Toilet nightmare (and how property management is dealing with it)

[Chris Roush]

I hate to post about the cliché problem of a toilet not flushing at 2 AM, but I'm currently dealing with this problem with a particular property under management. They have received 3 emergency calls (and charged me accordingly) on a toilet that continues to be a problem over the last several months. I've now spent $700 on a toilet over the last 2 months because of emergency call fees, and I'm wondering if/when to start holding the property manager accountable for the repairs they are performing.

If I do need to be holding the property manager accountable for repeated emergency calls on the same problem, how should I go about approaching them with the problem? After $700, I would've just replaced the toilet rather than trying to fix it 3 times. Thanks for your input!

[Greg Scott]

You should have a conversation with your property management company about two questions.  1) What constitutes an emergency? and 2) How to solve the toilet problem longer-term?

If the toilet is overflowing, that is a problem that needs to be solved quickly.  Telling the residents how to turn off the water supply valve is the easiest solution and the rest can be solved later.  If the property has more than one toilet, a clogged toilet should never be an emergency.  Giving your residents a quality plunger for free may also be a good idea.

Next, you need to know why the toilet is backing up. If the toilet is old and non-functional, replace it.  There also could be blockage in your sewer line.  Have a plumber go check it out if there are any questions.  Spending some money now will likely save you more money in the long run.