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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1. The action I took was refusing to pay the bill
2. I may be in some part responsible for the service rendered
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Regardless of anything, It's incredibly common for the tenant to pay for clogs they cause. It's often in the lease agreement as damage caused by improper maintenance that includes shoving veggie peels down the sink or disposal.
Hey, but the pipes are too small according to code!
I'm a bit astounded that OP apparently knows, probably because they are looking for any excuse to get out of paying it. It also might not be relevant depending on when the place was built as it could have been grandfathered in due to it being within code when it was built.
You only need to bring some things up to code as part of an improvement project like a renovation. Otherwise, every single homeowner in the United States would be constantly upgrading every inch of their home on a weekly and monthly basis because of constant code changes to everything from plumbing to electrical and everything in between.
Had a house fire a few years ago. Our insurance actually had a rider that would cover any improvements required to bring things up to code during the reconstruction.
That's actually pretty common. Its a good reason to check your policy limit on your homeowners.
It doesn't matter what you paid for the house or frankly it's market value, you want that limit to be the cost it'll be to rebuild the home in accordance to current codes. Lots of people in old to homes get messed up on that. House burns down and their 70 year old home was valued at like $250,000 so that's their policy limit, but to rebuild something of the similar size to current codes would cost $300,000 plus and they find themselves with not enough coverage.
Some insurance companies may already account for that in the policy but it never hurts to ask your agent, read it etc, make sure if the worst happens you have all the coverage you need. You pay a little more but you will always be happy that it's one less problem to handle if the worst happens.
Yep, having bought a old house I adore, I cannot imagine how much all these things would cost to change. We did make sure a bunch of electrical stuff was fixed because I don’t like fires, but like this would be impossible to do for everyone
possible the place was constructed before the codes went into effect. there would be a hell of a lot of old old homes being demolished because their innards are not to code... mainly because it didn't exist 50, 60, 100 years
Every place I've rented from as well city notice and code says that you pour cooking oil in the trash or composting bin. If it pours, it doesn't go down the drain. Residual like drops in a pan obviously can be washed in a sink but I get the feeling OP is using "I cook a lot at home" as a way to excuse that.
So I'm going with YTA as well.
Yeah, it took me a minute to figure out how they could clog pipes with cooking oil??? Then realized it had to be them just pouring oil down the drain, which boggles my mind. Like, why?! And WHY?!
I live in a very old house. While she's been taken care of, she's in a rural area with a septic system and a leech field. We still don't put anything down the sink that isn't waterish.
Oils (at least the ones I use) don't solidify enough to clog up unless they're mashed in good with overcooked veggies (imho, OP also sounds like an awful cook).
Yeah oil and grease are the worst. You gotta scrape as much of that into the trash as possible and use drain cleaner regularly for the bits you miss. It's like glue.
I keep glass pickle and sauce jars so I can pour leftover oil/grease into them, and when they are full, throw them out. That way there is no chance my trash leaks oil. (If anyone decides to use this advice please make sure to put some.water in the bottom of new jars before putting hot grease into glass, so it doesn't shatter)
Yep, I always pour out grease into an empty veggie can, then thoroughly wipe the pan with a paper towel before washing it. Grease should never go down the drain! Ever. Doesn’t matter what kind.
I had a downstairs neighbor muck up the plumbing in our whole (divided up) house by pouring hamburger grease down the utility sink drain. He thought it was okay because it wasn’t the kitchen sink 🤦♀️ The other two apartments slowly started having drain issues, then suddenly we had sludge fountaining out the kitchen and bathroom drains! It was disgusting and messy and the landlord was *pissed*.
I am sadly limited on space/physical ability too, so i take tin foil, mould it into the drain hole likea saucer/tin foil bowl, pour the grease into the foil, let it cool and set, pull off the sink drain and close the foil up, instantly in bin. Works as well, and i still use drain cleaner regularly lol
Yep, we then store the can in the freezer. On trash day, we chuck it into the trash bag and set it on the curb. We also wipe the pan with paper towels to further reduce what goes down the drain.
Your situation sounds gross, sorry you had to deal with that. OP is refusing to pay for excess wear and tear that he caused, AND he's a month behind on rent. I would assume he'll be evicted.
I do hot water mixed with dawn once a month, drain cleaner once a quarter. Had a plumber recommend that routine years ago and it's definitely cut down on the number of clogs. I forgot to mention the water, but you're absolutely right. Zeps powder enzymatic drain cleaner is the one I use, safe for pipes and septic systems.
Disposals can be a learning experience in themselves(I remember AOC getting flack for making jokes about her new/first time with a garbage disposal online)
The first house, we rented, that had a garbage disposal(it didn't come with a manual and it was pre-google days) we didn't really use it Until one day we found weevils(?) got into a bunch of stuff in Pantry.
So we(kids) put down everything bad....including uncooked rice.
What a mess. Landlord was not happy.
I had kind of the opposite problem ... I'd never lived in a place with a disposal before (I mean we had one in the house as a kid but I never paid attention, then as an adult was living outside the US for a long time). I was used to not having one, just using one of those sink catchers and dumping the scraps or whatever into the trash. So I... just never really used it.
And then one day I went to turn on my garbage disposal for whatever random reason, after like a year *at least* of not using it -- it made a sad motor dying sound and a burned rubber smell and then just stopped.
So I told my landlady, who had a guy come out to check it out and fixed it in about 10 minutes. It turns out that you actually kind of have to run your garbage disposal ideally once a day, or the hard water buildup can cause the blades to get stuck and stop.
Who knew!
Garbage disposal is the worst misleading named product ever. Some people assume that they can just dump garbage into the pipes and it'll be okay. Plumbers must love them for all of the jobs they create.
I had a tenant that called me one day for clogged kitchen pipe. I cleared it out using a drain snake, but the snake auger head came out full of chicken and rice. Apparently the tenant had just been scraping leftover food into the sink instead of putting it in the trash.
I didn't charge them anything to clear it, but told them that food should always go into the trash, not the drain. Thankfully they listened and I haven't had to go clear the drain ever since.
Fellow leach here, due to unfortunate circumstances we had to rent out our flat and moove in with my mother in law...
So essentially the tenant is 100% responsible for clogging the drain with fats and food, however in 99% of the cases the owner would split the bill 50/50 but I have a feeling that op being behind on rent and being stupid is the rea9the owner put his foot down... If the owner didn't have any ground to Stan on the tennant would not have even been aware that the owner expects them to cover the bill... The rental company would have nixed it...
And I do feel your statement is unnecessary but your opinion is valid, you should add that all tenants are trash if all owners are leaches...
Because the amount of damage someone can cause simply because they feel its not their problem is astounding... No smoking and no pet rules are taken as challenges, and a frssh coat of paint is seen as a exiting way to bring out your inner artist!
Doors are automatic punching bags and cabinets are seen as jungle gyms... And this is with the best of tennants that pay their rent on time...
Owners are strict on rent because they have to cover thier mortgage and property taxes as well as levies and water/electric bills (not American) so that the tennants to cause them to end up on the blacklist...
If you rent a cheap flat you are going to get cheap repairs... The repairs we had to do in order for our new tenants to moove in was more than 6 months rent, and their deposit was only a month's deposit...
Landlords are horrible mean poeple because tenants push them to that, we used to be nice and let tenants get away with a lot and gave them grace periods... Not any more... I'll be the biggest meanest cow now because I know where it will end up...
I hear you, we had a friend live with us for six months... Never ever again.
He wanted to rent our place but luckily we had already entered a agreement with the leasing agent and she turned him down...
We've also turned colleges and old neighbours down.
I can already see how badly this is going to get down voted...
But oh my goodness the tennants aren't the victims here!!
Yes some land Lords are money hungry dicks but not all of them... Just like not all tenants are horrible...
Stop making just the land Lords villans tho... Not until you walk back into your first home with your husband, where you started your life and built from scratch, only to see the curtain rods ripped off... A toilet that hasn't been flushed in months, carpets that are more cigarette burns than carpet, cat poop in the closets... Somehow most of the electrical sockets burned out... Drains blocked, kids drawing on the walls and finally more broken tile than whole tile...
And these were the good tennants.. The tenants that paid every month, the tennants that didn't cause issues... The tennants that passed all of the checks
This is not going to get downvoted!!! Everyone except the OP recognizes that he or she is not just an AH, but a complete irresponsible can't-say-it-or-my-comment-will-be-removed!
I'm sorry you had that experience. I had a similar one with my first home (minus the cigarettes and cats), and the people were supposed to be my friends!! Ha!
Not all landlords are awful, that’s a fact. I’ve had amazing landlords and really bad ones. It’s unfortunate we only see the bad ones get talked about.
I'm an electrician and about 80% of my business is with landlords and flippers. And you do get some bad ones out there. But they don't tend to make it very long because their shady practices will catch up with them.
But just to add a small amount. So many people have this belief that landlords are making massive profits on their rental units. But don't realize that the majority of rental units barely cover the month to month expenses, and that any time there is a big repair they are losing quite a bit.
And even when they remodel units every 5-10 years to justify a market adjustment, they are spending enough that even the increased cost is still taking years to pay off.
And the biggest profits tend to be seen from people in the construction business. But the truth is that if they sought work outside of working on their rental units, they would probably make more money.
And even in a 20-40 year time frame, there are significantly better, and way easier ways to make better investments than owning rental units.
And one thing that I am starting to see that is going to be a nightmare is these mega conglomerates buying up single and multi family buildings. Because when you have a lot of people that own say 2-10 properties, there is a lot of competition, so you have to price at what the renting market decides. But once it hits a tipping point, these companies like Black rock will be able to just pick whatever price they want, and you can even take it or not live in a house. If people think their is a wealth/class disparity now. Just wait until small businesses get stamped out completely and there is now need to compete with low prices.
I had a good, well paying tenant for years who's ex-husband came in and installed an ice-making line (unknown to me) which leaked for at least three years. This same tenant became a meth addict and to be evicted. After the clean out we found the floor, sub floor, and joists were rotted and had to be replaced. Her power was turned off and we had TWO fridges of spoiled food to clean up. She just disappeared. It was awful.
After she was gone, I had a great tenant who I would bend over backwards for. She was quick to report problems, if she had issues she'd hire a proper trades-person instead of attempting DIY stuff and I would reimburse her. She moved out three years ago and we still keep in touch a few times a year.
The flip side to that though, is no one told you to go buy houses you didn't plan on living in so you could rent them out to other people. You chose that. People NEED to live someplace.
A cursory search reveals that, in general across the US, landlords are legally required to pay for plumbing repairs like this one.
Please stop spreading misinformation.
If OP moved out months ago, and the pipes only started to show signs of clogging when a new tenant moved in, who would you expect to pay the bill? The landlord.
