Is it a ground to terminate my lease if there is no hot water in the mornings?
By ThePTCDiary
@ThePTCDiary (94)
United States
April 6, 2011 7:36am CST
I just renewed my lease and it's up until August of 2012. The problem is, there is no hot water in the shower and it is freezing cold! There is hot water in the kitchen but only cold water in the bathroom sink and tub. I called the landlord and the company sent a repair guy to check. He went at 1 pm and just left a note saying nothing was wrong, everything was working and that there was hot water coming out of the shower. Of course, but there is no hot water in the mornings. The company then said there is only one water heater for four apartments (not sure if apartment units or apartment buildings since our neighboring apartments are owned the same company) which by the way I think is not a valid reason.
What should I do now? I like my neighbors. The place is very quiet. But everyone needs a hot shower in the mornings. It sucks because sometimes I have to go to work at 4 in the morning and there is no hot water!!! I do not think our neighbors are all waking up as early as I am just to use up all the hot water. Is this a ground to end my lease? What do you think should I do? I want to find a new place but I do not want to pay fees for terminating the contract. I feel the company even owes me for this inconvenience.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@GardenGerty (157918)
• United States
7 Apr 11
It seems that they are trying to fix it. I hope they get a large enough hot water heater to provide for all of you. At four in the morning, if you were here, you would probably not have much competition for hot water. We do find, though, that if no one has been using hot water, we have to turn on the shower and let it warm up. Kind of wake up the hot water heater. If you like every thing else about your apartment, then I would try to hold on until it is fixed.
@ThePTCDiary (94)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I do hope they get a bigger water heater because I really like my apartment. I have quiet neighbors and it's so close to everything except for my workplace. Lol. I want to stay here until I have money to buy my own place. Thanks for your response.
@ThePTCDiary (94)
• United States
16 Apr 11
Oh well, as promised, here is the update: We have hot water now. (Clap, clap, clap). The bad thing is, one of my faucets does not give out much water at all. =( I guess this is better than no hot water. I might still complain to my landlord.
@neenie (343)
• United States
6 Apr 11
I would keep trying to contact the company. It seems that one water heater for four apartments is just not working.. I know that I live in a house with two apartments and we each have our own. Keep any documentation you have and if you have to break your lease, when you go to court about it, you can fight it. I would also keep a record of how many times you called the landlord and the repair people. There is no reason to have to take cold showers.
@ThePTCDiary (94)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Thanks much Neenie. I will take not of that. I hope things are going towards the bright side. I miss my hot showers!
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Oh how I know what it is like to deal with landlords unreasonable thoughts. Since they sent a repair person confirming nothing is wrong then you cannot break your lease. My thinking is that if you brought your own repair person to double check and they found that there is a problem then you have grounds to either have it fixed and deduct from the rent and or legally break the lease.
Which ever route you take you do have to inform your landlord in writing because not doing so legally your landlord can win. Is anyone else in the building complaining at other intervals that they too do not have hot water? If so then a letter signed by all should be sent to the landlord.
Outside of that it sounds like a really great community/building and without breaking the lease there are no other alternatives.
I do hope this gets resolved because do I know what a pain it is not to have hot water at times. I hope it all works out.
@ThePTCDiary (94)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Thanks for your advice. I did not have to go to work today so I decided to take a shower at 12 noon and guess what? No hot water even at high noon! So I stayed outside my apartment and waited for my neighbors to come out. I asked some of them and found out it was not just me experiencing this. The old grandpa above my apartment does not have any hot water at all! Brrrrrrr...
I talked to the caretaker (Ems, she's 85 years old and a nice woman) and she said that there is a repairman in the basement fixing out water heater. I then talked to the repairman and he said the management will be buying a new water heater. I did not ask when will that going to happen though. I will update you. =)
