But I’m easy to gaslight, so I need input from others.
My landlord came over today and saw that the wooden cabinet of my sink has endured some water damage. Of course, this means that the wood has broken down a little. However, ultimately, this is a cosmetic issue. The cabinet isn’t any more or less functional because of this. That being said, it’s still understandable that she wants it to be fixed.
Now, she is saying that she has to get someone to replace the whole sink.
To me, that seems overkill for one portion of a wooden cabinet with some water damage. She says that it can cost $300 USD or more, and she wants to take this out of my security deposit.
A part of me deeply feels like this is a manipulative attempt for her to get more money out of me than actually necessary.
I texted her that I’m seeking DIY solutions because I do not think that a cosmetic issue is so urgent that we need to impulsively seek such a pricey fix like that. So far, she hasn’t responded, but I don’t know what she’ll say.
Is this a bunch of bullshit?
Update: I will not DIY so that I’m not held liable for any fuck-ups I do, but I drafted a text I will send her tomorrow letting her know that, legally, she has no evidence to use this against me in a way that makes her able to charge for it. Therefore, I refuse to take financial responsibility for it. Fuck landlords.
The sink is not leaking. However, recently, there was a clog issue, but this problem has since then been solved. The sink itself is entirely functional. The issue is with the right cabinet door, and it’s definitely fucked up., but even if it’s unfixable, I don’t know if this is something that we really need to roll out a $300 sink replacement for.
Here are some pics of it. Pardon it being quite messy on the front.
That’s not your fault and that’s not 300 dollars. A 8th sheet of cabinet grade plywood, a touch up portion of matched paint, a screwdriver and a drill is all it takes to make the right door match the left.
She is trying to use your deposit in a manner that a deposit is not intended for.
If you have the stomach for it, I’d fight over this.
ETA - 150 bucks at Lowe’s for a single lavatory vanity, with cultured marble counter and undermount sink pre installed. Pre painted, partially assembled, and of higher quality than what the leech has provided.
Do nothing, except fight that.
Oh, I will. I’m being petty because I know she’s being infantilizing and racist, and I refuse to entertain the logic she’s arriving at with that mindset.
I also feel like this is a major “correlation does not equal causation” moment. It seems like her mindset is, “The sink was clogged recently, so therefore water must’ve overflowed and damaged the wood,” but she has zero evidence that this has happened. I myself have actually never consciously noticed this until she started making a fuss about it, so I don’t know when it exactly happened.
I could see it being 300 with labor, maybe. It looks like whatever water got into the door got into the whole cabinet (you can see the warping and peeling behind the door, as well), so it does seem like the “fix” would be just replacing the whole deal with properly sealed material instead of God’s shittiest particle board. Like, did the genius constructing this not know what water was?
The bit about “fuck you, don’t fuck with my deposit” is completely correct, though.