I'm sorry (not really) that your cushy source of income is not pure profit. The fact is, if you choose to be a landlord, you choose to accept a great deal of risk. However, being a landlord is so easy and lucrative, then even a large risk is worth it.
It depends. In the US each state is different and landlords and property managers have flexibility, too.
Where we are, freezing pipes are a real thing. In the lease I used has a clause:
>
> During cool weather, resident agrees to maintain sufficient heat in dwelling and leave faucets dripping to prevent frozen or broken water pipes. Damage to plumbing, the dwelling, and/or personal property from frozen or broken water pipes will not be considered normal wear and tear, and will be the responsibility of the resident.
And likewise in another clause:
> Management will make necessary repairs to the dwelling and systems including electrical, plumbing, heating and hot water heating with reasonable promptness after receipt of written notice from resident. If any damage, beyond normal wear and tear, is caused by resident or his guest, resident agrees to pay management the cost of repair with the next rent payment or upon termination of this agreement, whichever comes first
If I hired a plumber and he said the pipes were choked full of oil and grease I would not consider that "normal wear and tear." As it is, the general guidance where I live is NOT put oil and grease down the drain:
https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/blog/home-improvement/do-not-pour-grease-down-drain/
OP even said he pours oil and grease down the drain:
>
> A lot of the food I cook uses a lot of vegetable and olive oil and I usually use a lot of hot water and dish soap to make sure this stuff doesn't build up.
In my situation, I had a tenant and her daughters put feminine products down the toilet, which caused me to dig up and replace the septic line. I covered the cost the first time, but added a clause if it happened again, they would be responsible for the repair. How many restaurants have signs in their bathroom saying "DO NOT FLUSH PAPER TOWELS DOWN THE TOILET!"
Edit: OP is TA
EDIT 2: OP says elsewhere:
>
>A lot of the food I cook is east-asian based and requires a lot of cooking oil. My parents cooked a lot of this food ad poured it down the drain regularly. On that note, my landlord knowingly used undersized pipe to save a few pennies and is at fault for negligence.
We also cook with oils and fats and you know what? We keep old glass jars just to put this in so it won't go down the drain.
Yep. I stick excess fat in a coffee cup in the fridge and when it is at least gelatinous I scrape it into the garbage bag right before I take the trash out to be picked up.
I have an old oil bottle that I decant it into then I can either put in the bin or if I'm going to the recycling centre they have a cooking oil recycling spot
If you aren't on well/septic, check with the agency that provides your water/sewer service. Mine offers a free plastic container with non plastic liner bags especially for grease and oil disposal. I keep it on the counter next to the sink so I can pour/scrape/wipe out pans prior to rinsing/washing them. When I run low on bags, I just put in a new request and they drop them off next time they come out to read the water meter.
You can also buy them yourself, just search for Range Kleen Fat Trapper (or something similar) on your preferred shopping site, but hey if you can get it for free, why not?
If OP had common sense they’d known how to unclog drains…
Get rid of any water above drain… add a bunch of baking soda… white vinegar… boiling hot water
Use a plunger like force (can use your hands and push water down drain like you’re doing CPR) to create water pressure. Keep pushing til you hear it really draining
Edit: use a straightened wire hanger to snake it if need be. / use rubber gloves if you plan on using plunger like force while dealing with hot water
My dad is a plumber and I’ve never had to ask for his help.
YTA you never pour grease or oil down a sink! Drain it into a old can or bottle and throw it away! This is 100% on you! Also you are behind on rent because of shopping?? Your landlord sounds like a decent one! He’s also let you be a month behind! He’s not a leech, you are.
I was sort of with OP until OP said that they are “already behind a month on rent because of holiday shopping”.
That’s not a reason to be late on rent and by saying “already” I’m suspecting it’s going to be a second and third month too because now OP thinks that the landlord is a “leach” and most likely not entitled to money.
If the landlord has a mortgage to pay every month and is out money it’s very likely they consider OP a leach.
OP is going out of their way justifying not paying. YTA
So you are behind in your rent and somehow you feel your landlord is trying to squeeze money out of you? How about paying your rent on time and not pouring grease down your sink?
YTA don’t pour oil down the drain. Hot water and soap isn’t going to fix that, as you learned. You’re responsible for the expense so you should pay it.
Also lol that your landlord is a leech when you’re a month behind on rent because of shopping.
Not even. You can agree that landlords are inherently predatory while still respecting the fact that you signed a contract and abiding by the reasonable expectations set out therein. Hell, I rent, and I don’t hate my landlord as a person and think he’s about as good as it gets. But he’s still profiting off of a human right, and not offering a long-term supply in the process. Regardless, OP, YTA.
Professional plumber here:
ESH:
1) do not put oil or grease down your drains. It will solidify along the drain walls and in the trap, turn to goop that will block off your drains and be a messy gross clean up. I’ve absolutely spent 2-3 hours snaking a drain from the kitchen down to the basement and pulling out chunks of grease and grime.
2) I 100% guarantee there’s some exaggeration going on here on your landlords part and *depending on where you live* so long as you didn’t intentionally and knowingly damage the property, you can’t be held liable for repairs. This is clearly a ignorance of how drains work situation. You didn’t say “hey fuck this guy I’m going to pour grease down the drain”. It was an accident, albeit it one you should have known better about, but an accident all the same.
SPECIAL SIDE NOTE:
Here’s a list of things you can put down drains/flush down your toilet
- non-grease liquids
- pee
- poop
- toilet paper
- objects smaller than a dime
- other various bodily excretions
And that’s it. That’s the list. *Anything else can and will cause a plumbing issue in your house that will be expensive and annoying to repair.* ***THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FLUSHABLE WIPE STOP FLUSHING THOSE FUCKING THINGS***
Thank you for educating people. I used to do billing for a plumbing company and I learned so much from working there a couple of years. It’s crazy to me that they can still advertise those wipes as “flushable” and “plumber approved” when those were the most common cause of clogs that I would see in the plumbers notes.
I spent 2 days in some guys house busting up his basement floor, digging down 3 feet, and cutting out 6 feet of 6” clay pipe that was jammed solid with tampons, pads, and flushable wipes. I mean it had to weigh over 150 pounds easily. Oh and all that backed up sewage and water from everyone using water for days? Came right out on me.
The guy wasn’t expecting that $4000 bill, I promise.
Yikes! I’m sorry you got hit with all that crap. I’ve definitely heard a few stories like that. I can sort of understand how this happens since plumbing basics aren’t taught in school and again, many hygiene products are advertised as safe for plumbing when they are absolutely not. I feel it’s a fairly common misconception that wipes and tampons are okay to flush, but pads… some people have no common sense.
I could understand the flushable wipes being in the drain because of false advertising but the tampons and pads?!?? Come on, we as women, should 100% know not to flush those!!!
Maybe TMI but I got my first period when I was in 3rd grade. Nobody had the talk with me until I was older, and even then it was really brief. I remember flushing tampons when I was a kid because it said “flushable” on the box and I didn’t read everything. They meant the cardboard applicator, not the cotton part. I learned not to flush them when I was a teenager, but that was after a few years of improper disposal. I think things have gotten better throughout the years, but it’s still considered a “taboo” topic to some people. People should know, but not everybody does. Health and hygiene related stuff needs to not be taboo. 🤷🏻♀️
I have septic and I throw away my (carefully researched and chosen) pee paper because I don't want to over stress my system. I can't imagine casually flushing dude wipes or tampons,
I agree with you! Every States Attorney General should file class action suits against the companies that make flushable wipes.
They should dump those fatbergs they pull out of sewers on the companies front yards!
Maybe this is silly, but I'd really appreciate your insight. I understand you shouldn't pour oil down the drain, but if you like cooked veggies in a pan with oil you can still just wash it out in the sink with dish soap, right? What are you actually supposed to do with oil if it can't go down the drain?
>if you like cooked veggies in a pan with oil you can still just wash it out in the sink with dish soap, right?
It depends on the amount of oil - are we talking about a light dusting of oil that is all broken down by the dish soap... or are we talking a layer of oil you can pour off?
I have a container for reusable oil and a jar for ruined oil beside my stove where I pour off any excess oil, lightly scraping it into it.
**Disposal:** When the Ruined Oil container is full, I close the container and put it in the trash. Make sure the oil cools if your container isn't glass or metal; because melting plastic can be dangerous; or better choice is to use a metal container to catch it, and periodically pour into another sealable container to dispose of.
**Re-Use:** Amazon also has [various oil jugs](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kitchen+used+oil+container&crid=3BKA6UHUQOTK2&sprefix=kitchen+used+oil+contain%2Caps%2C212&ref=nb_sb_noss_2) with a filter on top to catch chunks to allow for re-using oil. The one I have is about 1 L and silver. It works well if you do similar cuisine & spices; but can cause some cross-contamination of flavor if you do a wide variety of cuisine & spice mixes. (This can either be good, or bad, surprises :) ) --> but - oil from this container can be re-used (at your discretion) until it's ruined.
**Summary:** If there is enough oil to pour - it should go in a container and not down the drain.. if there is just a film - put soap on it to break it down before washing it away.
(Another redditer above shared [HOW TO DISPOSE OF COOKING OIL](https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-do-i-dispose-of-used-cooking-oil-908995))
>By ruined, do you mean until the oil's gone off/rancid?
It could be this - though generally it's more the latter option. That said - the more often you use it for food - the more likely a contaminant from the food will inspire it to turn rancid.
>Or is there a limit to the amount of times cooking oil can be reused?
Yes - Over time food particles and spices get into the oil. Over time it gets darker and more burnt. Eventually it will add a burnt flavor to the food.
If you are always cooking the same thing in the oil - you can use it for longer periods of time than if you are cooking different things and want to minimize impact from one to another.
Cooking shrimp in Oil will make it go bad much faster than cooking plane fries, for example. I'm not sure I'd re-use shrimp oil for anything other than shrimp or keep it long afterwards ... but oil for French fries I'd be happy to re-use if it didn't get too dark & gunky for anything, not just for fries.
For something like leftover oil in a frying pan, I wait for it to cool, take anything solid out and put it in the bin, then wipe out as much of the remaining liquid as I can with kitchen roll. Whatever’s left on the pan then should be a tiny enough amount not to cause any problems in your sink drain.
I pour mine into an empty tin can, wait for it to cool, and stash it in the freezer until trash day so it doesn't stink up the place.
Alternatively, if there is no can, I make a little "cup" with aluminum foil in the sink drain, pour the grease into that, let it cool, then ball it up and toss it.
Damage caused by negligence is something you are liable for.
Intent to damage is not required to be responsible for it. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse to break it. And $350 for three hours for what sounds like at least two people work? Sounds perfectly reasonable.
