Tampons causing drain blockage

[Rachel Pivonka]

I need some advice. Do I foot the bill? Do I bill tenant for the cost or half the cost? Here is what happened...

I send out a 24/7 plumber on from a large reputable company on Friday after tenant calls. I reminded my tenant that if the problem is caused by a clog it is her expense. Plumber says he thinks it is a problem where the sewer line is out in the yard from a collapsed cast iron pipe. Project managers goes out with plumber to confirm and write  an estimate. To replace the cast iron pipes in the yard is about $1300. 

Turns out they were wrong. After replacing pipes in yard still its still clogged. I'm not happy. Today (Tuesday) they found where the clog was under the house but they had to dig the section of pipe up. When they cut the pipe open they found some roots and 8 tampons. Aside from dealing with the plumbing company who wasn't detailed enough when diagnosing the problem and did work that didn't need to be done what should I have the tenant pay for? The plumber mentioned something to her about tampons at some point and she said she hadn't flushed any.

Before I found out about her tampons I said I would compensate her and she asked for help with the hotel bills because she couldn't stay with family. Today she said her hotel bills are more than $900 which seems high to me for 4 or 5 nights. 

What would you do? My house rules specifically say not to flush tampons. She has been renting there for 3 months. She has a co-signer as well on the lease. Thanks!!

[Kaycee Miller]

If your house rules specifically say no tampons and the blocked pipes are from tampons that have been flushed in the past 3-months, it seems clear it is her fault. It might be an embarrassing situation for her, which is why she is claiming that she didn't do it. 

Since it's her fault, I wouldn't give her money for the hotel, but perhaps do not charge her for the plumbing expenses. It seems likes the roots needed to be found and fixed anyway, but her tampons made the issue come to light sooner, rather than later. Explain to your tenant that you are not going to charge her for the plumbing expenses but since she broke the lease terms by flushing tampons you cannot pay for her hotel expenses. I'd also have your lawyer review your lease to make sure the "house rules" are legal and she has no grounds to take you to court for the hotel expenses. 

In the future, if you have more plumbing issues or maintenance issues that require a tenant to stay in a hotel, give your tenants a daily allowance for a nice (but not the best) hotel in your area. That way you know what to budget for and she can decide if they want to stay in a nicer place. $900 for  week seems reasonable for a super nice hotel but high for say a Holiday Inn.