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.
I made a few other minor additions for resources and things to keep in mind so you may want to reload the comment, but for the most part the advice is the same. Godspeed on this tedious and stressful part of the protracted people’s war. 🫡
The particular gotcha I’ve seen commonly in rental contracts (mainly for apartment buildings rather than other constructions) is that the tenant can be on the hook for plumbing issues within whatever the boundary between the space you’re renting and the rest of the building is. I got very lucky with a toilet issue in an apartment building I lived in because the problem was like 6 inches past the point in the plumbing where it would have been “my problem”, so it was up to the landlord and the management company to sort it out.
Also, if you happen to have pictures from when you moved in, it might be worth checking to see if the issue is older than your tenancy.