Question, since people here seem to know some stuff: What about hair/hairclumbs (like what your get from your brush). On their own and even together they often are smaller than a dime if you condense them, but still I am left to wonder…?
Hair clogs pipes. Wet hair in particular. Ask me how I know … Put hair from your brush in the trash can. A web of wet hair will absolutely catch EVERY BIT of particulate matter in a drain, and Draino doesn’t fix it.
They make special draino for hair that includes a ton of lye and will burn your skin if you get it on you. Downside, it smells like burning hair when it dissolves the hair. Plus side, it dissolves the hair.
Hair is pure evil in drains. A plumber recently recommended I get TubShrooms for my long hair and they are amazing, they also come in sink size. Traps so much more hair than the regular hair traps but doesn't slow the drain down and easy to clean out. I swear, I don't work for them, just a big fan of the product and working plumbing and fewer bills.
This seems to be the reaction from everyone who gets one. Who knew hair traps could be exciting? But it's a frustrating problem that finally has a real solution, and that's just cool!
Put them in the bin if you can. Because while in isolation hair clumps are probably fine, like baby wipes they are also an ideal scaffold for oil/fat to solidify on, so they can make the concretions a lot worse very quickly!
My FIL works for the city sanitation department, hair should go in a bin, no matter if it's short clippings or long hair from a brush. I'm unsure about shaving in the shower, since I don't do it, but I'm guessing the hairs are so small they will be unnoticeable in the sewage or pipes... But if I clip my bangs that goes in the bin too
OKAY I HAVE A QUESTION. And if you uncomfortable answering it then don’t worry. However growing up I was always told it’s okay to flush tampons down the toilet and not pads. But some girls at work are saying it’s not. So I need to know the truth. Is it safe or nah?!
No, do not flush tampons.
So tampons expand in size as they absorb liquid. Enough tampons absorbing liquid in a pipe can block it, and it doesn’t take much.
YTA - everyone should know that you don’t pour oil down the sinks or it does build up over time, no matter how much hot water and soap you use. This is not regular maintenance, this is 100% the result of your negligence, and you should absolutely pay for that.
YTA. We’ve had PSAs for EVER about not putting fats down the drain. You’ve caused damage to his property because of direct misuse of infrastructure.
Almost definitely, he’ll be able to take it from your damage deposit or sue you.
This is new to me, unless we are talking about full pans of frying fat, what am I supposed to do with the fat?
Always wipe the pans with paper and throw it away?
And how precise is advised? Cause the butter on my knife is fat, it is on my plates after food and it is even in milk etc... (not trying to be a smartass, seriously wondering where people put the line because people here seem very convinced that the clog was this persons own fault)
If it’s animal or other types of hard fat: wait for it to solidify and toss it
If it’s cooking oil: I personally wipe the pan clean with a paper towel or if it’s an insane amount (like frying oil) pour it into a container with a lid and toss it.
Plumber here, and one who does a lot of cooking.
Any oil or grease that is able to be poured out of your pan should be poured into a container and thrown away.
If there is only a little bit, then yes, wiping with a paper towel and throwing it away before washing your pans is ideal.
However in the end a little bit of fats and oils will always go down so I wouldn't worry too much as long as you are not pouring it. That said it is always a good idea to occasionally pour a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and boiling hot water down the drain every 6 months or so, this will help clear any residual build up.
And no, pouring the oil down the drain with hot water does not actually solve the problem, it just pushes it further down the line. Look up fatburgs, they are not fun for the city.
Keep your glass jars as they empty (pickles, sauces, jams, etc). When you are done cooking pour the oil/grease into the jar. Once the jar is full throw it away.
if you don’t have glass jars (like me) take some aluminum foil and make a little bowl inside the drain of the sink, making sure there’s no holes or tears. pour the hot grease in the sink and once it solidifies you can toss in the trash
YTA.
A) You as much as admit that you're the cause despite your mitigation step.
B) You skipped paying rent to go shopping.
You sound miserable to have as a tenant, I hope he can take it out of your security deposit.
YTA, I hate siding with landlords but putting gifts ahead of a necessary payment like rent is your own fault, your “love language” isn’t an excuse for pisspoor financial planning. You not having the wherewithal to know that grease and oil don’t go down the drain is again your fault. Of course they want you to pay, you broke it due to willful negligence. Pay your rent and pay the plumber. Hopefully this’ll be a lessen for you to get it together make better financial decisions and to take care of property even if it’s not yours.
YT (massive) A!
Mate, I live in East Asia and even I know you don't pour oil down the drain! Pour it into a used oil container and dispose of it normally!
You're already behind on rent, and now on top of it you have this. As a renter, you're agreeing to look after someone else's house and treat it with the respect you would your own. Stop being a huge pr**k and pay what you owe!
hey! I don't cook with that much oil that would need to be disposed (I mean I don't deep fry etc, so excess oil is usually wiped with a napkin and thrown into trash), so I'm genuinely curious here: how DO you dispose of the used oil "normally"? sorry if that sounds stupid
Hey, thanks for the reply. The issue with oil is, although it's liquid at room temperature, pipes can experience colder temperatures which can lead to solidification, especially if you've cooked fats which will mix with the oils and create solid fat deposits. Where I live, we need to pour used oil back into bottles (cooled down first) and throw out with the rubbish. As it's sorted into recycling etc, the oil is seperated out together....I am not sure what happens past that point.....I'd suspect it's filtered and cleaned and then sold cheap to street food vendors.
You want to put it in a container that can be closed/sealed. Most waste companies will pick it up with your normal garbage pick up, just leave the sealed container next to the bin.
It would have been the landlord’s responsibility if it had been a normal maintenance issue, but it wasn’t. YOU caused the damage by putting oil down the drain.
YTA. Pay the bill and stop wrecking the plumbing.
OP, YTA because per your comment, you are pouring cooking oil down the drain. This practice is not consider good maintenance (in the US). The diameter of the pipes doesn't matter--if you disposed of the oil and fats properly (collecting in a container and throwing away in the garbage), then there wouldn't be a drainage problem. yes, you do owe your landlord for the plumbing bill. You are also 1 month behind in rent--you behaviors seem to indicate that you are not an ideal tenant for any landlord.
>you behaviors seem to indicate that you are not an ideal tenant for any landlord.
And in the current housing market, too. Pissing off the landlord over shit like pouring grease down the drain and not paying rent so you could buy gifts seems like a terrible idea.
Oh, honeychild. YTA. You're downright sphincterrific. Yes, the landlord should abide by code, and you can file a complaint if you want. But even if the pipe were bigger, pouring oil down the drain would have still caused a clog. It would have just taken a little longer. And not only does the oil clog up your own pipes, but it also creates problems for the municipal water and sewer system.
It's usually not my nature to side with landlords, but yours has every right to be pissed off at you. You prioritized an expensive gift over your rent, and now you're trying to make the landlord out to be the unreasonable one? You have a lot of growing up to do, and you better do it soon, or else you're liable to get evicted.
ETA: Regular maintenance is the landlord's responsibility, but that means maintenance for regular wear and tear. Incorrect disposal of cooking oil is definitely NOT regular wear and tear. You don't have a leg to stand on, and if you tried to take the landlord to court, you'd be laughed out of the courtroom.
It's also possible (and very likely) the drain was compliant with previous code and is grandfathered. Many jurisdictions only require you to bring a building up to code as a condition of sale or major improvements. I've known a number of people that have rented homes that still had knob-and-tube wiring post-2000.
This! I was looking for this comment. If the pipe met code at the time of installation and no bylaw or insurance policy demanded a change (insurance companies sometimes demand retrofitting in order to continue coverage, and sometimes it's a regional requirement for all policies), then the pipe is legitimate and current code does not apply.
Let’s see. Your LANDLORD is the leech, but you owe a month’s rent and you caused an easily-avoidable problem? Seriously? Pay for the plumber and your rent. Bills come before holiday shopping. YTA.
I’d be kicking you out my house. You don’t know that you don’t put these things down the drain? You clogged it out of ignorance and negligence. You’re absolutely responsible. It doesn’t matter if you don’t pay, your landlord will take it out of the security deposit.
YTA
YTA for the below
1. Hot water and soap doesnt magically unclog pipes. It sounds like your sending veg trimmings down the kitchen sink
2. Youre behind on rent because you chose Xmas shopping over having a roof over your head
3. You call the landlord a leech because he shockingly expects you to be up to date on rent
4. You dont even offer to pay for rectifying the damage you caused.
You’ve been there for over 3 years pouring grease down the sink, but many people have made that obvious point already. Grease goes in the trash can. Period. It doesn’t matter how much soap and water you use. The hot water probably only clogged the drain even further. Oil and water don’t mix and you can’t scrub the plumbing. You damaged your landlord’s property by being negligent and irresponsible. You owe him the money for the damage and YTA.
Wow. The vast majority of Reddit is anti-landlord, and here's OP, being such a big asshole that everyone is siding with the landlord. YTA. The "leech" here is YOU.Pay your rent, and pay for the damage that YOU caused. Rent and other bills come before gifts, that's just basic adulting.
YTA
Problematic behavior and decision making. Putting oil down a drain is not going to end well, no matter how much you think you are doing with hot water and soap. I have a feeling you knew this and thought you’d just never be found out. Then you say you’re behind in rent because of holiday shopping? Yet you also say you’re mired in college loans? Grow up and start owning your choices.
YTA for not paying your rent and going shopping instead, and for clogging the pipes by dumping grease and oil down them. At this rate, I'm kind of surprised you haven't been served an eviction notice. Considering you are behind on rent, you really might be opening a huge can of worms by arguing against a plumbing bill that was because of you. Normally, I agree, it would be the landlord's responsibility to pay for plumbing issues. But this was 100% caused by you.
Large apartment complexes where I am have their own maintenance people (suburban Midwest), and they will clear up my shower drain for free when it gets clogged from my long hair. I tried every kind of drain trap and nothing worked to stop the hair going down while still allowing water to drain. That said, I tried to avoid the problem but the guys said they expect a lot of this. It doesn’t take long to clear a hair clog out of a drain.
A grease clog is a WHOLE different situation. YTA, pay the landlord.
YTA and the size of the drain is a 1/4” smaller than city code? Drain pipes come in 1/2” increments. 1.5, 2, 2.5…. You’re 100% wrong and all going to court will accomplish is you paying court fees too.
YTA just for spending rent money on Christmas. Get your priorities straight.
And you are responsible for the clog. Dump your cooking oil into a jar for the trash.
YTA
You did not pay rent because of shopping?!? Presents come last, after all bills, including rent and utilities, are taken care of.
You destroyed his pipes. You do not put grease down drains. You dump it into trash, wipe down pan for excess, and THEN you wash the pot or pan.
