Sewage Leak & Landlord Compensation- What would you do?

[Josh Koett]

  I have a friend who is renting an older but  nice single family home for  $1650  a month.  She has been there only three weeks when a major plumbing issue came up.  Raw sewage started overflowing out of the toilets, sink, bathtub and all over the floor.  The Owner/Landlord was apologetic.  He hired a contractor and crew who tore-up and trenched a channel in the garage concrete  to access the pipes,  trenched the front lawn, and tore up the kitchen floor and wall.  This went on for 3 weeks!  The contractor also used 5 new white bath towels to clean-up additional sewage in the bathroom without permission while gone at work.  During this time, she wasn't able to use or park in the garage, use the kitchen to cook ( she ate out for 3 weeks except for some microwave dishes) since there was no water in the kitchen and it smelled really bad, and there were a bunch of construction guys coming in and out, and the place was just a mess from different crews leaving junk behind after the day was over.  She even lent the plumber a hand holding clamps under the sink/toilet one evening because his guy left. --- My friend was patient and after all was done, the Landlord  only offered her a $25 Walmart gift card and a couple towels to replace the ones soaked in feces.  He apologized saying things were tight and  has other house issues to deal with at his permanent residence --- Does this seem Fair?  The person she is renting from also works in the same office as her. What would you do? Should he have given her a discount on that months rent? Or help out with the food costs of not having a kitchen to cook in? What is the  procedure in cases like this?   It's just upsetting.    Thank you

[Mike Baker]

your friend needs to find another place to live. The landlord is obviously more concerned about his bottom line. Guys like that are what "slum lords" are made of.