Landlord tried to fix a leaky pipe with duct tape and a prayer

Ngl, I wish I was making this up. My landlord in Austin came by last month because water was dripping from the ceiling in my bathroom. He looked at it for like two minutes, then went to his truck and came back with a roll of duct tape. He literally wrapped it around the pipe joint and said 'that'll hold for a while.' I told him that's not how plumbing works, but he just shrugged and left. Three days later, the tape gave out and water flooded my entire bathroom floor, ruining the cheap laminate he put in. I had to call a real plumber myself and send him the bill. Has anyone else had a landlord try some backyard fix that just made things worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan65329d ago

Can't believe he thought duct tape would fix a plumbing leak, that's just pure laziness right there.

wren_smith4429d ago

Did he at least use proper duct tape or that cheap stuff from the dollar store? Because mine used grey electrical tape on a gas line once, and I’m still mad about it. The worst part is they probably charged you for the repair in your rent.

david82114d ago

Man, that's brutal. And to the person saying electrical tape on a gas line, that's a whole other level of dangerous. But I gotta gently push back on one thing - you said they probably charged you for the repair. Most landlords in Texas can't just add a plumber's bill to your rent without a signed agreement or a clause in the lease. Usually they try to deduct it from your security deposit, but even that's sketchy if they caused the damage themselves. The real trick is to document everything, send the landlord the bill certified mail, and if they try to screw you over, file a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Seen too many tenants get bullied into paying for a landlord's screw up.