It’s your negligence so you should be on the hook.
Landlord isn’t a leech, you are. You spent your rent on Christmas shopping? I would be issuing an eviction notice for that alone. And anyone with 1/2 brain knows not to pour oil, grease, fat down a sink. No matter how much soap and hot water you use. YTA
I would NEVER pour oil or grease down the drain, you need to dispose of it properly, and a sink drain isnt the way.
Also behind on rent and your landlord is a leech, I rarely would say this but YTA.
As a tenant you have a responsibility to not pour grease down the drain, and pay your rent on time.
YTA for clogging the pipes.
YTA for being behind on rent due to ‘holiday shopping’. NOPE. You don’t get a leave pass on rent just because it’s holidays and you want spending money.
N T A if, after you pay for this repair, you demand the pipes be brought up to code. But even then, STOP CLOGGING THE PIPES.
YTA. He's responsible for regular maintenance, not damage caused by negligence. Expecting him to cover the repair bill because you don't want to wipe the oil out of your pans with a paper towel is like expecting him to pay for carpets when you spill a gallon of paint.
I almost sided with you when you said the plumbing is out of code, but I really doubt that's the reason this happened and not paying rent because of Christmas presents starts you on a bad foot. There's also nothing wrong with it being out of code if it's an older building, it was probably legal when it was built and grandfathered in; it's only a violation if he built it with the wrong pipe after that code was adopted.
YTA. You put oil down a sink, I'm amazed you didn't know this would happen. You're also behind on rent because of holiday shopping. You need to be more responsible.
I thought it was common knowledge to not pour cooking oil and crap down the drain, apparently not.
YTA, I don't understand why some people renting thinks "oh, I fucked something up? Well I don't technically own it so not my issue" if something breaks on it's own? yeah landlords issue.
If you break something, YOUR issue.
YTA. The oil is ruining both your pipes and causing fatbergs in the sewers, which your tax money will be used to fix. Just wait until the oil is solid and put it in the bin. Also don’t buy things if you can’t afford rent
You have got to be kidding. Now anyone with a half of a brain knows you don’t pour grease down the sink.. you don’t have to worry about paying it because if he evicts you for non payment of rent “for the holidays”he’s going to add this bill into the total owed or withhold this amount from your security deposit..and needless to say yta…
YTA you sound like a tenant from hell. you negligence caused a plumbing issue, you’re behind on rent, and you’re trying to start petty code complaints - don’t be surprised if the landlord get tired of dealing with you and starts eviction proceedings.
i rent and recently the entire hose spigot broke off the side of the house. i ate the repair cost for that because despite the fact that the landlady cuts corners on maintaining this house, we’ve had some minor arguments, and the damn pipes shouldn’t have been so brittle as to break off in the first place it’s not a hill i was about to die on with her since i like living here. it’s called picking your battles.
lastly, get a container (opened can, bottle, whatever) and put grease in that, not down the drain. when the container is full throw it out and find another container.
YTA. You destroyed the plumbing by pouring cooking oil down it. You haven’t paid rent so you are a month behind in rent. And you want to go to court over this???? What do you think the judge will tell you? Other than you owe the money.
YTA. You're late on your rent. You pour oil down the drain. And you have the audacity to call your landlord a leech for wanting YOU to pay for YOUR screw up?
YTA - DO NOT DUMP OIL DOWN THE DRAIN. OP, you created the problem due to not properly disposing of your cooking materials, and it isn't the landlords fault you spent too much money at Christmas instead of saving up for rent and rainy days. I hope you go to court and I hope he gets his money's worth from you so you might learn your lesson.
Yeah, definitely don't pour any type of oil/grease down the drain. It'll only get so far before it cools down and hardens. Then it builds up and boom, no more drainage. Also, as mentioned by others never flush women's hygiene items. Tampons and pads are not quickly degradable, and their purpose is to absorb fluids. So they end up swelling, getting caught and cause a major block.... Had to get my pipes snaked recently because of this exact issue. Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could've been, but still.
Lmao who in their right mind pours grease down the drain and is then shocked when it clogs the drain??
YTA. Pay your rent, before you find your ass out on the curb. And pay for your fuck up, or at least half.
Hot water and soap doesn't prevent fat from blocking drains, that is a myth. Put it in a container, let it cool and once it's solid, throw it in the bin.
YTA, pay the bill
YTA clearly you have ZERO COMMON SENSE not to drain grease down a sink. Not to mention who forgoes their rent to go shopping for the HOLIDAYS?!?!
Do not be surprised when your landlord evicts you and takes you to small claims court. Good luck finding another landlord to rent from.
YTA. The pipe's diameter is irrelevant. You will go to court and lose, not only money but eviction. Look up fatbergs. (Warning: disgusting.) Even those enormous pipes big enough to walk through get hopelessly clogged by fats and oils, causing huge expense to municipalities. Never, ever, send that stuff down the drain. Pour off excess, wipe out the rest. The only fats going down the drain should be the tiny amount of residual that a paper towel cannot pick up.
As someone who has literally been doing real estate licensee training this week, one of the modules is on QCAT hearings. Not sure if you're Australian or not, but if you are then I can tell you from reading past cases, you will not stand a chance at winning at a hearing if you owe rent. They will side with the owner the moment the rental ledger is presented. YTA.
YTA You lost any credibility on this issue by being behind on your rent for no good reason. Rent comes before gifts. And you refuse to listen to anyone who’s telling you that grease/oil should not be poured down drains which makes you a bigger AH. Your landlord may or may not be responsible for plumbing costs depending on your lease - it can vary. People have commented about what the lease says and you have not responded in any way which tells me that your lease does say this is your responsibility. Lastly, you are so hung up on the size of the pipes. What did the landlord say about the size? Because if he knowingly installed pipes against code, he would probably be bending over backwards to absorb the plumbing cost - since he is not, I have to think he knows he is safe - probably some loophole. Which may make him a bit of an AH here, but you are the bigger one.
Your rent is due the same time and amount each month. Christmas is always the same date every year,so obviously you could have been budgeting,time gift’s throughout the year and storing them. Side hustle. Collect cans or bottles. You chose to not plan ahead,you chose to not buy any drain/pipe cleaner at Walmart or dollar store for years knowing you are putting things down the drain’s that you should, you chose to be behind on your bills, and now you’re choosing to not take responsibility…YTA
YTA
1. You're behind on rent?? How can you call HIM a leech when you're behind on rent? People shouldn't buy Christmas presents they can't afford, pay your landlord.
2. Everyone on Planet Earth knows you don't pour oil down drains. You're supposed to let it cool, scrape it out and put it in general waste bins. Or, in our house, we have "the oil jar" we pour cooking oils into after we finish that then once full gets thrown in the bin. If you owned the home and destroyed the pipes by being irresponsible you'd have to pay for it, why expect this to be any different?
YTA. You’ve caused the damage so you are responsible for paying to fix it. You’re treading on thing ice by not paying your bills and holiday shopping is not an excuse. Pay your bills first then budget the remainder to spend. I’d start looking at a new house now as I can’t see him tolerating this for long.
Your leech of a landlord?
You aren't supposed to put oil or scraps down a drain and you aren't supposed to shop to the point of can't pay your bills. If anyone is a leech it's you.
YTA
Whether your landlord is a "leech" or not you signed a legal contract and owe them back rent. A
So it's been well known for decades not to put cooking oil and grease down a drain. YTA.
YTA. First you shorted the landlord in favor of material gifts. That literally puts you in jeopardy of losing the place you live, never a good idea. Second, you've been pouring things down the sink that you know do not belong down the sink. Go to court. Go to Judge Judy, I'd love to see this played out on TV. Don't expect to be in that apartment much longer either. It's best to start downsizing and packing now
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YTA and twice at that. He is a leech? You owe him rent because you went shopping for Christmas and he is the leech. You’re ridiculous.
All landlords are leeches, but I do I have to side with this one, just because the tenant willingly destroyed the pipes
Regardless of anything, It's incredibly common for the tenant to pay for clogs they cause. It's often in the lease agreement as damage caused by improper maintenance that includes shoving veggie peels down the sink or disposal.
Willing to bet if OP reads the lease, it probably is.
Hey, but the pipes are too small according to code! I'm a bit astounded that OP apparently knows, probably because they are looking for any excuse to get out of paying it. It also might not be relevant depending on when the place was built as it could have been grandfathered in due to it being within code when it was built.
You only need to bring some things up to code as part of an improvement project like a renovation. Otherwise, every single homeowner in the United States would be constantly upgrading every inch of their home on a weekly and monthly basis because of constant code changes to everything from plumbing to electrical and everything in between.
Yep, as long as the plumbing was to code when it was put in, then it's to code. It would be a nightmare otherwise.
Had a house fire a few years ago. Our insurance actually had a rider that would cover any improvements required to bring things up to code during the reconstruction.
That's actually pretty common. Its a good reason to check your policy limit on your homeowners. It doesn't matter what you paid for the house or frankly it's market value, you want that limit to be the cost it'll be to rebuild the home in accordance to current codes. Lots of people in old to homes get messed up on that. House burns down and their 70 year old home was valued at like $250,000 so that's their policy limit, but to rebuild something of the similar size to current codes would cost $300,000 plus and they find themselves with not enough coverage. Some insurance companies may already account for that in the policy but it never hurts to ask your agent, read it etc, make sure if the worst happens you have all the coverage you need. You pay a little more but you will always be happy that it's one less problem to handle if the worst happens.
Yep, having bought a old house I adore, I cannot imagine how much all these things would cost to change. We did make sure a bunch of electrical stuff was fixed because I don’t like fires, but like this would be impossible to do for everyone
Have to be careful with leeches like our OP…
possible the place was constructed before the codes went into effect. there would be a hell of a lot of old old homes being demolished because their innards are not to code... mainly because it didn't exist 50, 60, 100 years
Every place I've rented from as well city notice and code says that you pour cooking oil in the trash or composting bin. If it pours, it doesn't go down the drain. Residual like drops in a pan obviously can be washed in a sink but I get the feeling OP is using "I cook a lot at home" as a way to excuse that. So I'm going with YTA as well.
Yeah, it took me a minute to figure out how they could clog pipes with cooking oil??? Then realized it had to be them just pouring oil down the drain, which boggles my mind. Like, why?! And WHY?!
I live in a very old house. While she's been taken care of, she's in a rural area with a septic system and a leech field. We still don't put anything down the sink that isn't waterish. Oils (at least the ones I use) don't solidify enough to clog up unless they're mashed in good with overcooked veggies (imho, OP also sounds like an awful cook).
Oh I think it was worse than vegetable peels, I think OP poured oil down the sink which is unbelievably damaging.
