Hair Clog - The Tenant Side?

[Teri B.]

Hello,

I've read through some 'hair clog/landlord' threads.

This is the other side of the coin and I'm curious what you'd do as landlord.

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My kid shares a house with 3 other roommates at school.

Kid 1:  Mine - moved in mid August 2017, did not do a walk-through, shares bathroom A.

Kid 2:  Moved in mid August 2017.  Shares bathroom A.

Kid 3:  Used bathroom A from May to mid-August, along with 1 other subletter.  Moved rooms and bathrooms in mid-August.  Now uses bathroom B

Kid 4:  Moved in mid-August 2017.  Uses bathroom B.

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Drain clogged in 'bathroom A' a few weeks ago.  Plumber told Kid 4 that the pipes are shot & there was 30 yrs worth of hair in there.  No way it could just be the current tenants.

Landlord says the $150 clean-out fee belongs to the current tenants and plumber is wrong.  He was in the house over the summer to install tile and ran the water.  All seemed ok to him.  

He said no slow draining was mentioned in August walk-through.  My kid didn't do a walkthrough.  

He said it hadn't needed a clean out for 8 yrs . . .  until Dec 2016.  Dec 2016 cleanout tenants lived there through the following May (2017), and were followed by subletters (May, June, July) before the current renters arrived in mid-August.

Then at the end of Dec 2017, it needed another cleanout.

The kids used the drain screens.  They only removed them once the water was backing up and they tried to snake (and snag) it (right before the plummer came).  Screens went right back on afterwards.  

Kid 3 isn't happy in the house, and is trying to sublet out.  Personal reasons.  She emailed the landlord and said the Bathroom A kids weren't using the screens (not her bathroom, and false.  Plus, she also used the bathroom for 3 months herself prior).  Landlord is using that as contributing evidence, and has now said the $150 must be paid.

No direct mention of such in lease.  He said they don't have to pay it, but he'll get it out of their security deposits when the extended year lease ends.

They've also had 3 or 4 bat removals since September.  Animal control guy had to come multiple times for one bat they couldn't catch, as well.  $.  Hole not found yet, so likely more.  No other issues - good tenants.

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Shady or just how this works?