If you're sure the leak isn't coming from your place, then ask him can you stick your head into his apartment to see what he is dealing with.

OK, you didn't appreciate such a late call and his attitude appears to have rubbed you up the wrong way, but I don't see what obstructing him is going to achieve.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119032934#Comment_119032934

I'm not obstructing him. There not much I could do on a Saturday night at 1 am. I contacted everyone tomorrow, no one working on a Sunday. Since he said this started on a Friday why hasn't he contacted plumber, property management etc

They all work on Saturday and potentially could have sorted it by now. The only one getting in the way is him. From what I can tell there no sign of a leak.

Dav010 · 08-05-2022 7:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119033268#Comment_119033268

He contacted his LL, which is exactly what he is supposed to do. What’s the point of him contacting a plumber if the leak is coming from above and you won’t let him in to identify the problem? Do you think the plumber will be able to identify/fix a leak by going up through the ceiling? Of course the bright thing to do would be to call down and see where the water is coming down, then check that area of your apartment.

Honestly, if water was streaming down from the apartment above you and the owner closed the door in your face, you probably would be on here complaining that your apartment is going to be damaged and the twat upstairs seems not to give a damn.

jo187 · 08-05-2022 8:14pm

As said before something like these happened a few years ago. Our property agent called after the tenant contacted his/her LL. They had plumber set up to come and we were there to let him in.

The only reason I can assume this didn't happened this time is that his LL not bothered and told him it's his problem. Hence why he wants to come in and "fix" it.

If his been trying to catch me since Friday why not leave a note with his number. I would called him and we arrange for the plumber to come on Saturday.

What would happen if he came in and tried to fix it and cause damage to my apartment? My LL would rightly say that the repair cost would fall on me.

If I came on here saying I went to my neighbour, who I never met at 1 am and demand to come in and fix a water leak and got annoyed when he didn't let me, to fix a problem that came up on Friday, I think rightly people would tell me where to go.

DFB-D · 08-05-2022 8:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119033268#Comment_119033268

Can you not turn off the water, to rule it out?

JimmyVik · 09-05-2022 9:50am

You are right to be suspicious of this guy. He seems a bit strange. Ask him to call a plumber and pay for the call out and you will let that plumber in.

Maybe phone the management company and ask them to send a plumber to him and if that plumber decides he needs to look in your place then allow the plumber in.

But letting a stranger who acts like this guy into your house, never mind letting him root arount or even try to fix a leak would be a big no no from me.

whippet · 09-05-2022 10:07am

just to let you know - even if the leak is coming from your apartment any subsequent damage to the apartment underneath may not be your liability.

My bother had this problem a few years ago -- came home to the ceiling in his apartment on the floor and mould everywhere (had been out of the place for 9 months). The leak was in the apartment upstairs.

Plumber came out (organised by management company) sorted the leak ... but the subsequent damage was for my brother to resolve. He claimed on the block insurance and had to pay a €5000 excess. The damage was about €15k in total

Former Former Former · 09-05-2022 1:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119033356#Comment_119033356

Imagine the OP does as you say and lets the total stranger into his/her apartment. What happens next?

If the leak is under the floorboards or behind a wall, then the leak can only be detected by... that's right, lifting the floorboards or cutting holes in the wall.

So again, what is the point of letting this guy in?

o1s1n · 09-05-2022 1:17pm

Having water running down your walls is a pretty panic inducing experience. If it were my apartment I'd be running upstairs and asking the owner in the apartment above to turn off their water as soon as possible to try to help fix the problem.

Having someone knocking on your door at all hours is bloody awful, but it's an emergency situation in their apartment. You can't really expect someone to just go back to bed with water coming down their walls and wait until the morning.

Dav010 · 09-05-2022 1:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036094#Comment_119036094

The guy lives in the apartment below, the op may not know him, but he isn’t a TOTAL stranger. Depending on where the leak is, no, you don’t always need to left floorboards. It could be a sink, bath, toilet, radiator pipe, none of which would involve lifting boards. Also, if you know what to look for, you can identify leaks under a carpet/wood floor without actually tearing them up, then you just close the valve to that pipe to stop the leak until a plumber can get there.

So a little bit of lateral thinking can go a long way.

jo187 · 09-05-2022 1:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036140#Comment_119036140

That's the problem..

He said it been happing since Friday. He claimed he try to catch me a couple of times but I wasn't there. Which may well be true.

But no note or letter was left. He decides to wait till 1 am on a Saturday night and get aggressive when I don't let him in?

In the mean time he hasn't contacted property management or a plumber? In the 48 hrs he had since Friday.

The only thing that makes sense is his LL refusing to pay for a plumber and he doesn't want to pay out of his own pocket. Hence why his determination to get in and fix it himself. We still don't know if even my apartment, as said a similar thing happened few years ago and turn out wasn't my place.

I contacted the property agent who works on land lord behalf. There sending a plumber out to mine ASAP.

I'm sympathetic to the guy below me but feel his handling of the situation has been all wrong.

If roles reversed, I be on to my LL, property management and a plumber. Not waiting two days and shouting on at someone door at 1 am to fix something myself.

The property agent said I did the right thing and not let him in as who knows what damage he could do.

Hopefully this matter be sorted today, and least find out where the leak is.

Former Former Former · 09-05-2022 2:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036159#Comment_119036159

Right. Except if the leak was happening in the OP's apartment from a toilet or whatever, he'd have noticed them himself. It's pretty obvious that wherever the leak is coming from, it won't be easily found.

And you want the OP to just take this stranger's word for it that he knows what to look for??!

OP was absolutely right, and now he/she is the one sorting it out for this other randomer? OP has gone above and beyond here.

daithi7 · 15-05-2022 8:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036782#Comment_119036782

No leaks are often not obvious. But on closer inspection of shower trays, tile edges, taps , etc etc they can be detected. Imho, That's the initial inspection that the neighbour was asking of the OP.

daithi7 · 15-05-2022 8:19am

So OP,

What was the outcome of this story?

Did the management company send a plumber to do an inspection?

And where did they discover the leak??

Neighbour wants to check for flooding

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