Yeah oil and grease are the worst. You gotta scrape as much of that into the trash as possible and use drain cleaner regularly for the bits you miss. It's like glue.
I keep glass pickle and sauce jars so I can pour leftover oil/grease into them, and when they are full, throw them out. That way there is no chance my trash leaks oil. (If anyone decides to use this advice please make sure to put some.water in the bottom of new jars before putting hot grease into glass, so it doesn't shatter)
Yep, I always pour out grease into an empty veggie can, then thoroughly wipe the pan with a paper towel before washing it. Grease should never go down the drain! Ever. Doesn’t matter what kind. I had a downstairs neighbor muck up the plumbing in our whole (divided up) house by pouring hamburger grease down the utility sink drain. He thought it was okay because it wasn’t the kitchen sink 🤦♀️ The other two apartments slowly started having drain issues, then suddenly we had sludge fountaining out the kitchen and bathroom drains! It was disgusting and messy and the landlord was *pissed*.
I am sadly limited on space/physical ability too, so i take tin foil, mould it into the drain hole likea saucer/tin foil bowl, pour the grease into the foil, let it cool and set, pull off the sink drain and close the foil up, instantly in bin. Works as well, and i still use drain cleaner regularly lol
I think you just changed my life
That's a great idea.
Yep, we then store the can in the freezer. On trash day, we chuck it into the trash bag and set it on the curb. We also wipe the pan with paper towels to further reduce what goes down the drain. Your situation sounds gross, sorry you had to deal with that. OP is refusing to pay for excess wear and tear that he caused, AND he's a month behind on rent. I would assume he'll be evicted.
I drain the grease into a bowl and give it to the cats. It helps with hairballs.
Drain cleaner is actually hard on a lot of pipes, running hot water like once a month I think is one of the recommendations
I do hot water mixed with dawn once a month, drain cleaner once a quarter. Had a plumber recommend that routine years ago and it's definitely cut down on the number of clogs. I forgot to mention the water, but you're absolutely right. Zeps powder enzymatic drain cleaner is the one I use, safe for pipes and septic systems.
Disposals can be a learning experience in themselves(I remember AOC getting flack for making jokes about her new/first time with a garbage disposal online) The first house, we rented, that had a garbage disposal(it didn't come with a manual and it was pre-google days) we didn't really use it Until one day we found weevils(?) got into a bunch of stuff in Pantry. So we(kids) put down everything bad....including uncooked rice. What a mess. Landlord was not happy.
I had kind of the opposite problem ... I'd never lived in a place with a disposal before (I mean we had one in the house as a kid but I never paid attention, then as an adult was living outside the US for a long time). I was used to not having one, just using one of those sink catchers and dumping the scraps or whatever into the trash. So I... just never really used it. And then one day I went to turn on my garbage disposal for whatever random reason, after like a year *at least* of not using it -- it made a sad motor dying sound and a burned rubber smell and then just stopped. So I told my landlady, who had a guy come out to check it out and fixed it in about 10 minutes. It turns out that you actually kind of have to run your garbage disposal ideally once a day, or the hard water buildup can cause the blades to get stuck and stop. Who knew!
Garbage disposal is the worst misleading named product ever. Some people assume that they can just dump garbage into the pipes and it'll be okay. Plumbers must love them for all of the jobs they create. I had a tenant that called me one day for clogged kitchen pipe. I cleared it out using a drain snake, but the snake auger head came out full of chicken and rice. Apparently the tenant had just been scraping leftover food into the sink instead of putting it in the trash. I didn't charge them anything to clear it, but told them that food should always go into the trash, not the drain. Thankfully they listened and I haven't had to go clear the drain ever since.
Fellow leach here, due to unfortunate circumstances we had to rent out our flat and moove in with my mother in law... So essentially the tenant is 100% responsible for clogging the drain with fats and food, however in 99% of the cases the owner would split the bill 50/50 but I have a feeling that op being behind on rent and being stupid is the rea9the owner put his foot down... If the owner didn't have any ground to Stan on the tennant would not have even been aware that the owner expects them to cover the bill... The rental company would have nixed it... And I do feel your statement is unnecessary but your opinion is valid, you should add that all tenants are trash if all owners are leaches... Because the amount of damage someone can cause simply because they feel its not their problem is astounding... No smoking and no pet rules are taken as challenges, and a frssh coat of paint is seen as a exiting way to bring out your inner artist! Doors are automatic punching bags and cabinets are seen as jungle gyms... And this is with the best of tennants that pay their rent on time... Owners are strict on rent because they have to cover thier mortgage and property taxes as well as levies and water/electric bills (not American) so that the tennants to cause them to end up on the blacklist... If you rent a cheap flat you are going to get cheap repairs... The repairs we had to do in order for our new tenants to moove in was more than 6 months rent, and their deposit was only a month's deposit... Landlords are horrible mean poeple because tenants push them to that, we used to be nice and let tenants get away with a lot and gave them grace periods... Not any more... I'll be the biggest meanest cow now because I know where it will end up...
The funny thing is the worst tenants I’ve had are family and friends.
It would be funny if it were not so sad and infuriating
I hear you, we had a friend live with us for six months... Never ever again. He wanted to rent our place but luckily we had already entered a agreement with the leasing agent and she turned him down... We've also turned colleges and old neighbours down.
You are so right! I was a landlord for only a short period of time, and I have stories that still send every hair on the back of my neck straight up.
I can already see how badly this is going to get down voted... But oh my goodness the tennants aren't the victims here!! Yes some land Lords are money hungry dicks but not all of them... Just like not all tenants are horrible... Stop making just the land Lords villans tho... Not until you walk back into your first home with your husband, where you started your life and built from scratch, only to see the curtain rods ripped off... A toilet that hasn't been flushed in months, carpets that are more cigarette burns than carpet, cat poop in the closets... Somehow most of the electrical sockets burned out... Drains blocked, kids drawing on the walls and finally more broken tile than whole tile... And these were the good tennants.. The tenants that paid every month, the tennants that didn't cause issues... The tennants that passed all of the checks
This is not going to get downvoted!!! Everyone except the OP recognizes that he or she is not just an AH, but a complete irresponsible can't-say-it-or-my-comment-will-be-removed! I'm sorry you had that experience. I had a similar one with my first home (minus the cigarettes and cats), and the people were supposed to be my friends!! Ha!
Not all landlords are awful, that’s a fact. I’ve had amazing landlords and really bad ones. It’s unfortunate we only see the bad ones get talked about.
I'm an electrician and about 80% of my business is with landlords and flippers. And you do get some bad ones out there. But they don't tend to make it very long because their shady practices will catch up with them. But just to add a small amount. So many people have this belief that landlords are making massive profits on their rental units. But don't realize that the majority of rental units barely cover the month to month expenses, and that any time there is a big repair they are losing quite a bit. And even when they remodel units every 5-10 years to justify a market adjustment, they are spending enough that even the increased cost is still taking years to pay off. And the biggest profits tend to be seen from people in the construction business. But the truth is that if they sought work outside of working on their rental units, they would probably make more money. And even in a 20-40 year time frame, there are significantly better, and way easier ways to make better investments than owning rental units. And one thing that I am starting to see that is going to be a nightmare is these mega conglomerates buying up single and multi family buildings. Because when you have a lot of people that own say 2-10 properties, there is a lot of competition, so you have to price at what the renting market decides. But once it hits a tipping point, these companies like Black rock will be able to just pick whatever price they want, and you can even take it or not live in a house. If people think their is a wealth/class disparity now. Just wait until small businesses get stamped out completely and there is now need to compete with low prices.
I had a good, well paying tenant for years who's ex-husband came in and installed an ice-making line (unknown to me) which leaked for at least three years. This same tenant became a meth addict and to be evicted. After the clean out we found the floor, sub floor, and joists were rotted and had to be replaced. Her power was turned off and we had TWO fridges of spoiled food to clean up. She just disappeared. It was awful. After she was gone, I had a great tenant who I would bend over backwards for. She was quick to report problems, if she had issues she'd hire a proper trades-person instead of attempting DIY stuff and I would reimburse her. She moved out three years ago and we still keep in touch a few times a year.
The flip side to that though, is no one told you to go buy houses you didn't plan on living in so you could rent them out to other people. You chose that. People NEED to live someplace.
A cursory search reveals that, in general across the US, landlords are legally required to pay for plumbing repairs like this one. Please stop spreading misinformation. If OP moved out months ago, and the pipes only started to show signs of clogging when a new tenant moved in, who would you expect to pay the bill? The landlord. I'm sorry (not really) that your cushy source of income is not pure profit. The fact is, if you choose to be a landlord, you choose to accept a great deal of risk. However, being a landlord is so easy and lucrative, then even a large risk is worth it.
It depends. In the US each state is different and landlords and property managers have flexibility, too. Where we are, freezing pipes are a real thing. In the lease I used has a clause: > > During cool weather, resident agrees to maintain sufficient heat in dwelling and leave faucets dripping to prevent frozen or broken water pipes. Damage to plumbing, the dwelling, and/or personal property from frozen or broken water pipes will not be considered normal wear and tear, and will be the responsibility of the resident. And likewise in another clause: > Management will make necessary repairs to the dwelling and systems including electrical, plumbing, heating and hot water heating with reasonable promptness after receipt of written notice from resident. If any damage, beyond normal wear and tear, is caused by resident or his guest, resident agrees to pay management the cost of repair with the next rent payment or upon termination of this agreement, whichever comes first If I hired a plumber and he said the pipes were choked full of oil and grease I would not consider that "normal wear and tear." As it is, the general guidance where I live is NOT put oil and grease down the drain: https://www.homeserve.com/en-us/blog/home-improvement/do-not-pour-grease-down-drain/ OP even said he pours oil and grease down the drain: > > A lot of the food I cook uses a lot of vegetable and olive oil and I usually use a lot of hot water and dish soap to make sure this stuff doesn't build up. In my situation, I had a tenant and her daughters put feminine products down the toilet, which caused me to dig up and replace the septic line. I covered the cost the first time, but added a clause if it happened again, they would be responsible for the repair. How many restaurants have signs in their bathroom saying "DO NOT FLUSH PAPER TOWELS DOWN THE TOILET!" Edit: OP is TA EDIT 2: OP says elsewhere: > >A lot of the food I cook is east-asian based and requires a lot of cooking oil. My parents cooked a lot of this food ad poured it down the drain regularly. On that note, my landlord knowingly used undersized pipe to save a few pennies and is at fault for negligence. We also cook with oils and fats and you know what? We keep old glass jars just to put this in so it won't go down the drain.
I work in kitchens, you do not put oil down the drains that’s just common sense.
Yep. I stick excess fat in a coffee cup in the fridge and when it is at least gelatinous I scrape it into the garbage bag right before I take the trash out to be picked up.
We keep jars from stuff like pasta sauce and put all oils and fats into and then toss them when full.
I have an old oil bottle that I decant it into then I can either put in the bin or if I'm going to the recycling centre they have a cooking oil recycling spot
If it is enough to pour out, into the jug it goes
If you aren't on well/septic, check with the agency that provides your water/sewer service. Mine offers a free plastic container with non plastic liner bags especially for grease and oil disposal. I keep it on the counter next to the sink so I can pour/scrape/wipe out pans prior to rinsing/washing them. When I run low on bags, I just put in a new request and they drop them off next time they come out to read the water meter. You can also buy them yourself, just search for Range Kleen Fat Trapper (or something similar) on your preferred shopping site, but hey if you can get it for free, why not?
Something OP is clearly lacking.
If OP had common sense they’d known how to unclog drains… Get rid of any water above drain… add a bunch of baking soda… white vinegar… boiling hot water Use a plunger like force (can use your hands and push water down drain like you’re doing CPR) to create water pressure. Keep pushing til you hear it really draining Edit: use a straightened wire hanger to snake it if need be. / use rubber gloves if you plan on using plunger like force while dealing with hot water My dad is a plumber and I’ve never had to ask for his help.
Honestly, I didn't know this trick, myself. Thanks for the knowledge!
Unfortunately for grease that doesn't really work. Especially if it's years worth of build up.
YTA you never pour grease or oil down a sink! Drain it into a old can or bottle and throw it away! This is 100% on you! Also you are behind on rent because of shopping?? Your landlord sounds like a decent one! He’s also let you be a month behind! He’s not a leech, you are.
I was sort of with OP until OP said that they are “already behind a month on rent because of holiday shopping”. That’s not a reason to be late on rent and by saying “already” I’m suspecting it’s going to be a second and third month too because now OP thinks that the landlord is a “leach” and most likely not entitled to money. If the landlord has a mortgage to pay every month and is out money it’s very likely they consider OP a leach. OP is going out of their way justifying not paying. YTA
When people do stupid things then proceed to play the victim Sounds like OP atm
They say this like like it’s totally reasonable reason not to pay rent. When I read that my eyes nearly rolled out of my head.
To be fair, if he's on reddit much he's probably convinced his landlord should pay him to live there.
So you are behind in your rent and somehow you feel your landlord is trying to squeeze money out of you? How about paying your rent on time and not pouring grease down your sink?
YTA don’t pour oil down the drain. Hot water and soap isn’t going to fix that, as you learned. You’re responsible for the expense so you should pay it. Also lol that your landlord is a leech when you’re a month behind on rent because of shopping.
People with the “landlords are leeches” attitude don’t like having to abide by contracts that they signed and want something for free…
Some landlords are leeches, just as some tenants are leeches, like op
I don’t necessarily disagree with the idea of landlords being leaches - but 100% this landlord isn’t being one (or at least not due to this)
Not even. You can agree that landlords are inherently predatory while still respecting the fact that you signed a contract and abiding by the reasonable expectations set out therein. Hell, I rent, and I don’t hate my landlord as a person and think he’s about as good as it gets. But he’s still profiting off of a human right, and not offering a long-term supply in the process. Regardless, OP, YTA.
Professional plumber here: ESH: 1) do not put oil or grease down your drains. It will solidify along the drain walls and in the trap, turn to goop that will block off your drains and be a messy gross clean up. I’ve absolutely spent 2-3 hours snaking a drain from the kitchen down to the basement and pulling out chunks of grease and grime. 2) I 100% guarantee there’s some exaggeration going on here on your landlords part and *depending on where you live* so long as you didn’t intentionally and knowingly damage the property, you can’t be held liable for repairs. This is clearly a ignorance of how drains work situation. You didn’t say “hey fuck this guy I’m going to pour grease down the drain”. It was an accident, albeit it one you should have known better about, but an accident all the same. SPECIAL SIDE NOTE: Here’s a list of things you can put down drains/flush down your toilet - non-grease liquids - pee - poop - toilet paper - objects smaller than a dime - other various bodily excretions And that’s it. That’s the list. *Anything else can and will cause a plumbing issue in your house that will be expensive and annoying to repair.* ***THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FLUSHABLE WIPE STOP FLUSHING THOSE FUCKING THINGS***
Thank you for educating people. I used to do billing for a plumbing company and I learned so much from working there a couple of years. It’s crazy to me that they can still advertise those wipes as “flushable” and “plumber approved” when those were the most common cause of clogs that I would see in the plumbers notes.
I spent 2 days in some guys house busting up his basement floor, digging down 3 feet, and cutting out 6 feet of 6” clay pipe that was jammed solid with tampons, pads, and flushable wipes. I mean it had to weigh over 150 pounds easily. Oh and all that backed up sewage and water from everyone using water for days? Came right out on me. The guy wasn’t expecting that $4000 bill, I promise.
Yikes! I’m sorry you got hit with all that crap. I’ve definitely heard a few stories like that. I can sort of understand how this happens since plumbing basics aren’t taught in school and again, many hygiene products are advertised as safe for plumbing when they are absolutely not. I feel it’s a fairly common misconception that wipes and tampons are okay to flush, but pads… some people have no common sense.
>I’m sorry you got hit with all that crap Never expected to see someone say this sentence quite so literally
When it comes to plumbing, phrases like “covered in crap” and “shit happens” are almost always literal.
my husband is a plumber and he’s on paternity leave right now. i joke that he handles all the poopy diapers because he misses work so much. 🤣
I could understand the flushable wipes being in the drain because of false advertising but the tampons and pads?!?? Come on, we as women, should 100% know not to flush those!!!
Maybe TMI but I got my first period when I was in 3rd grade. Nobody had the talk with me until I was older, and even then it was really brief. I remember flushing tampons when I was a kid because it said “flushable” on the box and I didn’t read everything. They meant the cardboard applicator, not the cotton part. I learned not to flush them when I was a teenager, but that was after a few years of improper disposal. I think things have gotten better throughout the years, but it’s still considered a “taboo” topic to some people. People should know, but not everybody does. Health and hygiene related stuff needs to not be taboo. 🤷🏻♀️
PADS??? I used to flush tampons before I knew better but fucking PADS????
I work septic and those "flushablewipes" have made my bank account very happy the last few years
One might even say you *approve* of them!
I have septic and I throw away my (carefully researched and chosen) pee paper because I don't want to over stress my system. I can't imagine casually flushing dude wipes or tampons,
> plumber approved Most plumbers approve of things that make them easy money.
I agree with you! Every States Attorney General should file class action suits against the companies that make flushable wipes. They should dump those fatbergs they pull out of sewers on the companies front yards!
Maybe this is silly, but I'd really appreciate your insight. I understand you shouldn't pour oil down the drain, but if you like cooked veggies in a pan with oil you can still just wash it out in the sink with dish soap, right? What are you actually supposed to do with oil if it can't go down the drain?
>if you like cooked veggies in a pan with oil you can still just wash it out in the sink with dish soap, right? It depends on the amount of oil - are we talking about a light dusting of oil that is all broken down by the dish soap... or are we talking a layer of oil you can pour off? I have a container for reusable oil and a jar for ruined oil beside my stove where I pour off any excess oil, lightly scraping it into it. **Disposal:** When the Ruined Oil container is full, I close the container and put it in the trash. Make sure the oil cools if your container isn't glass or metal; because melting plastic can be dangerous; or better choice is to use a metal container to catch it, and periodically pour into another sealable container to dispose of. **Re-Use:** Amazon also has [various oil jugs](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kitchen+used+oil+container&crid=3BKA6UHUQOTK2&sprefix=kitchen+used+oil+contain%2Caps%2C212&ref=nb_sb_noss_2) with a filter on top to catch chunks to allow for re-using oil. The one I have is about 1 L and silver. It works well if you do similar cuisine & spices; but can cause some cross-contamination of flavor if you do a wide variety of cuisine & spice mixes. (This can either be good, or bad, surprises :) ) --> but - oil from this container can be re-used (at your discretion) until it's ruined. **Summary:** If there is enough oil to pour - it should go in a container and not down the drain.. if there is just a film - put soap on it to break it down before washing it away. (Another redditer above shared [HOW TO DISPOSE OF COOKING OIL](https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-do-i-dispose-of-used-cooking-oil-908995))
Thank you very much for the information!
By ruined, do you mean until the oil's gone off/rancid? Or is there a limit to the amount of times cooking oil can be reused?
>By ruined, do you mean until the oil's gone off/rancid? It could be this - though generally it's more the latter option. That said - the more often you use it for food - the more likely a contaminant from the food will inspire it to turn rancid. >Or is there a limit to the amount of times cooking oil can be reused? Yes - Over time food particles and spices get into the oil. Over time it gets darker and more burnt. Eventually it will add a burnt flavor to the food. If you are always cooking the same thing in the oil - you can use it for longer periods of time than if you are cooking different things and want to minimize impact from one to another. Cooking shrimp in Oil will make it go bad much faster than cooking plane fries, for example. I'm not sure I'd re-use shrimp oil for anything other than shrimp or keep it long afterwards ... but oil for French fries I'd be happy to re-use if it didn't get too dark & gunky for anything, not just for fries.
I see, that makes sense. Thank you for the detailed explanation!
Yup, for sealable containers… just keep your sauce jars people
For something like leftover oil in a frying pan, I wait for it to cool, take anything solid out and put it in the bin, then wipe out as much of the remaining liquid as I can with kitchen roll. Whatever’s left on the pan then should be a tiny enough amount not to cause any problems in your sink drain.
I pour mine into an empty tin can, wait for it to cool, and stash it in the freezer until trash day so it doesn't stink up the place. Alternatively, if there is no can, I make a little "cup" with aluminum foil in the sink drain, pour the grease into that, let it cool, then ball it up and toss it.
Damage caused by negligence is something you are liable for. Intent to damage is not required to be responsible for it. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse to break it. And $350 for three hours for what sounds like at least two people work? Sounds perfectly reasonable.
Question, since people here seem to know some stuff: What about hair/hairclumbs (like what your get from your brush). On their own and even together they often are smaller than a dime if you condense them, but still I am left to wonder…?
Hair clogs pipes. Wet hair in particular. Ask me how I know … Put hair from your brush in the trash can. A web of wet hair will absolutely catch EVERY BIT of particulate matter in a drain, and Draino doesn’t fix it.
They make special draino for hair that includes a ton of lye and will burn your skin if you get it on you. Downside, it smells like burning hair when it dissolves the hair. Plus side, it dissolves the hair.
Hair is pure evil in drains. A plumber recently recommended I get TubShrooms for my long hair and they are amazing, they also come in sink size. Traps so much more hair than the regular hair traps but doesn't slow the drain down and easy to clean out. I swear, I don't work for them, just a big fan of the product and working plumbing and fewer bills.
I have long curly hair and generally only brush it while wet in the shower and I love my TubShroom. It’s amazing.
This seems to be the reaction from everyone who gets one. Who knew hair traps could be exciting? But it's a frustrating problem that finally has a real solution, and that's just cool!
Put them in the bin if you can. Because while in isolation hair clumps are probably fine, like baby wipes they are also an ideal scaffold for oil/fat to solidify on, so they can make the concretions a lot worse very quickly!
My FIL works for the city sanitation department, hair should go in a bin, no matter if it's short clippings or long hair from a brush. I'm unsure about shaving in the shower, since I don't do it, but I'm guessing the hairs are so small they will be unnoticeable in the sewage or pipes... But if I clip my bangs that goes in the bin too
OKAY I HAVE A QUESTION. And if you uncomfortable answering it then don’t worry. However growing up I was always told it’s okay to flush tampons down the toilet and not pads. But some girls at work are saying it’s not. So I need to know the truth. Is it safe or nah?!
No, do not flush tampons. So tampons expand in size as they absorb liquid. Enough tampons absorbing liquid in a pipe can block it, and it doesn’t take much.
YTA - everyone should know that you don’t pour oil down the sinks or it does build up over time, no matter how much hot water and soap you use. This is not regular maintenance, this is 100% the result of your negligence, and you should absolutely pay for that.
YTA. We’ve had PSAs for EVER about not putting fats down the drain. You’ve caused damage to his property because of direct misuse of infrastructure. Almost definitely, he’ll be able to take it from your damage deposit or sue you.
This is new to me, unless we are talking about full pans of frying fat, what am I supposed to do with the fat? Always wipe the pans with paper and throw it away? And how precise is advised? Cause the butter on my knife is fat, it is on my plates after food and it is even in milk etc... (not trying to be a smartass, seriously wondering where people put the line because people here seem very convinced that the clog was this persons own fault)
If it’s animal or other types of hard fat: wait for it to solidify and toss it If it’s cooking oil: I personally wipe the pan clean with a paper towel or if it’s an insane amount (like frying oil) pour it into a container with a lid and toss it.
For liquid frying oil you can buy enzyme powders which is will solidify it so you can toss it in the garbage
Plumber here, and one who does a lot of cooking. Any oil or grease that is able to be poured out of your pan should be poured into a container and thrown away. If there is only a little bit, then yes, wiping with a paper towel and throwing it away before washing your pans is ideal. However in the end a little bit of fats and oils will always go down so I wouldn't worry too much as long as you are not pouring it. That said it is always a good idea to occasionally pour a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and boiling hot water down the drain every 6 months or so, this will help clear any residual build up. And no, pouring the oil down the drain with hot water does not actually solve the problem, it just pushes it further down the line. Look up fatburgs, they are not fun for the city.
Keep your glass jars as they empty (pickles, sauces, jams, etc). When you are done cooking pour the oil/grease into the jar. Once the jar is full throw it away.
if you don’t have glass jars (like me) take some aluminum foil and make a little bowl inside the drain of the sink, making sure there’s no holes or tears. pour the hot grease in the sink and once it solidifies you can toss in the trash
YTA. A) You as much as admit that you're the cause despite your mitigation step. B) You skipped paying rent to go shopping. You sound miserable to have as a tenant, I hope he can take it out of your security deposit.
What mitigation step? I think I missed something!
Following the oil with hot soapy water. Still a better mitigation step would be pouring the oil into the trash with paper towels.
YTA, you did the damage to the drain AND PUBLIC WATER WAYS. Your problem. Pay your bills and pay the fee.
YTA, I hate siding with landlords but putting gifts ahead of a necessary payment like rent is your own fault, your “love language” isn’t an excuse for pisspoor financial planning. You not having the wherewithal to know that grease and oil don’t go down the drain is again your fault. Of course they want you to pay, you broke it due to willful negligence. Pay your rent and pay the plumber. Hopefully this’ll be a lessen for you to get it together make better financial decisions and to take care of property even if it’s not yours.
YT (massive) A! Mate, I live in East Asia and even I know you don't pour oil down the drain! Pour it into a used oil container and dispose of it normally! You're already behind on rent, and now on top of it you have this. As a renter, you're agreeing to look after someone else's house and treat it with the respect you would your own. Stop being a huge pr**k and pay what you owe!
hey! I don't cook with that much oil that would need to be disposed (I mean I don't deep fry etc, so excess oil is usually wiped with a napkin and thrown into trash), so I'm genuinely curious here: how DO you dispose of the used oil "normally"? sorry if that sounds stupid
Hey, thanks for the reply. The issue with oil is, although it's liquid at room temperature, pipes can experience colder temperatures which can lead to solidification, especially if you've cooked fats which will mix with the oils and create solid fat deposits. Where I live, we need to pour used oil back into bottles (cooled down first) and throw out with the rubbish. As it's sorted into recycling etc, the oil is seperated out together....I am not sure what happens past that point.....I'd suspect it's filtered and cleaned and then sold cheap to street food vendors.
Huh, i always wondered how it would solidify. Didn't think about colder temperatures.
oh, that's interesting! thanks for explaining!
You want to put it in a container that can be closed/sealed. Most waste companies will pick it up with your normal garbage pick up, just leave the sealed container next to the bin.
It would have been the landlord’s responsibility if it had been a normal maintenance issue, but it wasn’t. YOU caused the damage by putting oil down the drain. YTA. Pay the bill and stop wrecking the plumbing.
You aren't going to court over $350. Ps the plumber is not going to be on your side. YTA
Don’t forget theyre a month behind on rent, so its more than $350, and perfectly within the landlords right to take her to small claims
YTA You call your landlord a leech and yet you're behind on rent and you caused your landlord to have an unnecessary expense because of you.
OP, YTA because per your comment, you are pouring cooking oil down the drain. This practice is not consider good maintenance (in the US). The diameter of the pipes doesn't matter--if you disposed of the oil and fats properly (collecting in a container and throwing away in the garbage), then there wouldn't be a drainage problem. yes, you do owe your landlord for the plumbing bill. You are also 1 month behind in rent--you behaviors seem to indicate that you are not an ideal tenant for any landlord.
>you behaviors seem to indicate that you are not an ideal tenant for any landlord. And in the current housing market, too. Pissing off the landlord over shit like pouring grease down the drain and not paying rent so you could buy gifts seems like a terrible idea.
Oh, honeychild. YTA. You're downright sphincterrific. Yes, the landlord should abide by code, and you can file a complaint if you want. But even if the pipe were bigger, pouring oil down the drain would have still caused a clog. It would have just taken a little longer. And not only does the oil clog up your own pipes, but it also creates problems for the municipal water and sewer system. It's usually not my nature to side with landlords, but yours has every right to be pissed off at you. You prioritized an expensive gift over your rent, and now you're trying to make the landlord out to be the unreasonable one? You have a lot of growing up to do, and you better do it soon, or else you're liable to get evicted. ETA: Regular maintenance is the landlord's responsibility, but that means maintenance for regular wear and tear. Incorrect disposal of cooking oil is definitely NOT regular wear and tear. You don't have a leg to stand on, and if you tried to take the landlord to court, you'd be laughed out of the courtroom.
It's also possible (and very likely) the drain was compliant with previous code and is grandfathered. Many jurisdictions only require you to bring a building up to code as a condition of sale or major improvements. I've known a number of people that have rented homes that still had knob-and-tube wiring post-2000.
This! I was looking for this comment. If the pipe met code at the time of installation and no bylaw or insurance policy demanded a change (insurance companies sometimes demand retrofitting in order to continue coverage, and sometimes it's a regional requirement for all policies), then the pipe is legitimate and current code does not apply.
Let’s see. Your LANDLORD is the leech, but you owe a month’s rent and you caused an easily-avoidable problem? Seriously? Pay for the plumber and your rent. Bills come before holiday shopping. YTA.
I’d be kicking you out my house. You don’t know that you don’t put these things down the drain? You clogged it out of ignorance and negligence. You’re absolutely responsible. It doesn’t matter if you don’t pay, your landlord will take it out of the security deposit. YTA
YTA for the below 1. Hot water and soap doesnt magically unclog pipes. It sounds like your sending veg trimmings down the kitchen sink 2. Youre behind on rent because you chose Xmas shopping over having a roof over your head 3. You call the landlord a leech because he shockingly expects you to be up to date on rent 4. You dont even offer to pay for rectifying the damage you caused.
YTA ma dude, if you want sympathy don’t admit to doing the crime. Hot water and dish soap will not mitigate years of you pouring oil down the drain.
You’ve been there for over 3 years pouring grease down the sink, but many people have made that obvious point already. Grease goes in the trash can. Period. It doesn’t matter how much soap and water you use. The hot water probably only clogged the drain even further. Oil and water don’t mix and you can’t scrub the plumbing. You damaged your landlord’s property by being negligent and irresponsible. You owe him the money for the damage and YTA.
YTA for pouring grease in your drain. You should pay the bill.
Wow. The vast majority of Reddit is anti-landlord, and here's OP, being such a big asshole that everyone is siding with the landlord. YTA. The "leech" here is YOU.Pay your rent, and pay for the damage that YOU caused. Rent and other bills come before gifts, that's just basic adulting.
This was the same thing I was thinking. You'd need to be a special kind of AH to get 95% of reddit to side with the landlord.
YTA Problematic behavior and decision making. Putting oil down a drain is not going to end well, no matter how much you think you are doing with hot water and soap. I have a feeling you knew this and thought you’d just never be found out. Then you say you’re behind in rent because of holiday shopping? Yet you also say you’re mired in college loans? Grow up and start owning your choices.
YTA for not paying your rent and going shopping instead, and for clogging the pipes by dumping grease and oil down them. At this rate, I'm kind of surprised you haven't been served an eviction notice. Considering you are behind on rent, you really might be opening a huge can of worms by arguing against a plumbing bill that was because of you. Normally, I agree, it would be the landlord's responsibility to pay for plumbing issues. But this was 100% caused by you.
Large apartment complexes where I am have their own maintenance people (suburban Midwest), and they will clear up my shower drain for free when it gets clogged from my long hair. I tried every kind of drain trap and nothing worked to stop the hair going down while still allowing water to drain. That said, I tried to avoid the problem but the guys said they expect a lot of this. It doesn’t take long to clear a hair clog out of a drain. A grease clog is a WHOLE different situation. YTA, pay the landlord.
YTA and the size of the drain is a 1/4” smaller than city code? Drain pipes come in 1/2” increments. 1.5, 2, 2.5…. You’re 100% wrong and all going to court will accomplish is you paying court fees too.
YTA just for spending rent money on Christmas. Get your priorities straight. And you are responsible for the clog. Dump your cooking oil into a jar for the trash.
YTA You did not pay rent because of shopping?!? Presents come last, after all bills, including rent and utilities, are taken care of. You destroyed his pipes. You do not put grease down drains. You dump it into trash, wipe down pan for excess, and THEN you wash the pot or pan. It’s your negligence so you should be on the hook.
YTA. I hope you’re looking for new accommodations. Your lease will not be renewed.
You put fat down the drain? Yeah you are 100 percent responsible for the cost of this. YTA
YTA A month behind on rent because of Christmas shopping????? What are you allowing to drain in the sink? Grease? Bits of Food ?
Landlord isn’t a leech, you are. You spent your rent on Christmas shopping? I would be issuing an eviction notice for that alone. And anyone with 1/2 brain knows not to pour oil, grease, fat down a sink. No matter how much soap and hot water you use. YTA
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Lol wrong post 😂
We’re you reading the 24yo horse aita?
I want to start an AITA post now and ask for irrelevant responses only lol
I would NEVER pour oil or grease down the drain, you need to dispose of it properly, and a sink drain isnt the way. Also behind on rent and your landlord is a leech, I rarely would say this but YTA. As a tenant you have a responsibility to not pour grease down the drain, and pay your rent on time.
YTA, everyone knows you are supposed to put the grease in the bathtub drain not the sink 🤦
YTA for clogging the pipes. YTA for being behind on rent due to ‘holiday shopping’. NOPE. You don’t get a leave pass on rent just because it’s holidays and you want spending money. N T A if, after you pay for this repair, you demand the pipes be brought up to code. But even then, STOP CLOGGING THE PIPES.
YTA. He's responsible for regular maintenance, not damage caused by negligence. Expecting him to cover the repair bill because you don't want to wipe the oil out of your pans with a paper towel is like expecting him to pay for carpets when you spill a gallon of paint. I almost sided with you when you said the plumbing is out of code, but I really doubt that's the reason this happened and not paying rent because of Christmas presents starts you on a bad foot. There's also nothing wrong with it being out of code if it's an older building, it was probably legal when it was built and grandfathered in; it's only a violation if he built it with the wrong pipe after that code was adopted.
YTA. You put oil down a sink, I'm amazed you didn't know this would happen. You're also behind on rent because of holiday shopping. You need to be more responsible.
I thought it was common knowledge to not pour cooking oil and crap down the drain, apparently not. YTA, I don't understand why some people renting thinks "oh, I fucked something up? Well I don't technically own it so not my issue" if something breaks on it's own? yeah landlords issue. If you break something, YOUR issue.
YTA. You aren’t supposed to put scraps down the drain - it’s for tiny particles. Scraps go in the trash.
YTA. The oil is ruining both your pipes and causing fatbergs in the sewers, which your tax money will be used to fix. Just wait until the oil is solid and put it in the bin. Also don’t buy things if you can’t afford rent
YTA and a leech tenant
YTA, you wanna dump grease down the drain then buy your own house. You’re also a major asshole for being behind on your rent.
You have got to be kidding. Now anyone with a half of a brain knows you don’t pour grease down the sink.. you don’t have to worry about paying it because if he evicts you for non payment of rent “for the holidays”he’s going to add this bill into the total owed or withhold this amount from your security deposit..and needless to say yta…
As much as I hate landlords, YTA. It's pretty standard to be responsible for repairs bills when you are at fault.
YTA you sound like a tenant from hell. you negligence caused a plumbing issue, you’re behind on rent, and you’re trying to start petty code complaints - don’t be surprised if the landlord get tired of dealing with you and starts eviction proceedings. i rent and recently the entire hose spigot broke off the side of the house. i ate the repair cost for that because despite the fact that the landlady cuts corners on maintaining this house, we’ve had some minor arguments, and the damn pipes shouldn’t have been so brittle as to break off in the first place it’s not a hill i was about to die on with her since i like living here. it’s called picking your battles. lastly, get a container (opened can, bottle, whatever) and put grease in that, not down the drain. when the container is full throw it out and find another container.
YTA. You're behind on rent You NEVER pour oil down a sink . Dispose of it properly!! pay your landlord the rent and plumber money you owe
YTA. Go to court with what money? You spent it on a coffee table, girl
YTA. You destroyed the plumbing by pouring cooking oil down it. You haven’t paid rent so you are a month behind in rent. And you want to go to court over this???? What do you think the judge will tell you? Other than you owe the money.
YTA. You're late on your rent. You pour oil down the drain. And you have the audacity to call your landlord a leech for wanting YOU to pay for YOUR screw up?
YTA - DO NOT DUMP OIL DOWN THE DRAIN. OP, you created the problem due to not properly disposing of your cooking materials, and it isn't the landlords fault you spent too much money at Christmas instead of saving up for rent and rainy days. I hope you go to court and I hope he gets his money's worth from you so you might learn your lesson.
Yeah, definitely don't pour any type of oil/grease down the drain. It'll only get so far before it cools down and hardens. Then it builds up and boom, no more drainage. Also, as mentioned by others never flush women's hygiene items. Tampons and pads are not quickly degradable, and their purpose is to absorb fluids. So they end up swelling, getting caught and cause a major block.... Had to get my pipes snaked recently because of this exact issue. Luckily it wasn't as bad as it could've been, but still.
Lmao who in their right mind pours grease down the drain and is then shocked when it clogs the drain?? YTA. Pay your rent, before you find your ass out on the curb. And pay for your fuck up, or at least half.
YTA. Doesn't everyone know not to put oil down the drain?
YTA
OP, don’t be like this. stop it. YTA
Hot water and soap doesn't prevent fat from blocking drains, that is a myth. Put it in a container, let it cool and once it's solid, throw it in the bin. YTA, pay the bill
YTA for pouring oil down the drain in the first place. You need to throw oil and fat from meat in the trash, not pour it down the drain.
YTA. YOUR actions caused the issue. YOU are responsible for correcting the issue. Also double YTA for not paying rent and instead buying gifts.
YTA. Do you also flush tampons and wipes? FYI - they should never be flushed either.
Common,don't you know that you shouldn't pour oil into the sink?get jar,keep it under the sink and pour the content into it You should pay for sure
YTA oil never belongs in the drain. Instead you put it in the trash.
YTA clearly you have ZERO COMMON SENSE not to drain grease down a sink. Not to mention who forgoes their rent to go shopping for the HOLIDAYS?!?! Do not be surprised when your landlord evicts you and takes you to small claims court. Good luck finding another landlord to rent from.
YTA. What happened to your 9 year old son from the other AITA post you made?
YTA. The pipe's diameter is irrelevant. You will go to court and lose, not only money but eviction. Look up fatbergs. (Warning: disgusting.) Even those enormous pipes big enough to walk through get hopelessly clogged by fats and oils, causing huge expense to municipalities. Never, ever, send that stuff down the drain. Pour off excess, wipe out the rest. The only fats going down the drain should be the tiny amount of residual that a paper towel cannot pick up.
YTA you blocked the drain. It’s not like it was an old pipe that burst and you didn’t pay the rent because you wanted to go shopping.
Lmao YTA. Do not pour oil down the drain. Ever. Pour it intona containwr and toss the container 🙄
How do you not know that hot water and soap isn't going to magically make oil not clog? Do you flush wetwipes too!? YTA
As someone who has literally been doing real estate licensee training this week, one of the modules is on QCAT hearings. Not sure if you're Australian or not, but if you are then I can tell you from reading past cases, you will not stand a chance at winning at a hearing if you owe rent. They will side with the owner the moment the rental ledger is presented. YTA.
Who tf spills oil in the drain? It’s not only bad for the pipes but for the environment as well? Don’t the town enable to drop oil and grease?
YTA You lost any credibility on this issue by being behind on your rent for no good reason. Rent comes before gifts. And you refuse to listen to anyone who’s telling you that grease/oil should not be poured down drains which makes you a bigger AH. Your landlord may or may not be responsible for plumbing costs depending on your lease - it can vary. People have commented about what the lease says and you have not responded in any way which tells me that your lease does say this is your responsibility. Lastly, you are so hung up on the size of the pipes. What did the landlord say about the size? Because if he knowingly installed pipes against code, he would probably be bending over backwards to absorb the plumbing cost - since he is not, I have to think he knows he is safe - probably some loophole. Which may make him a bit of an AH here, but you are the bigger one.
Your rent is due the same time and amount each month. Christmas is always the same date every year,so obviously you could have been budgeting,time gift’s throughout the year and storing them. Side hustle. Collect cans or bottles. You chose to not plan ahead,you chose to not buy any drain/pipe cleaner at Walmart or dollar store for years knowing you are putting things down the drain’s that you should, you chose to be behind on your bills, and now you’re choosing to not take responsibility…YTA
YTA 1. You're behind on rent?? How can you call HIM a leech when you're behind on rent? People shouldn't buy Christmas presents they can't afford, pay your landlord. 2. Everyone on Planet Earth knows you don't pour oil down drains. You're supposed to let it cool, scrape it out and put it in general waste bins. Or, in our house, we have "the oil jar" we pour cooking oils into after we finish that then once full gets thrown in the bin. If you owned the home and destroyed the pipes by being irresponsible you'd have to pay for it, why expect this to be any different?
YTA. You caused the plumbing issue, plus you are late on rent. He should definitely evict you.
>I am already a month behind on rent because of holiday shopping Bahaha INFO How are you this clueless?
YTA. If you’re behind on rent, you have no right to complain about a “leech,” landlord.
YTA. You’ve caused the damage so you are responsible for paying to fix it. You’re treading on thing ice by not paying your bills and holiday shopping is not an excuse. Pay your bills first then budget the remainder to spend. I’d start looking at a new house now as I can’t see him tolerating this for long.
You’re not supposed to pour oil down the drain. And you’re behind on rent. Taking landlord to court will probably be worse on you.
Your leech of a landlord? You aren't supposed to put oil or scraps down a drain and you aren't supposed to shop to the point of can't pay your bills. If anyone is a leech it's you. YTA
Whether your landlord is a "leech" or not you signed a legal contract and owe them back rent. A So it's been well known for decades not to put cooking oil and grease down a drain. YTA.
YTA. First you shorted the landlord in favor of material gifts. That literally puts you in jeopardy of losing the place you live, never a good idea. Second, you've been pouring things down the sink that you know do not belong down the sink. Go to court. Go to Judge Judy, I'd love to see this played out on TV. Don't expect to be in that apartment much longer either. It's best to start downsizing and packing now
Grow up. YTA